The Washington times., 1912-07-13
BRA!NDEGEE TO
PUSH ACTION ON
THE CANAL BILL
England's Note of Protest
Against Free Tolls Starts
No Stampede.

Not less than two weeks of ami
mated Senate debate is now regarded
as certain in consequence Of the seri-
GUS turn in canal affairs caused by
the protest of the British govern
ment against free tolls.
Immediately after the Lorimer case,
the Interoceanic Canals Committee,
Will seek to have the Penama canal
bill made the unfinished business.
The tariff, II possible, will he showed
aside.
The Senate is showing little disposi-
tton thus far to be stampeded by the
British protest. The sentiment for
free tolls for American ships in the
coast trade Is strong.
Brandegee For Publicity.
The substance of the British note
was made public last night in a let
ter from Secretary Knox to Senator
Brandegee. Senator Brandegee Insisted
sent to him unless he was allowed
to make 1t public.
He did not care, he advised the State
Department, to have the note in his
wanted everything so far as he was con-
cerned to be in the light of day.
The State Department felt II might
give offense to Great Britain to make the
Secretary Knox summed II UP.
The following is the Knox letter to
Senator Grandegee:
sir: have the honor to bring to the
knowledge of your committee the fact
that a Communication dated the Sth in
slant, Just received from the British
charge daffaires, indicates that the at
tention of the British government hav-
from time to time made for the relieving
of American shipping from the payment
of tolls on vessels passing through the
Panama canal, that government has
studied carefully those proposals, and
the arguments in their support OF them,
with a view to the bearing thereon Of
the provisions of the treaty between the
United States and Great Britain Of Mo-
vember Is, 1901
The communication sums up the pro-
posals mentioned as: First, to exempt
all American shipping from tolls; sec
ond. one to refund to all American ships
tolls which they might pay; third, one
to exempt from the payment Of tolls
American ships engaged in the coast
wise trade, and, fourth, one to repay
to the last named class of American
ships tolls which they might pay.
Infraction of Treaty.
The communication indicates it to be
the opinion of his Britannia majesty $
government that to exempt all Amer
lean shipping from the payment of tolls
would involve an infraction of the
treaty, and indicates further the opin-
Ion that there would be no difference In
principle between charging tolls only
thereafter to refund them and remitting
such tolls altogether. The opinion is
expressed that the method of charging
plying with the letter of the treaty,
would still contravene its spirit.
The .oommunioation admits that
there is nothing In the Hay-Pauncefote
~ 70 ha
subsidizing its shipping, but claims that
there Is a great distinction between a
general subsidy. either to shipping at
large or to shipping engaged In any
particularly with reference to the
amount of use of the canal by the sub
sidized lines or vessels"
Impossible to Regulate.
such a subsidy, If granted, would
not, in the opinion OF his Britannia ma
jestys government, be in accordance
with the obligations of the treaty.
with respect TO the proposal that ex-
emptions shall be given to vessels er-
gagged in the coastwise trade the CON-
munication states that it may be that
no objection could be taken If the trads
should be so regulated as to make il
certain that only bona fide cOastwist
vessels would be benefited by this ex
emption, but that 1t appears to his
britannia majesty's government that II
would be impossible to frame regula-
tions which would prevent the exemp,
ton from resulting in preference t.
American shipping and consequently In
an infraction of the treaty"
BY his course Secretary Knox has
practically washed his hands of the
matter and thrown the responsibility or
the Senate. Some of the Senators dc
not like this. and are saying SHARP
things about the State Department
Many of the Senators regard that de.
partment as not measuring UP to its
responsibilities. The canal affair has
not helped the situation as between the
Senate and the department.