Las Vegas optic. (East Las Vegas, N.M.) 1908-1921, 1914-04-09
LARGE ISSUES ARE INVOLVED
SPEAKER SAYS GRANTING OF FA-
voRs TO AMERICAN SHIP.
PING rs SMALL POINT
MUST CREATE GOOD FEELING
SOUTH AMERICAN COUNTRIES
ARE AWAITING MANIFESTO
TIoNs OF FRIENDSHIP

| Washington, April 9. 9.-Senator Lodge
ranking republican member Of the
foreign relations committee: address.
ed the senate today in support of
President Wilson's Panama canal tolls
policy. He maintained vigorously the
legal right Of the United States to
exempt its shipping, foreign as we'll
as coastwise, from tolls, but asserted
that "a decent respect to the opin-
ions Of mankind" and the "distrust,
in some cases dislike" with which the
United States is regarded abroad, de-
manded prompt repeal of the exemp-
tion clause of the canal act.
Whether we shall insist upon Civ
ing to our ships tw oor three millions
lof dollars in a disputed way is. in
my conception, small question com
pared to the larger issues involved.
The senator said:
When the year 1903 opened the
United States occupied a higher and
stronger position among the nations
of the earth than at any period in our
history. Never before had our rela-
tons WITH the states Of Central and
assa Bsan s. good seem
ed as if the shadow Of suspicion,
which, owing to our dominant and al
times domineering power, had darken-
ed and chilled our relations with the
people Of LatineAmerica, had at last
been lifted, This great position and
this commanding influence have been
largely lost.
Il am not IN the coancils of Presi-
dent Wilson, but 1 believe that during |
the past year the present position OF
the United States in it's foreign re-
lations has become very apparent to
him, as it has to other responsible
and reflecting men and with this ap-
probation Of our present position has
come the earnest wish to retraee some
of our steps at least, and to regain,
so far as possible, the high plans
which we formerly occupied"
The speaker declared that rightly
or wrongly other nations have come
TO believe that we make our interna-
tional relations the sport OF politics.
the opinion that the views &
Of other nations should be considered I
in deciding the tolls exemption, Sem
ator Lodge said: Fl
Il am encouraged to believe thateI
am right in so thinking because 4
have the warrant and authority Of the
authors OF the declaration OF inde-
pendence. when Jefferson framed
that instrument he declared that the
impelling reason for making the dec
Iaration was a descent respect for the
opinions OF mankind"
He referred to the long delay in the
senate il ratifying the arbitration
treaties arguing that this led other
nations to believe that we seemed
ready to abandon The cause of arbitra-
ton when ii looked as if our treaties
might bring us to the arbitration Of
questions which we did not desire to
have decided by an impartial tribu-
nal
s'The outcry about exhibiting sub
serviency to Great Britain or any
other country because we see fit to
repeal the tolls exemption. seems to
ME hardly worthy or serious consider
alton The United States is altogeth-
er too great and too powerful to be
to any one"
The speaker gave it as his. opinion
that under the terms Of the treaty the
United States has the legal right to
exempt American vessels. no matter
what trade they are engaged in.
Public Hearings Begun
Public hearings were begun today
before the senate canals commite on
.he repea1of the Panama tolls exemp-
ton Senators who have introduced
bills and resolutions On the subject
were, first heard Senator Norris. re