The Colorado statesman., 1914-03-07
THE PRESIDENTS
CANAL MESSAGE
WILSON SAYS TOLL EXEMPTION
is MISTAKEN ECONOMIC
POLICY.
Executive Tells Lawmakers Repeal OF
Exemption Clause Is Necessary
to Hold Respect of For
eign Powers.

Western Newspaper Union News Service.
Washington, March g. For the
sixth time during his years incum-
bency of the White House. President
Wilson personally appealed to Con-
gress, assembled in joint session, to
sustain the national honor of the Unit
ed States, in upholding treaty obliSa-
tions by repeating the Panama tolls
exception against which Great Britain
protests. He asked Congress- to do
that "in support of the foreign policy
of the administration" and added that
an exemption for American ships not
only was a mistaken economic pol
icy" but was in contravention of the
Hay-Pauncefote treaty. President Will
sons address, the shortest he has yet
delivered to Congress, exactly 420
words, was as follows:
Gentlemen of the Congress- have
come to you on an errand which can
be very briefly performed, but l beg
that you will not measure it's i'm
portance by the number of SEN
tences in which | state it. No
communication l have addressed to
the Congress carried with it graver or
more far-reaching implications to the
interest of the country, and l come
now to speak upon a matter with re-
gard to which | am charged in a pc
culiar degree, by the Constitution
itself, 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 coastwise trade
of the United States from payment of
tolls, and to urge upon you the justice
the wisdom and the large policy of
such a repeal with the utmost earnest
ness of which | am capable.
''In my own Judgment, very fully con-
sidered and maturely formed, that eX-
emption constitutes a mistaken eco
nomic policy from every point of view,
and is, moreover in a plain contra
vention of the treaty with Great Brit
ain concerning the canal, concluded on
November IS, 1901.
But have not come to you to urge
state to you fact and a situation.
Whatever may be our own differ
ences of opinion concerning this much
debated measure, its meaning is not
| debated outside the United States. Ev-
erywhere else the language of the
treaty is given but one Interpretation,
and that Interpretation precludes the
exemption | am asking you to repeal
We consented to the treaty; its Ian
guage we accepted, if we did not origi-
nate it; and we are too big, too pow
erful, too self-respecting a nation to
| interpret with too strained or refined
a reading the words of our 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 position every
where questioned and misunderstood.
We ought to reverse our action with
out raising the question whether we
were right or wrong, and so once more
deserve our reputation for generosity
and the redemption of every obligation
without quibble or hesitation.
81 ask this of you in support of the
foreign policy of the administration.
shall not know how to deal with other
matters of even greater delicacy and
nearer consequence if you do not grant
it to me in ungrudging measure"