The Sentinel=record., 1913-01-25
SENATOR'S DIVIDED
 OVER kNOX'S NOTE
M'cUMBER DIFFERS WITH THE POSITION TAKEN BY THE
 SECRETARY OF STATE
Senators Fletcher and Townsend Are cutspoken in UphoIdinu the Stand Taken by Secretary Knox on
 Panama Question.

Washington, Jan. 24.-Senators favorable to arbitrating the differ enees between the United States and Great Britain on the question of ex- empting American coastwise ship ping and Panama canal tolls were generally indisposed today to go on record in opposition to the position of Secretary of State Knox, whose recent note to the British government declared such exemption is within the rights of this government. Sena- tor McCumber (Rep) and Senator Hitchcock, (Dem) both members of the committee on foreign affairs ex- pressed themselves. Senator McCum- her said:
 The seeretary's letter does not alter the fact that we agreed by treaty to treat all nations alike in connection with the canal, and that We also agreed by another treaty to submit all such questions as this to arbitration.f
 Senator Hitchcock said.
 The reply of Secretary Knox dem onstrates that in exempting from tolls vessels engaged in the coastwise traf- lie: congress practically voted to subsidize American ships at the ex- pense of the tax payers. He asserts that the loss falls on the American tax payers and none on British ship ping, To my mind this presents a reason for changing the law unless we are to embark on program Of voting ship subsidies
 Those who oppose arbitration were pleased with the Knox note. Senator Fletcher of Florida. said:
 Secretary Knox certainly is right in saying that there has been no vio- lation of the treaty to date. l don't favor the arbitration of the toll ques- ton, nor the repeal of the law but if 1t should become necessary I should he willing to have the whole ques- ton passed upon by our own supreme court"
 Senator Townsend:
 T feel now as I have felt all the time, that the senate acted within it's legal rights under the treaty. object to submitting the matter to arbitration and if it should reach the point where it would be necessary to refer the matter to the Hague tribu- nal, I would in preference, repeal the law, becauseI l fear serious compli- cations might arise through arbitra- tion"
 There is some expectation in off cial circles here that the British fore | ign office will facilitate the conclu- sion of negotiations by referring Sec retary Knox to Ambassador Bryce with instructions that will give him
 practically a free hand in dealing di-
 rectly with the secretary of state and Chandler Anderson, the counsel l Tor of the department. who was in l strnmental in framing uhe American i note in the effort to reach satisfac- tory conclusion Considerable specu- lation exists as the probable course l of the British government respecting 1 the reservations contained in Sir
 Edward Grey's note touching the pro l visions of the tolls act forbidding use
 of the canal by railroad owned steam
 ships. It is assumed that the British
 oreign office has refrained from de
 lining its position in this matter un til the United States actually under takes 10 exclude such vessels from
 the canal when the issue promptly ! will be made