Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-01-07
SENATE OPPOSED
TO ARBI TRATION
Poll Shows Congress Also viii
Refuse to Repeal Panama
Canal Act.

O Laughlin in dispatch to the Chi
csgo Tribune says:
Arbitration of the Panama canal
questions, proposed by Great Britain
and favored by President Taft, will
not be assented to by the senate. Con-
gress will not repeal the Panama ca
nal act.
This is the legislative situation of
the Panama dispute So far as this con-
gIess is concerned. What President !
Wilson may be able to do. in case he |
should adopt the same policy as Pres
/ idcnt Taft. remains to be seen.
| The diplomatic situation in connec- |
/ ton with this matter is unsatisfactory |
to the British. 1t developed today that |
! President Taft made the public an
nouncement of his decision to com
ply with the British demand to arbi-
trate when he had failed to communi-
cate that decision in advance to the
British government.
1t is customary IN diplomatic nego-
tiations for the executive of a power
TO advise the other disputant what it
proposes to do before publishing the
fact.
In view of the presidents announce
ment, Secretary :lnox will prepare a
formal answer to the British note of
protest filed on Dec. 8 last. He will
set forth the view that the protest
is not we'll founded and will present
the facts sustaining the American po-
sition that it is justified under the
Hay-Pauncefote treaty in exempting
its lcoastwise shipping from canal
charges and in excluding from the use
OF the canal trust owned and railroad
owned ships, whether under the Amer
lean or a foreign flag.
In order to arbitrate the canal ques-
lions the first step required to be TAX
en- under the general arbitration treaty
o. 1908 is for the two governments
to make a special agreement govern.
, ing the points in dispute and the tri
. bunal to consider them. BY the sec
ond article of the treaty, such an
agreement must be ratified by the SEN
ate.
A poll of the senate shows that
those openly favoring arbitration of
the canal dispute are in a small mi
= nority. According to this poll, 10 SEN
ators favor arbitration, 80 are oppos-
ed to it and IS are non-committal This
is a total of 81 of the SO senators.
While some senators claim a major
F ity only would be required to ratify
an agreement made under a treaty,
there as no doubt the senate would
hold that an agreement, being to all
irtents and purposes a treaty, requires
ratification in the same fashion-that
IS. by q twothirds vote. Therefore, if
two senators in the non-commital class
OF not polled decide to oppose arh+tra-
l ticn, the British demand will not be
S complied with.
| IN this case friction undoubtedly
+ will arise. The United States will
: find Great Britain backed up by all
. the European powers and Japan, which
Y have the same interest as the BIie.sh
r gov eminent The least that can hap
2 pen will be the piling up of great
v claims for damages, which in the end
must be disposed of in some way. 1t
may be some plan of retaliation will
be adopted of which would be world
!. vice and which would embarrass this
a country greatly.
a Under the treaty of 1908, it is slip
h ulated that differences which may
+ arise of a legal nature or relating to
q the Interpretation of treaties existing
h between the two contracting parties
a. ard which it may not have been pos
II sible to settle by diplomacy, shall be
4 referred to the permanent court of ar
i bitration established at the Hague
The question between the United
States and Great Britain in respect to
the Panama canal are legal and con
., ventional They fall within the scope
70 OF the treaty, though it may be con
\ tended that as the interests affected
:, are vital" they are outside of ad
:, judiciation by arbitration.
: II is contended by some senators
n that the matter of canal tolls are aure
- ~ domestic in their nature and vita
- because they concern the control O
- the waterway which has been bull
by American money. The treaty o
1905 will expire on June 1 next. II
some quarters it is suggested tina
the treaty be abrogated, which is no
- ali likely, or that no action with re
- sEect to the British protest be takel
- until the treaty terminates, which il
- entirely probable In the latter even
90 l. is claimed this government woult
- not be bound to act under the treaty
- l. is such a small way of evading tn
= international obligations of the Unite
7 States that it will hardly be approves
=. by the American people.
London, Jan. THE London morn
ius papers are heartily pleased wit
President Tafts declaration of his il
teItion to submit the Panama cana
controversy with Great Britain to al
bitration if diplomatic negotiation
rs should fail The Daily M.il says:
a. ANY other than the honorabl
~ course which President Taft has take
ne would have been almost unthinkabl
is on the part of a statesman who ha
devoted such efforts to furthering IN
- cause of international peace through
out the world If the senate follow
President Taft's lead the Panam