The Brunswick news. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 1906-2016, 1914-03-06
ASKS LAWMAKERS TO SUPPORT
THE FOREIGN POLICY OF
ADMINISTRATION.
TO SUSTAIN NATIONAL HONOR
al Shall not Know How to Deal with
Other Matters of Even Greater Deli
cacy and Nearer Consequences if
You Do not Grant Me Support"

Washington, March 5.-President
Wilson personally appealed to con
SreSs, assembled in joint session to-
day, to sustain the national honor of
the United States in upholding treaty
obligations by repeating the Panama
tolls exemption against which Great
Britain protests. He asked congress
to do that in support of the foreign
policy of the administrati ton" and ad-
ded that an exemption for American
ships not only was "a mistaken econ
cmic policy" but was in contraven-
ton of the Hay-Pouncefote treaty.
Il shall not know how to deal with
other matters of even erea er delica-
cy and nearer consequences if you do
net grant 1t to me in ungEudging meas
ure" said the pres dent.
The large thing to do Is the only
thing we can afford to do; voluntary
Withdrawal from a 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 obliga.
tion without quibble or hesitation"
President Wilson's address, the
shortest he has yet delivered to cur.
gress exactly 42O words-was as fol,
io"S''3frI- n t0s
Gentlemen OF the congress:
Il have come to you UPON an err
rand which can be very briefly per-
formed, but | beg that you will not
measure its Importance by the number
OF sentences in which ! state it. No
communication | have addressed to
the congress carried with it graver
or more far.reaching implications to
the interest OF the country and come
now to speak upon a matter with re-
gard to which I am charged in pc
culiar degree, by the constitution it.
self with personal responsibility.
Il have come to ask for the repeal
OF that provision of the Panama canal
act of Aug. "a, 1917 which exempts
vessels OF the United States from pay
ment OF tolls, and to urge upon you
the justice, the wisdom and the large
policy of such a repeal with the ut
most earnestness Of which am capa-
BILE.
In my own judgment, very fully con
S1Hnrnd and nlnt1traIu
emption constituted a mistaken econ
omic policy from every point of view
and Is, moreover in plain contravep.
tion Of the treaty with Great Britain
concerning the canal concluded on
Nov IS, 1901. But | have not come
TO you to urge my personal views. |
have come to state to you fact and
situation. Whatever may be our own
differences Of opinion concerning this
much debated measure, its meaning IL
net debated outside the United States.
'lEverywhere 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, IL we did not orig.
mate it; and we are too big, too pew.
erful, too self-respecting nation to
interpret with too strained or refined
a reading the words of our own prom.
iscs 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
voluntary withdrawal from position
everywhere questioned and m,sunder.
stood. We ought to reverse our ac.
tion without 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 bubble or
hesitation.
Il 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 consequences If you do not
grant 1t to me in ungrudging meas
ure."
The Panama tells question has been
subject Of dispute for nearly two
years. Diplomatic correspondence be
tween Great Britain and the United
States found the question unsettled
when President Taft left Office. Except