Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-03-17
For Benefit of Mankind.

The trustees point out that the great
desire of both treaties was to promote
the construction of ship canal for the
benefit Of mankind on equal terms to
all.
II, the summer of 1912 Congress passed
a law fixing the tolls to be paid for pass.
ing through the Panama canal, but added
3 section which exempted American
coastwise shipping from paying tolls,
thus giving to American ships pr1vi-
lege accorded to no other vessels.
The trustees refer to the protest pre-
scented by Great Britain, declaring the
protest calm and the arguments free from
exaggeration. They point out that in 1908
the United States and Great Britain made
another treaty, in which they agreed
that ANY differences which may arise
depreciation of treaties existing between
the two contracting parties which 1t may
not have been possible to settle by diplo-
macy shall be referred to the perma-
nent court OF arbitration established at
The Hague by the convention of 1899,
provided. nevertheless, that they do not
affect the vital interests. the independ-
ence or the honor of the contracting par
ties The trustees hold that the ques-
ton whether the American coastWise YES
sells shall pay tolls for passing tnrousn
the canal cannot be construed as anect-
ing the vital interests of the country, It's
independence or its honor.
Urge Repeal Of Law.
Assuming that the difference which has
arisen concerning the construction of the
Hay-Pauncefote treaty must be arDi-
trated unless the cause of the difference
can be withdrawn the trustees urge on
the citizens of the United States the ex-
pediency of promptly repeating that ac-
ton of Congress which gave rise to the
difficulty The trustees say in their state
ment:
Granting that some American shipping
interests might be benefited Dy the eA,
emptiOn< of cOaStWise vessels from canal
tolls since the term coastwise now In
cludes voyages half around the globe,
America surely has much larger inter-
ests which would be greatly served by
the prompt abandonment OF any inter
prstatfon4 of the, Hay-Pauncefote- treaty,
against which Great Britain can enter a
reasonable protest The United States
has an immense interest in the sanctity
of contracts and in the strict observance
Of all International conventions and treat
ies 1t has an immense interest i'll the
faithful observance Of any treaty be-
tween two or more nations which has
been entered into for the benefit Of man.
kind 1t is true that in times past many
treaties have not been strictly observed
that OCneTS nave DteH SuutTcu " ldpSC
quietly, and that some have been violated
by one or more of the parties, too impa-
tient to wait for a new convention. De-
spottc and monarchical governments
have often sinned in these respects and
republics have been accused of like con-
duct All the more reason that the
American republic should do no act under
a treaty which can be even questioned
by candid and honorable men. In the
efficacy Of international agreements lies
the chief hope of the world for progress
sive civilization.
Of Uncertain Value.
1.-THE further promotion, in method
Of uncertin value, of the interests of
American coastwise shipping interests
already protected by the possession of a
complete monopoly as against all other
nations. it is a doubtful matter of com
mercial improvement. he whole coun-
try considered. the pecuniary advantage
would not be large, and might easily be
completely offset by accompanying dis
ADVANTAGES: but whatever advantage
might come to this well protected in
dustry 1t would be as nothing compared
with the interests of the whole United
States in carrying out the noble work OF
building a canal between the Atlantic
and Pacific oceans for the common ad-
vantage of all nations.
1.-The greatest interest of the United
States as a free nation is to represent
worthily before the world the principles
of civil and religious liberty and the public
efficiency, and we'll being which those
principles develop, and thereby to pro-
mote the adoption of these principles the
world over. This is a great material
as we'll as a great moral interest. In
comparison with this large interest, the