The Washington herald., 1914-02-26
THE OPEN Forum.
President Wilson Commended 10
His stand ON Canal Tolls.

4
To the Editor: Shall America dis.
honor her treaties? God forbid.
The nation is facing a crisis. There
are those in Congress who are adyo.
eating national dishonor. They would
violate the Hay-Pauncefote treaty h.
its terms of equality to all nations in
the matter OF the Panama Canal tolls.
They would violate IL peacefulIy. u
they can; by dishonorable war. N they
could. They would make the National
Congress Tammany crowd; the ma
tional government Tammany admin.
istration-withal a species OF foreigs
graft dangerous TO American Ideals
and interests. Surely, wiser heads will
prevail and govern in national spirit,
honor, and credit.
At the time OF the enunciation of the
Monroe doctrine, Great Britain hac
Canada on our north. and many OF
the West Indies and part of Central
and South America on our south. Tine
Monroe doctrine did not dispossess
Great Britain OF one little of her pos
sessions or rights outgrowing, but SIM
ply said to her and all other non-Amer-
lean nations: No more and no further
than you now have and enjoy shall be
your territorial possessions and SOW
ereignty in the New World. That is all
The interests Of Great Britain in
the New World were such, in 1850, that
America recognized her co-equaI rights
In any Atlantic-Pacific canal, and, ac-
cordingly. in peace and amity they ne
gotiated the Clayton-Bulwer treaty,
whereby they mutually agreed that
they should be partners co-eqUal in
any joining of the Atlantic and Pacific
by a canal And such were their
rights until the ratification of the Hay
Pauncefote treaty of 1901.
The Hay-Pauncefote treaty was q
mutual one. Great Britain relinquished
all OF her co-equal rights aforesaid,
except one, in consideration Of Ameri-
cas- building the Panama Canal, and
that one was and is that the said canal
snail (musO be open to all nations on
equal terms. IL is clear that the def
mite term of -all nations" included the
United States Congress, however,
nxed the pay OF tolls equally against
all nations. except the United States
the United States is to go free. That
action OF Congress. in violation of the
treaty, was ex parte. The President
is against IL. and the President is
right
The nation must not be used by A
few members OF Congress sympathiz-
ing with Ireland TO strike at England
for her Irish policies. We have seen
the same element in America resoIy-
ing against the nation accepting the
Hon. James Bryce as Ambassador of
England to the United States. And the
same element is now resolving against
the centenary Of peace between Eng
land and America-going so far, in
deed. as to influence members to in
troduce bills in Congress against the
appropriation of money for the pur-
poses Of such celebration. For like
prejudices against England certain
members would violate our sacred
treaties with that country. They
should remember that the Hay-Pauuce-
fote treaty was mutually negotiated
between America and Great Britain. in
cluding and binding Ireland every
where
America has no alternative than tC
abide by its agreement, except dis
honor. Shall the title American
which Washington tvpified with honor.
be Tammanyized and dishonored? God
forbid,
ANDREW JORDAN GREEN