The Madisonian. (Richmond, Ky.) 1913-1914, 1914-03-10
PRESIDENT READS
TOLLS MESSAGE
URGES CONGRESS TO REPEAL
THE EXEMPTION CLAUSE.
~IN VIOLATION OF TREATY"
Favorins of American coastwise Yes
sells Declared by Chief Executive
Also to Be Based on Mistaken
Economic Policy.

Washington, March 5-Declaring
that the exemption of American coast
wise shipping from the payment Of
Panama canal tolls was based upon a
mistaken economic policy and was
''in contravention of our treaty with
Great Britain" President Wilson to-
day asked congress to repeal the Ad-
amson act containing the exemption
clause. The appeal was made in per-
son by the president, who appeared
before the senate and house Of repre-
sentatives in joint session.
The president declared that all the
world powers were unanimous In Judg-
ment that the exemption was in VIC
lation of our treaty obligations. Only
in the United States, he said, was the
exemption clause regarded as debat-
able or as open to question. he said
he had not come to congress to deliver
a personal view, but that considera-
lions of justice and wisdom led him to
believe that the proviso should be re-
pealed without delay.
The president added that the United
States Ought not to bubble" in the
matter of treaty obligation. He in
timated that the Panama canal tolls
question was involved in all the other
foreign questions now before the Uni
ted States, because he would not know
how to deal with them unless the ex-
emption is repealed.
Presidents Message
The address follows:
Gentlemen of the Congress:
81 have come to you upon an errand
which can be very briefly performed,
but / beg that you will not measure
its importance by the number of SEN
fences in which 1 state it. No COM
munication have addressed to the
congress carried with it graver or
more far-reaching implications to the
interest of the country and ! now
come to speak upon a matter with
regard to which 1 am charged in a
peculiar degree by the constitution it.
self with personal responsibility.
81 have come to ask for the repeal
of that provision Of the Panama canal
act Of August "a, 1912, which exempts
vessels engaged IN the coastwtse trade
of the United States from payment OF
tolls, and to urge upon you the JUS
tice, the wisdom, and the large policy
of such q repeal with the utmost
earnestness of which 1 am capable.
Exemption Mistake.
In my own judgment, very fully
considered and maturely formed, that
exemption constitutes a mistaken
economic policy from every point Of
view. and is, moreover, in plain con-
travention Of the treaty with Great
Britain concerning the canal conclud-
ed on November IS, 1901. But have
not come to you to urge my personal
views. 1 have come to state to you a
fact and situation.
Whatever may be our own differ
ences of opinion concerning this much
debated measure, its meaning is not
debated outside the United States.
Everywhere else the language of the
treaty is given but one Interpretation,
and that Interpretation precludes the
exemption l am asking you to repeal.
Consented to Treaty.
I'VE consented to the treaty; its
language we accepted, if we did not
originate it; and we are too big, too
powerful, too self-respecting a nation
to interpret with too strained or re-
fined reading the words of our own
promises just because we have power
enough to give us leave to read them
as we please. The large thing to do
is the only thing we can afford to do,
a voluntary withdrawal from a posi-
ton everywhere questioned and misun-
derstood. We ought to reverse our
action without raising the question
whether we were right or wrong, and
30 once more deserve our reputation
for generosity and the redemption of
every obligation without bubble or
hesitation.
II ask this of you In support of the
foreign policy of the administration.
/ shall not know how to deal with
other meetings of even greater deli
cacy and nearer consequence If you
do not grant it to me in ungrudging
measure"