Omaha daily bee., 1914-06-13

emption clause. The president let It be
known that he favored the repeal and on
March 5, 1914 he delivered an address to
congress in ioint session earnestly urg-
ing the repeal The exemption. he said.
was a mistaken economic policy" and
was in plain contravention OF the
treaty"
The large thing to do" said the presi-
dent lis the only thing we can afford
to do; voluntary withdrawal from
position everywhere questioned and mis-
understood. We ought to reverse our
action without raising the question
whether we were right or wrong and so
once more deserve our reputation for
generosity and the redemption Of every
obligation without quibble or hesitation.
] ask this Of YOU In support of the for
ieign policy OF the administration. l
shall not know how to deal with other
matters of even greater delicacy and
nearer consequence II you do not grant il
to me in ungrudging measure"
Speaker Clark. Majority Underwood and
other democratic leaders in the house op.
posed the presidents demand for the re-
peal but after vigorous legislative
the Sims repeal bill The measure then
went to the senate.
In the senate the fight was prolongcd
and brought the leading debaters Of that
body to the front Party lines were
largely eliminated Senator Root and Sem
Stor Lodge we're prominent among the
republicans who supported President VIII
sons position in debate and with their
, hn FierN.N
from the democratic ranks. with Senators
O'Gorman and Chamberlain leading tn,
opposition to the president.
BII Passed in 1912.
The question OF making the Panama
. canal free TO American vessels came TO
| the front when the house on May % 1912
/ incorporated in the act providing for the
y establishment of civil government in the
q canal zone. n provision authorizing the
e president to charge tolls to vessels using
{ the canal, with a proviso exempting
! American coastwise vessels from such
O charges. President Taft, in a message
$ to congress had urged the exemption.
8 The bill had been reported to the house
! providing tolls for all vessels but the
exemption provision was adopted as an
amendment. This amendment was in the
Dill as IL went TO the senate.
Before the bill passed the senate, Great
Britain. on July II. 1912 filed a formal
protest against the proposed exemption
The note transmitted to the State depart
ment contended:
The British government thinks that to
allow American vessels to pass through
the canal without the payment Of tolls
would be to violate the Hay-Pauncefote
| u-b tolI
or whether II collected they are refunded.
AS to coastwise trade, the British gov
ernment thinks it would be difficult to
frame provision which would not do
injustice to their interests"
Hay-PnuncefOte Treaty.
The Hsy-Pauncefote treaty super
seeded the Clayton-Bulwer treaty under
which Great Britain and the United
states were. Jointly, to build the canal.
The Hay Pauncefote agreement, after
providing rules for the regulation of the
canal, based on the rules governing Suez
canal traffic, set forth:
The canal shall be free and open to
the vessels OF commerce and os war Of
all nations observing these rules on
terms Of entire equality, so that there
shall be no discrimination in respect of
the conditions or charges of traffic or
otherwise. Such conditions or charges OF
traffic shall be just and equitable"
The British note of protest started a
lengthy diplomatic correspondence on the
subject Great Britain throughout
claimed that the United States could not
under the terms of the treaty, make toll
exemption of any vessels, whether its
own, or of other nations. Secretary
Knox, who conducted the correspondence
for the United States, in several lengthy
n notes contended that the exemption OF
American coastwise shipping was in NJ
o way a discrimination against other traffic
using the canal He asserted that the ex
n emptiOn was in the nature of a subsidy
% paid. not by imposing the tolls for Ger
e tain American vessels upon other ship
2 passing through the canal, but by th'
le American taxpayers themselves in payinl
lie for the maintenance of the canal.
le THE avoidance Of possible friction,
s said the note. has been one of the mail
g objects of those methods Of arbitration
n OF which the United States has been 70
Se so long a foremost and consistent advo
n cate"
'e Throughout the first year of Presiden
10 Wilson's administration there was a con
n stant agitation for the repeal of the ex
le emption clause. The president let it b
known that he favored the repeal. and o
At March s, 1914. he delivered an address t
al congress in joint session, earnestly urg
n ing the repeal. The exemption, he said
l. was mistaken economic policy" an
was "in plain contravention of tn
to treaty"
IN The large thing to do" said the presi
is dent. rs the only thing we can affor
te TO do; a voluntary withdrawal from
d. position everywhere questioned and mis-
d. understood We ought to reverse ou
" action without raising the questio
to whether we were right or wrong, and S
10 once more deserve our reputation for ger
erosity and the redemption of every obi
cation without quibble or hesitation.
ed II ask this of you in support OF tn
ch foreign policy OF the administration.