Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-04-22
Senate Foreign Relations
Committee Receives Plan
Of Senator Chamberlin to
Abrogate Treaties.
VILE BRING OUT
TOLL EXEMPTIONS
Administrations Policy to
be Defined Toward the
Exemption Of American
Vessels From Canal Tolls.

Washington. D. c., April 21.--A JOINS
resolution to abrogate the Hay-Paunce.
fote and Clayton-Bulwer treaties on
which Great Britain is basing her pro-
tests against Panama canal act wa9
introduced today by Senator Chamber
lain of Oregon, and referred to the for.
eign relations committee.
Would Abrogate Treaties.
Upon the Hay-Pauncefote treaty
Great Britain bases her protests
against free passage for American
ships in the Panama canal.
Senator Chamberlin, a leader in the
senate for the free passage expOn-
ents declared that he considered ab-
rogation of the treaty the easiest and
quickest way to get to the bottom Of
the affair. N III I,
He explained that while the Clayton.
Bulwer treaty hatl been superseded BY
the Hay-Pauncefote treaty, he In
cluded 1t In his resolution for abroga-
tion on the theory that IL the Hay
Pauncefote treaty be abrokatOd
alone, Great Britain re-base her
claims on the old treaty with the COM
tention that the abrogation Of IT. snce
cessor still left II in force.
sAbrogation OF a. treaty involves the
Joint action Of both lhQuAes OF congreauI
and the approval OF the president. The
last treaty abrogated by the United
States was the Russian treaty OF con-
gress and navigation. because congress
held American Jews were not treated
on an equality with other Americans
travelling in Russia. 3E
The meeting Of the senate inter-
oceanic canals commission scheduled
for tomorrow has been postponed until
April 20. III
Panama Tolls to Come Up.
L One result OF the introduction OF the
resolution probably will be to hasten
the definition of the attitude OF, the
administration toward the whole .ques-s
ton Of exemption Of the American,
shipping tolls through the Panama can
ais which 1t is understood, President
Wilson intended to keep in the back
ground until the tariff legislation had
progressed towards a conclusion in the
house. BY tacit agreement the snego-
tiations begun last summer by the pro- I
clamation of Great Britain's prelim-g
mary note have been held in abeyance
since the advent of the new admins.
tration. The last note in the series
u4Cu Wy fauUdSbduOI DTyCCt ClSdTly3 III q
dicated it was to be followed BY an
other from Sir Edward Grey, secretary
OF foreign affairs. But this was with.
held in view of the intimations that r
President Wilson would record his 9p- \
position to the exemption of American
shipping tolls as form OF subsidy,
regardless Of the question as to wheth-
er or not such exemption was in yio-
lation Of the Hay-Pauncefote treaty
Bryce Leaves Friday.
H Mr.. Bryce is leaving Washington
next Friday without fling the *
pected note. His successor Cecil
Spring Rice is understood to be bring
ing the latest view of the foreign Of.
fee on the subject, but their presenta-
tion depend on the developments III
the congressional situation. following
the introduction of Senator Chamber
Inns resolution Most OF the points I
set out in the preamble to the resolu.
tions have developed In a preliminary
way at least in the speeches or Sena.
tor O'Gorman and other advocates Of
the right of exemption. AS to the prin-
cipal point OF the Clayton-Bulwer
treaty was intending to apply to d can.
al constructed in Nicaragua, state de-
partment officials have long considered
1t, but believed that the treaty has no
such limitation.