Evening star., 1914-04-06

Cumber is a republican, the first to take
the floor in defense of President Viii
sons attitude toward the canal tolls
question since the debate opened IN the
Senate
Senator McCumber insisted that only
two questions were really involved N
the dispute over the tolls, one relating
TO the economic advisability Of com
peiling the coastwise vessels to pay
tolls and the other relating t. our
treaty obligations to compel the coast
wise vessels to pay tolls.
Attacks From the Rear.
Are we willing to meet the President
III a calm debate of these questions"
asked Senator McCumber or will we
avoid the merits of the case and attack
the question from the rear:
Senator Mct'umtcr praised the prcsi-
dent for his courage in raising the ban
ner in defense of the national honor
] have nothing to say about your
party platform. continued Senator Nc
tunhcr. turning To the democrats "But
the President is not the President of the
democratic party alone, but of the entire
American people. He must defend the
honor and probIty of the country before
the entire world. This is a duty which
We loaded upon the President ard .verr
American should stand by him when he
goes to the defense of the national honor
II hope that the day will come, when
the hallucinations that some persons
seem TO suffer from. that any portion of
the American people seek an alliance with
Great Britain different from that with
any other foreign country. Will have
passed away forever.
Majority Not English.
The majority of the Americans are of
ancestry not English. Certainly the de-
scendants of peoples of nations other than
Great Britain cannot be expected to urge
such an alliance with Great Britain And
the descendants of those Americans who
fought Great Britain for seven years to
obtain their freedom are not inclined to
yield nSAny respect to Great Britain,
today
Senator McCumber deplored such pre-
dictions as those made on the floor OF
the Senate by Senator Lewis of Illinois
last week Senator Lewis pictured Great
United States should she be baked in
regard to the canal tolls
Canada is sufficient hostage for peace
with Great Britain said Senator Nc
Cunber, who declared that il war arose
between this country and Great Britain
we would overrun Canada and would hold
it for all time.
''If ever we go to war with Great Brit
dS2TSSSUTS.
Senator McCumber.
Senator Hoke Smiths Opinion.
IF the vote on the Panama canal tolls
repeal bill were taken today. tho hill
would be passed by n majority OF ten.
said Senator Boke Smith of Georgia to-
day He is one OF the senate leaders in
the fight to put the measure through
al renuhIi,->.nS who in their r
hearts believe that the bill should pass
voted as they really believe, we would
have majority of twenty for the bill" q"
Senator Smith said that he would ad-
dress the Senate on the tolls question
next week.
We. the American people. ewu the
canal" said Senator Smith '"rhe bonded
Indebtedness on the canal is ours: the
tolls charged upon the vessels passing
through the canal will be OURS. But the
few rich men. and they do not belong
to the American people. Why should
we give them exemptiou|'
Alabama Election No Factor
Senator Simmons of North Carolina.
chairman of the finance committee, and
one of the best informed democratic lead
ers of the Senate. said that he thought
the majority for the repeal bill would be
nine or ten.
Any attempt by opponents of the re-
peal bill to refer to the result of the
senatorial primary in Alabama today.
should Underwood win, as showing the
sentiment of the people reSa riding the
canal tolls question, will be attacked by
the repeal leaders. They insist that Mr.
Underwood's stand against the repeal has
nothing to do with the election, and that
had the administration thrown its weight
against Underwood because of his op-
position to the repeal it would have made
Hobson's election sure. They say that
the President has kept his hands off in
Alabama however, and that the tolls
question has nothing to do with the re
suit there.
No Action on Knowland Resolution.
Action on Representative knowland's
resolution calling on President Wilson
and Secretary Bryan for diplomatic cor
respondence over the Panama tolls ex-
emption repeal was delayed indefinitely
today in the House foreign affairs COM
mittee Democrats of the committee will
consult Secretary Bryan. Mr.. Knowlaud
reintroduced the, resolution to omit refer
ence to the President and broadened it to
cali for all papers relating to the inter
probation of the Hay-Pauncefote Treaty
Representative knowland became a
storm center when he charged on the floor
that the President asked for the repeal
after conferences with Sir William Tyr>
rell of the British foreign office and made
aliusions to ali Anglo-American agreement
on Mexican policy President Wilson