New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-04-17
4 otter of EX-Ambassador
Calls Tolls Exemption
Treaty Violation.
cpFECH BY MR.. TAFT
PUT IN THE RECORD
German American Spokesman
Appeals to Committee to
Stand by Pact.

,,...h,nrton. April l6-The declaration
,,e exemption Of American coastwise
nc .,s from the payment OF Panama
nal tolls was violation OF the treaty
18th Great Britain was reiterated py 10
nh H. Choate. former Ambassador 20
60, britain. In a communication lald
- the Senate Interoceanio CanaIs
-ommittee to-day.
..Tbase" said Mr.. Choate VINO pre-
] I'd comics OF letters and dispatches
.,,ob had nassed between representatives
~ the United States and Great Britain
drrtng the negotiation OF the nay
pspncefote treaty, ~ carefully peruseo
al think. be found 10 confirm my
80. .ro+ the clause IN the Panama Canal
-, evenpting coastwise shipping from
81. ,,,,,r,ent OF tolls is q clear violation
Of the treaty.
>,. cboate wrote that the correspond
,,cs established beyond question the In
,ort OF the parties in the negotiations
hat the treaty should mean exactly what
savs and excludes he possibility OF the
.,o,,ntion OF any kind OF vessels OF the
f-r,,ed States. Equality between the
r-r,.ed States and Great Britain is the
constant theme
IT. reviewed tho attitude OF Lord Lans-
sowne by saying that he abrogated the
CLAYTON Bulwer treaty, gave us an
American canal, ours to build as and
where we liked. 10 own, control and
rovern. on the sole condition Of its being
always neutral and free for the passage
of the ships Of all nations on equal
farms. except that II We git into a war
with any nation we can shut its ships
out and take care OF ourselves.
speech of President Taft delivered be-
fore the Canadian Club at ottawa was
also incorporated IN the report OF the
nearing before the committee.
Mr.. Taft, in his address, declared that
there are some hotheads that talk in
absurd tones about the right OF the
states 10 manage her own canal and her
,wn property as she likes, no matter
What she has agreed TO. but this is all
roth. These are the explosivistas. He
ldded that he had no idea OF breaking
.reaty, but the question was what the
reaty means
An appeal to the committee to stand
~ the treaty as an agreement between
gentlemen was made to-day by DR.. Ernest
Richard. Of New York, on behalf Of the
BOARD Of officers Of the North American
iyrnnastic Union. COMMUNICATIONS,
,aid DR.. Richard, were in favor Of keep
ng the promise Of the United States under
he Hay Pauncefote treaty. AS to the
Interpretation of the -Pauncefote
reaty." he added, 81 do not understand
Tow any controversy can arise as Ions as
he very men who negotiated 1t are still
live There certainly is room for casuis-
~ when all competent witnesses are
lead but here is our own negotiator, who
eclares that it was our intention when
hat treaty was worded that there should
ne no exemption in favor Of the United
states 7 can assure you our plain Ger
nan brains cannot conceive how, after
his declaration Of an honest man, who
mas one Of the finest brains ever produced
n America-or anywhere else, for that
natter-theer can he any denial OF our
obligations Mr. Roosevelt said once that
he mutual relations between nations and
heir actions ought to be the same as those
between gentlemen. Well. no true gentle
nan would look FOR subterfuges 10 avoid
plain obligations"
James Cowles. OF Washington, was the
only other witness before the committee
today A committee Of the New York
'hamber OF Commerce is TO be heard by
he committee Tomorrow