The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1914-03-05
AS Same is Mistaken Economic
PoIicyand Violation of Treaty
with Great Britain.
WHETHER RIGHT OR WRONG
And Thus Save Nations Honor
without Any Outside InfIu-
enees Whatsoever.
q AsseelATae IL,

w!ASHINGTON, Mar president
Wilson personally appealed to Con-
gress assembled in joint session to-
day, to sustain the national honor Of
the United States in upholding treaty
obligations by repeating the Panama
tolls exemption against which Great
Britain protests. He asked Congress
to do that ''in support of the foreign
policy of the administration ana
added that an exemption for Ameri-
can ships not only was "a mistaken
economic policy, but was in contra
vention of tile Hay-Pauncefote treaty
II shall not know how to deal with
other matters Of even greater delicacy
and nearer consequences If yon do
not grant it to me in ungrudging
measure said the president. the
large thing to do is the only thing
we can AFFORD to do; voluntary with
drawal from a position everywhere
questioned and misunderstood. We
ought to reverse our action without
raising the question whether we were
right or wrong, and so once more de-
serve our reputation for generosity
and redemption Of every obligation
without bubble or hesitation.
President Wilson'S address, the
shortest he has yet delivered to Con
gress-exactly 400 words-was as
follows:
Gentlemen of the Congress:
tI have come to you upon an errand
which can be very briefly performed
b1It beg that you will not measure
its Importance by the number OF SEN
fences in which l state 1t. NO COM
munication have addressed TO the
Congress carried with it graver or
more far-reaciing implications to the
interest of the country, and come
now to speak upon a matter with re-
gard to which / am charged IN
peculiar degree, by the constitution
itself and with personal responsibility.
At have come to ask for the repea!
of that provision of the Panama canel
act, of August "a, .1912, which eXenpts
vessels engaged in the coastwise trade
OF the United States from payment OF
tolls and to-urge upon you the 3ustlees
the wisdom and the large policy OF
such a repeal with the utmost earnest
ness of which am capable
ssIn my judgment, very fully con-
sidered and maturely formed, that
exemution constitutes mistaken
economic policy from every point OF
view. and is, moreover, in PLAIN CON :.
PREVENTION Of the treaty with Great
Britain concerning the canal con-
cluded November 10, 1871. but :
have not come to you to urge my per-
sonaI views. l have come to state 10
yo,, a fact and a situation. Whatever
NAV be our own differences of opinion
concerning this much debated meas
ure. its meaning is not debated out
side the United States. Everywhere
else the language OF the treaty = y
given but one Interpretation anu UiiN'
Instrumentation precludes the exemp-
ton I am asking you to repeal. We
Consented to the treaty; its language
we accepted, If we did not originate
It: and we are too big, too powerful
too self respecting a nation to inter
pref with too strained or refined q
reading the words OF our own pro ollssez,s
inst because we have power enough
TO give us leave to read them as we
pIease. The large thing to do IS the
only thing we can afford to do, 9
voluntary withdrawal from a position
everywhere questioned and misunder-
fCon4inued on page fOHr.) a