The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-12-24
introduced by Adamson,
but Not as Adminis-
tration Measure.
SILENCE NO SIGN
OF DISAPPROVAL
Declaration of Policy on Subject
Avoided Since Wilson AS
sumed Office-Opportunity
to Clear Up International
Phases and Test All
Sides of Controversy.

Washington. December ga Joint
resolution to conditomaIly suspend
operation Of the provision of the Pan
anna Canal act granting free passage
to American coastwise vessels was in
,roduced to-day by Chairman Adam
son, OF Georgia, OF the House Com
ncrce Committee
The suspension would be subject to
the following conditions:
AT any time after the Panama C,,n,i
shalI have been opened and SUCCESS
iuIly operated for two years IT, in tn.
judgment OF the President the reve-
hues derived from tolls OF vessels other
than those engaged in the ccastwise
trade OF the United States shall be
eihcie"t to defray the cost of main
tanning aud operating the canal and
expense OF government and initiation
OF the Canal Zone. ana all diplomatic
Questions touching the treatment of
vessels as to conditions or charges of
tr4ihc at the canal shall have been ad-
lusted. then the President is author
iHed 70 issue an exec Itive order de-
clarins such suspended exemption OF
full force and effect"
II would further provide that from
the date OF such an executive order
the exemption should be allowed. bu,
until that time vessels OF the United
states should pay the same tolls as
others.
Under Diplomatic Protest.
The free toll provision now is un-
der diplomatic protest
Representative Adamson introduced
the resolution on his own responsible
ity, and IL will not go before Congress
as an administration measure 1t was
sara III official circles, however, that the
silence OF the administration DID not
mean that the proposed step was dis
approved Any declaration of policy
on the subject has been avoided since
President wilson assumed Office last
March.
When Amba ssador Bryce left wash
ington In April, it was generally un-
derstood that he had secured somo sort
OF assurance that no effort would be
made by the United States 10 execute
tho free tolls provisions There has
been no official continuation of this,
but Significance had attached to the
fact that the negotiations between
Washington and London in regard to
the tolls question came to Il complete
stop about that time, ana the British
government has made no effort 10 re-
sumo them.
The weight OF opinion in official cir
clcs is that now that Sir Cecil Spring
Rice. the present British ambas sador
has regGined his health. he Will be
prepared TO resume the negotiations al
the point where they were suspended
though he proba bly, will wait rea-
sonablc time to afford Congress an op-
portunity 10 act upon the Adanson bill.
Statement by Adamson.
Representative Adamson. In a state
ment tonight explaining his resolution.
declared II did not involve the princi-
pie of granting subsidy TO special in
terests. but did afford an opportunity
to clear up the international phases
and 10 test contentious OF all sides
in the canal tolls controversy
Those of us who advocated uniform
tolls. said Nr. Adamson, rested our
case largely on the contention that the
tolls would he needed to operate the
canal, to prevent the operation and
maintenance from becoming a charge
on the Treasury. Most OF those who
advocated exemption for the coastwise
trade professed that if the governement
really needed the tolls to operate the
canal. when they would not insist on
the exemption, but they contended that
there would be n large surplus of tolls
from other vessels, and that the en-
emption could we'll be Afforded consid-
ering the plethora of revenue.
''on the other proposition, the advo-
Gates OF uniform tolls. while it was
still n domestic proposition and before
England had been heard from at all.
considered the treaty stipulations and
sought 10 avoid violation of them. The
advocates of exemption. insisting that
serted that they would not consent to
violate n treaty. and that IL II really
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