The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram., 1913-03-17
TOLLS ARE CALLED
ACT OF DISHONOR
Carnegie Board Issues State
ment Urging That the
Treaty Be Observed.
(Nationa1 News Association

WASHINGTON, March l7.-That
the exemption of American coastwise
canal would be an act of national dis
honor is the position taken by the
trustees of the Carnegie Endowment
for International Peace, according to
a statement given out by them here
today.
This written statement covering sew
eral printed pages, is an appeal to
the citizens of the United States to
do all they can to secure the repeal
of the law passed by Congress in 1913
exempting American coastwise YES
sells from paying tolls on the canal.
The statement also carries special
plea to submit the matter to arbitra-
tion before the Hague Tribunal.
In this connection the statement
points out that:
"On the 4th of April, 1908, the
United States and Great Britain made
another treaty in which they agreed
that differences which may arise of
a legal nature or relating to the inter
probation of treaties existing between
the two contracting parties and which
may not have been possible to settle
by diplomacy, shall be referred to the
Permanent Court of Arbitration estab-
lished at the Hague by the Convention
of the 29th of July. 1899, provided,
nevertheless, that they do not effect
the vital interests. the independence.
or the honor of the two contracting
States, and do not concern the inter
ests Of the third parties
"The question whether American
coastwise vessels shall pay tolls for
passing through the canal, continues
the statement, cannot possibly be said
to affect either nations vital interests
or independence, or the honor of
either Of the two governments. Clear
ly. difference relating to the in
terpretation of the treaty has arisen
between the two government which
have agreed to submit such differences
to the Hague Court Of Arbitration"
After commenting on the calm spirit
in which England has presented the
natter and pointing out that the
United States is obligated in a special
sense to submit the question to arbi-
tration because Of the initiative this
country has taken in promoting inter
national arbitration the statement con-
cludes with the argument:
"The greatest interest of the United
States as free nation is to represent
worthily before the world the prin-
ciples of civil and religious liberty
and the public efficiency and well-be-
ing. which those principles develop.
and thereby to promote the adoption
of these principles the world over
This is great material as we'll as
great moral interes-. In comparison
with this great interest. the interest
of the United States in its coastwise
vessels sinks into insignif1cance BY
securing the repeal Of that part of the
act OF Congress on the Panama canal
which provided for the exemption of
American coastwise vessels from the
payment of tolls, the American people
would embrace a precious opportun-
ity to prove that they understand their
highest interest, and recognize their
duty to promote it for the benefit of
mankind 3"
The statement is signed by Joseph
H. Choate, Andrew White, Charles W.
Eliot, John L. Cadwalader, Elihu
Root. Luke E. Wright, Charlmagne
Tower, R. s. Woodward, Austen G.
Fox, J. G. Schmidlapp. Robert s.
Brooklings, Oscar S. Straus, Samuel
Mather, James L. Slayden, Charles L.
Taylor, Henry S. Prichett, William M.