Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1912-07-25
Roots Brief for the British
on Canal Question
He Thinks That Congress Is Presumpous in Attempting
to Legislate the Subject of Canal Tolls
y y y


in the matter Of canal tolls at Panama.
1t is not to be supposed Mr. is sentimental
Angomanac eager do whatever they do in London The
sudden and eloquent Torysm speech week in the
must be attributed o other impulses
1t should mind that of the British in this
the Shipping Trust and the ranscontnental
such every fiber of Mr. Root mentality
instincively responds Said Mr. Root:
rights Of the United
But certain to me that the provision now before u.s.
question Pauncefote
question finally decide Our right to
egslate be
collected tolls and
o a the treasury"
In short Mr. Root by power, which
him greater deny the sovereignty Of the
the He thinks that congress
smptuous in attempting egisate subject of canal tolls
and that such presumption be severely pmishedwith
"ruinous consequences the United States treasury
Mr. reputation of being corporation law
yer however very great reputation to lose
sutona lawyeres likely that the strong of
his sympathy transportation could have drawn him
preposeous position he has taken in the matter
1t should be perfectly clear of constutonaity
and law the Panama canal American
land waterways the United States has alb
soute sovereignty over congress egae the
as peasescan destroy the canal if likes open to the
worlds commerce and that if the HayPaunce
manner conformabe to and comfy of nations
The complete Roots brief for the British
is first Hay Paunceoe treaty contains nothing in deo
CATION sovereignty the canal and second that
we should Immediately denounce and abrogate the treaty if it did
Senator Lodge convincing confirmation Of
the first point speech in the the other day He
called the fact that himself the member of the foreign
relations reported the senate in 1900 the
proved draft Of the treaty with Great Britain Mr.
full rights policy toward American vessels He de-
Tended the principle American ships He said
Of brought report that it left
in complete control in determining the position q our sym y
United States included among the nations to be treated with equality
Our right or Engands right abrogate this
treatyo any rcawhen mutually useful the
contracting parties is equally clear
There nothing about treaty makes sacred
than the constitution And the constitution gives the
the United States sovereignty all
the United States the Of nations that treaty may
changed annud when be just and equitable
Of the parties
Commercial treaties bargains-in which privilege
matched against privilege Such the
treaty upon reciprocal advantages each party
obtaining equivalent yielded goes out of
when CT the parties fails equivalent
We made, for example treaty England 1854 with
reference Canadian reciprocity and annued treaty
1865whou strainng in the least friendly
England In the last ninety have made reciprocity
treaties with fortywo countries and have them
continued them terminated without question right
do
The simple fact is that the Root theory present situation
is base fabrication invented and propagaed by private
teress
Representative Knowand California explained to the pres
ident last week how the Canadian railroads prompted by inter
railroad interests this side of line nstgated
the protest Of the British against Panama tolls
for the ships Of the United States
Mr. Root may have had personal initiative in
trgue But its purpose has aroused the latent sympaes of his
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