The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1914-03-26
LINES SHARPLY
DRAWN IN FIGHT
ON CANAL TOLLS
House Leaders Of All Three
Parties Arrayed Against the
President, With Wide
open Split in Senate.
TEST VOTE MAY BE
TAKEN LATE TO-DAY
Special Rule Limiting Debate
VIII Be Brought in by
Chairman Henry and the
Battle VIII Begin.

WASHINGTON. March 25.-Lines
were sharply drawn tonight for the
opening Of the most bitterly contested
legislative struggle that has confronted
President Wilson's administration-the
fight to repeal the law giving Ameri-
can coastwise ships free passage
through the Panama canal Opposing
forces divided for the opening skirmish
In the conflict which will open when
n special rule is presented to the
house tomorrow to limit debate on the
canal controversy.
For the first time since the Demo
cratic administration took charge of
the government, administration leaders
found a strong. resourceful and deter
mined element within the party op-
posed to a policy which President Will
son had personally espoused. Personal
convictions on the question practically
have obliterated party lines.
tion involved, and the stress tho presi-
dent has placed upon his position as
necessary to the successful conduct Of
the administration foreign policy
combined to make up situation
fraught with complications.
Bitter Battle Ahead.
The presidents s supporters tonight
asserted they were gaining ground in
the house and one enthusiastic admin
istration leader predicted the passage
of the repeal bin by majority of
nearly 100; The more conservative
members of both sides, however, anticl-
pate hard-fought struggle, with a
bitter and protracted debate followed
by close vote.
Aligned against the presidents de.
mand for the repeal are the three lead
ers of the parties In the house, Repre-
sentative Underwood Of the Democrats,
Representative Mann of the Republic.
ans and Representative Murd0ck of
parties are behind those leaders. On
the other hand, Chairman Adamson OF
the house interstate and foreign COM
merce committee, Representative Hen
ry, chairman of the rules committee /;
Representative Stevens of Minnesota
and many other representatives. of all
three parties have accepted the presi-
dents position. 1t was generally be-
lieycd tonight that Majority Leader
speaking against the bill and voting
against it, would not attempt to or
ganize any extended opposition or re-
sort to obstructive tactics to prevent
the passage Of the bill.
At noon tomorrow Chairman Henry
will report special rule, providing
for fifteen hours of general debate on
tunity for amendment of the measure.
An attempt will be made to fix four
hours as limit of debate on the pro-
posed rule. If this is accomplished, the
first test vote will come late tomor-
row on the adoption of the rule.
The supporters of the president are
prepared to argue that the exemption
Of American ships from canal tolls is
violation of the Hay-Pauncefote
treaty; that it is form Of subsidy to
special interests, and the repeal is es-
sential in order that the president
may carry out his foreign policy. The
opponents of the bill will declare that
American shipping needs the free use
of the canal; that transcontinental rail
roads fear the competition OF free
American ships, and that. to repeal the
to Great Britain without e1hausting
diplomatic negotiations
An effort will be made, If the rule
is adopted, to press debate to conclu"
sion and reach vote on the bill late
Saturday. If debate is prolonged. how
ever, the final vote may go over until
next week.
Feeling in Senate.
In the debate today the feeling
over the proposed repeal was demon
strated in debate precipitnted by SEN
ator Chamberlain, who called up his
resolution requesting the secretary of
war for information as to the expense
of maintaining improved waterways
and canals within tho United States.
Senator Chamberlain said that the
Canadian Pacific railroad, backed by
other transcontinental railroads, were
the "insidious influence behind the
effort to have the tolls exemption re-
ponled, but he acquitted the president
of yielding to any such influence, The
president Is view that toll exemption is
q violation Of tho .Pauncefote
treaty, Senator Chamberlain insisted,
s'I will not stand on the floor
of this sonnte,' the Oregon senator
declared, "and advocate that this gov
ernment yield anything to Great Brit
tain. That nation is universally un-
derstood to he not the friend of
America.
Senator Chamberlain also assailed
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