New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-03-14
Peace Endowment Trustees
Used $4,000 to Cir
culate Arguments.
COURSE DEFENDED
AS HELPING PEACE
Owen Introduces Repeal Bill in
Senate in Order to Hasten
Final Action.

From The Tribune Bureau
Washington. March 13.-Dr. James
Brown Scott. secretary of the Carnegie
an accounting before the Senate Lobby
Committee to-day OF the activities OF
that institution in promoting the move
ment for the repeal of the tolls exemption
clause of the Panama Canal act.
DR.. Scott testified that s32.50o had been
appropriated by the trustees of the en-
dowment of which $4,000 had been ex-
pended, for the circulation of literature
urging the repeal of the provision. Most
of this money was used for printing and
sending out 10000 copies of a statement
signed by the board of trustees on March
I5. 1913. The endowment also distributed
7l5O00 copies of the speech made by Sem
ator Root in the Senate on the subject,
sent out under his own frank. Senator
Root, who is chairman Of the executive
committee of the endowment. was not
present when the distribution of copies
Of his speech was ordered.
Dr. Scott said that no provision had been
made for substituting lecturers or for
publicity work, other than the instances
mentioned.
What has a peace society to do with
the Panama Canal tolls question:" asked
Senator Reed.
Its business is TO smooth out misun-
derstandings." replied DR.. Scott.
And yield TO other nations added
Senator Reed.
You will find no yielding in our atti-
tude," DR.. Scott replied.
Reed Sees Slight Connection.
Senator Reed suggested that the
connection between Panama Canal tolls
and peace appeared to be very slight. and
that it might have been fitting for the
endowment to distribute copies of Sena-
tor OGorman's speech as well as that
of Senator Root.
The statement of which 100000 copies
were distributed follows:
THE greatest interest OF the United
States as a free nation is TO represent
worthily before the world the principles
of civil and religious liberty and the
public efficiency and wellbeing which
those principles develop. and thereby to
the world over.
This is OF great material as well as
great moral interest In comparison with
this large interest the interest of the
United States in its coastwise vessels
sinks into insignifcance.
by securing the repeal of that part
of the act Of Congress on the Panama
Canal which provided for the exemption
of the coastwse vessels from the pay
ment Of tolls the American people would
embrace a precious opportunity 10 prove
that they understand their highest in
terests. and recognize their duty TO pro-
mote it for the benefit of mankind.
This statement carried the signatures
of Joseph H. Choate. Andrew d. White.
Charles w Eliot. John l.. Cadwalader.
Elihu Root, Luke +. Wright. Charlie
magne Tower. r. s. Woodward, Austen
c. Fox, ]. d. Schmidlapp, Robert S.
Rreckings. Oscar s. Straus, Samuel
Mather, James l.. Slayden, Charles l..
Taylor. Henry S. Pritchett. William NJ.
Howard Cleveland II. Dodge, Robert A.
FRANKIE. Nicholas Murray Butler, Arthur
William Frazier and James Brown Scott.
The committees efforts to determine
what effort, If any. TO impede the repeal
OF the exemption clause has been made
by ship builders and steamship men was
temporarily halted by the illness of Clar-
ence ". DE Knight a Washington attor-
ney, who admitted yesterday that he had
spent fifteen years urging legislation of
various kinds upon Congress. Mr.. De
knight had nervous collapse yesterday,
and the hearing will await his recovery.
Repeal Bill in Senate.
The canal tolls question was brought
before the Senate to-day by Senator owen,
who introduced a repeal bill similar to
that under consideration by the House.
Mr.. owen had a conference with the
President last night. in which it was de-
cided to do everything possible TO hasten
consideration OF the subject. The repeal
bill will be taken up by the Committee on
1nteroceanic Canals. Of which Senator
O'Gorman is chairman, before the House
has reached a vote on the measure
Republican Senators in favor Of the re-
peal bill who have canvassed the situation
believe that the administration is some
what oversanguine in its predictions con-
corning the number OF votes for the bill
in the Senate. They say that there Is
. much uncertainty as TO the attitude OF
several Senator's. and that the majority
for the bill. so far as can be determined
now, VIII not be more than ten or twelve