Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-06-12

house by vote of 216 to II accepted
the senate's amendment to the repeal
of the Panama tolls exemption and
sent the bill to President Wilson.
Washington, d. c., June 12.-Repeal
of Panama canal tolls exemption for
American coastwise shipping passed
the senate last night by a vote of so
| to 35. The measure now goes back to
the house. which is expected to ac-
cept the Simmons-Norris amendment,
specifically reserving all rights the
United States may have under the
Hay-Pauncefote treaty.
The passage of the bill after a bitter
struggle that has lasted for several
months was regarded as another vic.
tory for President Wilson.
Although Is republicans came to the
aid of the democrats who voted for
the bill on final passage the president
initiated the movement in his party
for repeal and it was behind him that
many of the democrats who voted
AYE" lined up on the last test.
The question of making the Panama
canal free to American vessels was
brought to the front when the house,
on May %, 1912, Incorporated in the
act providing for the establishment of
civil government in the canal zone a
provision authorizing the president to
charge tolls to vessels using the
canal, with a proviso exempting
American coastwise vessels from such !
charges. President Taft, in a mes
sage to congress, had urged the exemp- |
tion. The bill had been reported to the /
house providing tolls for all vessels |
but the exemption provision was adopt 4
ed as an amendment. This amend |
ment was in the bill as it went to the
senate.
Protest From Great Britain.
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 department 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 treaty whether the tolls
are not collected. or whether If col
ected they are refunded. AS to coast
wise trade, the British government
thinks it would be difficult to frame a
provision which would not do Injustice 1
% their interests"
The Hay-Pauncefote treaty super
'eded the Clayton-Bulwer treaty under
which Great Britain and the United
States were. Jointly, to build the canal.
The Hay-Pauncefote agreement, after
rules for the regulation of {
he canal, based on the rules govern
ng Suez canal traffic, set forth:
The canal shall be free and open
o the vessels of commerce and of war |
# all nations observing these rules on {
erms of entire equality. so that there /
hall be no discrimination against any i
uch nation or its citizens or subject I
n respect of the conditions or charges
+ traffic or otherwise. Such condi- {
ions or charges of traffic shall be just a
nd equitable" d
The British Tote OF protest started {
lengthy diplomatic correspondence I
n the subject. Great Britain through
ut claimed that the United States n
ould not, under the terms of the r
-eaty, make toll exemption of any n
whether its own. or of other T
ations. Secretary Knox, who con- Z
ucted the correspondence for the $
nited States, in several lengthy notes L
that the exemption of
merican coastwise shipping was in
o way a discrimination against other
-affic using the canal. He asserted
lat the exemption was in the nature
, a subsidy. paid. not by imposing the
Ills for certain American vessels up
i other ships passing through the
NAL. but by the American taxpayers
iemselves In paying for the main "
nance OF the canal. al
THE avoidance OF possible fric- te
on" said the note. has been one OF W
e main objects of those methods of b!
-bitration OF which the United States h'
IS been for so long a foremost and d,
,nsistent advocate"
Throughout the first year of Presi- th
mt Wilson's administration there yt
IS a consistent agitation for the re-
al OF the exemption clause. The th
esident let II be known that he I'm
vored the repeal, and on March 5, al
II, he delivered an address to conI lie
ess in joint session, earnestly urg oc
9 the repeal. The exemption. he said, re