The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-02-27
RUSH 1T TO TAFT.
British Embassy Want Him to
Decide Canal Matter.
Sir Edward Grey Insists q. 8.
Ships Should Pay Toll.

Washington, Feb. 27.-The main
features of the reply of Great Britain
to Secretary Knox's note to Sir Ed
ward Grey which denied the right of
provisions of the Panama canal act
arbitrated have been received at the
British embassy.
Extraordinary efforts are being
made by Ambassador James Bryce
and his staff to have the reply go to
the state department before the eX-
plration of the Taft administration.
To this end continuous work has been
necessary at the embassy where the
staff has been employed several nights
and late into the mornings.
State department officials say that
1t has been the desire of the British
clearly before he left Washington for
presentation to Secretary of State
Knox. The haste explains the fact
that the reply will go to Secretary
British minister for foreign affairs,
and answer will practically be the Joint
work of Sir Edward and Mr.. Bryce.
1t is pointed out that a great deal
OF time was saved by having the main
features sent here by Sir Edward
Grey, the final touches to be left the
local ambassador.
The information given out here is
that the reply is comparatively short
and is directed to showing that Secre-
tary Knox was in error when he held
that the United States was not includ-
ed in the terms "all nations as used
nthe canal treaty. The reverse is in
sisted on by Sir Edward Grey as the
crucial point of the argument, He
says that if it were admitted that the
United States was specifically exclud-
ed from inclusion in the term "all
nations" there could be little basis for
of any question affecting the admins
tration of the canal even when that
administration affected other nations.
The reply insists that the only con-
cession made by Secretary Knox,
namely, that there might be some jus
tice in submitting to a special tribunal
with the amount of tolls is an unim-
portant one and in the reply to get
its contention for absolutely equality
for treatment as between Great Brit
ain and the United States.
Sir Edward Grey makes prominent
the fact that Great Britain, by the
of the Clayton-BuIwer
treaty, made over to the United States
a valuable consideration implying a
contract that must be taken into the
final audit as to the treatment of
England.
1t may be noted that the attitude of
this government toward that PROPOSE
ton has been that the United States
has spent millions of dollars already
on the construction of a waterway,
free to all other nations than the
United States on perfectly equal terms.
1t is contended that whatever rights
were surrendered by Great Britain are
compensated for by the presentation
by the United States of the canal to
the commerce of the world, including
Great Britain and her param in
ternational commercial interests.
The reply of Sir Edward Grey asks
specifically for the arbitration of the
main question, whether the United
States is excluded from the term "all
nations This is in answer to the
private and public of the
state department., that the original
Grey note did not ask anything def
nitely and was rather intended to
draw out the secretary of state than to
play the whole hand of England
Officials who talked over the Brit
ish reply say that the final answer to
Great Britain must be made by the
of state to President Wilson