Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-03-30
BLAMES RAILROADS
IN TOLLS DISPUTE
Mr.. Doremus, Democrat, Says
They Manufactured
Sentiment.
OPPOSES TURNING CANAL
OVER TO GREAT BRITAIN
Never Would Have Been Dug, He
Says, Could People Have
Known Program.


Charging that sentiment in favor OF the
repeal OF the exemption clause was
by railroad interests
throughout the country. Representative
Frank Doremus. democrat, Of Michigan
protested today against the passage OF
the Sims bill Mr.. Doremus is chairman
Of the democratic congressional commit
tee. Speaking Of the manufacturers OF
sentiment" he said
With these men II mattered not that
Great Britain in her diplomatic corre-
spondence had practically admitted our
right to make the exemption. and that
the shipping interests OF Great Britain
and some Of her ablest lawyers had de-
clared we were clearly within our treaty
rights. Let me call the attention Of the
House to the first British protest Of July
8, 1912, delivered to our Secretary OF
State and by him presented to the Sen
ate while the Panama canal act was
pending there
England's Early Position.
SIN that note his majesty's government
took the position that to exempt all
American shipping from the payment OF
tolls would involve an infraction of the
treaty, but as to exempting our coast
wise trade it made no such claim. 4.
Mitchell Innes of the British embassy. in
his note OF July S, 1912. after protesting
that the proposal to exempt all Amer
lean shipping from the payment of tolls
would involve an infraction of the treaty,
says:
IF the trade should be so regulated
as to make 1t certain that only bona tide
coastwise traffic which is reserved for
the United States vessels would be bene-
fitted by this exemption it may be that no
objection could be taken, but it appears
to my government that 1t would be i'm
possible to frame regulations which would
prevent the exemption from resulting in
fact in a preference to United States
shipping and consequently In an infrac-
ton Of the treaty
''It will be observed from the foregoing
our right to exempt the coastwise trade
from the payment of tolls, but doubted
our ability to frame regulations that
would confine the benefits of the exemp-
ton to the coaStwise trade
Representative Doremus said that this
admission by a British diplomat imposes
a stupendous task upon the American
champions of Great Britain.
When the historian writes the history
of Panama canal legislation" said he,
'he will not revert with any particular
feeling of pride to the fact that the as
sault upon our national honor came from
within and not from without"
Criticises Carnegie Endowment.
The Carnegie peace endowment came
in for a share of the Michigan repre-
sentatives attack. He called attention
to the fact that the endowment drew
an income Of half a million dollars a
year from steel bonds, was most
active in rescuing the national honor
by promoting the repeal Of the. law that
Great Britain had admitted We had a
treaty right to enact. A representa-
tive of this institution has testified
before the Senate lobby investigation
committee that 1t was the buAness of
the association to help straighten
ness of the Secretary of State. While
he was trying to straighten things out
in a way that would comport with the
dignity and honor of the United States
national honor was sandbagging his Ell
forts by vigorously unfolding the
British view. There are. no doubt,
some estimable gentlemen connected
but as an institution it does not justi-
fly its right to exist by antagonizing
our own government in an interna-
tional controversy.
Further. Mr.. Doremus said: Il repudi-
ate and denounce the attempts that
have been made in this country to con-
vince the American people and the
world that the United States is an out
law among the nations. Our interna-
tional conduct from the earliest times
will compare favorably with that of
England or any other power We are
about to dedicate a great canal built at
a cost of $500, 100000 of our own money
to the perpetual use and enjoyment of
ho.r ad 1a1 for
the regulation and management of the
canal that guarantees to the citizens
and subjects of every nation, whether
great or small absolute equality. of
with our own blood and treasure. en-
tirely independent of any other nation.
After making this great sacrifice. we
are not Justly subject to the charge of
international outlawry, because we haye
exercised power which the Constitu-
ton confers upon Congress-to regulate
our domestic commerce In accordance
with time -honored custom
Railroads Alone Benefit.
Representative Doremus said he could
conceive of no interest that would profit
by imposing tolls on coastWise ships at
the canal except the big railroads.
In conclusion Mr.. Doremus said:
IT feel that II this bill passes We will
lose something that we ought to keep
and that some day we will regret it.
had fond!y hoped that the Panama canal
would be started in a way that would
promote the great object for which it was
conceived by developing the freest com
petition with rail transportation. The
bending bill goes much farther than the
President has asked Congress to 60 IL
It becomes a law We will be forever
estopped from granting free transit
through the canal to our ships in either
the coastwise or foreign trade.
while Great Britain will not hesitate
IN subsidize her ships using the Panama
route. our national prejudice against sub
sides will preclude us from adopting
that policy. II we cannot grant free
transit to our ships through the canal
its benefit will accrue to England and
not To ourselves. II the American peo-
nile had suspected that the Hay-Paunce-
Toto treaty gave Great Britain equal
lights with US in the Panama canal not
shoyelful of dirt would have been
turned on the isthmus.
II stand for construction of the
treaty that vindicates American diplo-
macy and safeguards our sovereign
rights"
WANT TO GET TOGETHER.