Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-01-28
chARoEp WITH REpREoENrlNo
RAILROAD lNTEREsTs IN
CANAL TOLL DISPUTE. 4.
MICHIGAN CONGRESSMAN
PRESENrs STRONG ARGUMENT
DECLARES That Question l. Not One for
Arbitration and That "NationaI
Honor" Argument 10 in Interest Of
TransesntinsntaI Railroads Which
! Fear Water Composition in Rates.
Especial Correspondence


Washington, Jan. 2s.- 1T is high
time that public sentiment be directed
against the men In high places who are
engaged In sandbagging the state de-
partment IN connection with the pend
ing negotiations with Great Britain in
regard to Panama canal tolls. such
speeches - that Of Senator Root must
be extremely embarrassing to Secre-
tary Of Stste Knox"
So declared Frank d. Doremus, OF
Michigan. who ~ . member OF the
house committee on Interstate and
foreign commerce led the revolt against
the majority Of that committee which
resulted in the enactment OF the law
giving free tolls to domestic commerce
thru the Panama canal.
Here we have certain situation,
said Mr.. Doremus. Great Britain
claims q violation Of her rights In the
law which we passed. Our state de-
partment denies It. Negotiations are
now pending over the matter. And yet,
tho these negotiations have scarcely
started. We find men like Senator Root
rising to the support Of the British
side of the controversy. necessarily
with the intention Of prejudictng the
American side Of the case. Our arol-
tration treaty with Great Britain pro-
vides that We shall resort to arbitra-
ton only after diplomacy has failed to
settle q controversy, yet Senator Root
asks for arbitration before Secretary
Knox has more than fairly started to
attempt q. diplomatic adjustment.
1T seems to me that this 10 time for
every American citizen. in and out OF
congress. to hold up the hands OF the
state department, and that Just execr1-
ton ought to. be the portion Of those
who will not do this. I have no doubt
that the state department will settle
this matter to the entire satisfaction
of this nation, by diplomacy alone, II
the fire. in .the-rear attacks. such as that
OF Senator Root, can be suppressed. l
believe the case never will go to arbi-
tration. for the excellent reason that
there II nothing to arbttrate. can
think. oil nothing more damnably out
r.xeou. than an attempt on the part OF
any person claiming American citizen
.hip to hamstring the efficiency OF the
stare department IN an emergency OF
this KIND and I resent It. aS every
citizen should.
OF Vital Interest.
.In our arbitration treaty with Great
Britain It is provided that matters SHAH
not be subject to arbitration II they
affect the vital interests. the independ-
ence or the honor OF the contractins
parties. and Senator Root sneeringly
saws the question Of the rate OF tolls
on the Panama canal Of course does not
AFFECT the vital interests OF any nation
1t seems 10 me the question OF whether
we shall add . dollar and quarter
ton TO the freight charge on all OF our
domestic commerce passing from one
side of, the country to the other. by
land or water. approaches quite near
to a vital interest: and especially II 1T
is to be conceded that such . change
in our purely domestic affairs can be
brought about thru the Interpretation
placed on treaty by Great Britain.
Beginning with the foundation OF
government commerce between the
states Of this union has been free. The
constitution laid the foundation for
this policy and congress has consistent
" supported and carried it out. both by
direct and indirect legislation. But II
by treaty with foreign power We can
establish the precedent of placing a toll
on domestic commerce on one OF our
waterways, nothing Is more certain
than that eventually we shall. in equity
and fairness, be compelled to levy tolls