The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1914-05-11
KNOX SCORES
TOLL REPEAL
ISSUES STATEMENT IN WHICH
HE DEFENDS TOLL
EXEMPTION.
Cites What United States Has Done
In Panama and Thinks
We Can Run II.

WASHINGTON. May 1O-Philan.
der &. Knox. secretary OF state IN
PRESIDENT Taft's cabinet who re- iected
Great Britain's protest against the
night of the United States To exempt
american coastwise shipping from
the payment OF Panama canal toll !.
is in Washington and tonight he H..
sued public statement arguing
AGAINST the exemption repeal bill noN
under consideration in the senate
PRIMARILY, Mr.. Knox asserted that
toll exemption for American coast
wise ships Is not in violation OF the
Hay.Pauncefote treaty as set forth
IN the protest Of Sir Edward GREY.
the British secretary OF foreign AZ.
fairs. He confined his discussion uf
the subject to the conclusion by Pres.
ldent Wilson that II does violate the
treaty.
Asserting that in any discussion Of
the presidents statement that the
tolls act violates the treaty or of Sir
Edward Grey's more specific claim
that our freedom of action" I'm re-
spect TO the canal is limited by the
hay-Pauncefote treaty, Mr.. Knox
said: 1t is important TO carry in
mind that such limitation must either
be found in the words of the treaty
or arise by necessary and Irresistible
implication from the facts defining
the relation of the parties TO the
AAFdNN anu 10 SuDleft.
Pointing out that the United States
is building the Panama canal al an
expense Of S4O0 100000 Mr.. Knox furth-
er declared in his preliminary argu.
ment:
What United States Has Done.
We alone are expending the untold
millions necessary TO fOr:ify and pro-
tect the canal so that some belligerent,
eager TO secure the resulting advant-
age. may not destroy il: we alone arc
bearing the risk OF losing all this in
vestment as the result OF natural
cataclysm, such as an earthquake
against which no human agency can
secure us; We alone have stood for
whatever of criticism has come from
the manner of acquiring the canal zone
"a criticism encouraged and fOstered
by the very class which now seeks
10 rrn over 10 Europe. as a gratuity.
the benefits OF our action: we alone
have put the lives OF the flower OF our
army engineers and OF thousands of
American citizens through all the haZ.
ards and dangers of fatal tropic mala-
dies; and finally no country has shared
and does not propose to share one
penny of this expenditure or any phase
OF any risk. connected with our stu
pendous undertaking.
Surely upon these facts there aris
es no necessary Implication that
Great Britain is entitled to the bene-
FITS Of this colossal work on the same
and Identical terms as we. the own
ers. the builders. the operators. the
protectors and the insurers of the
canal. or that she shall dictate how
We shall treat matters Of purely local
national trade and commerce. or that
We shall be denied the very rights IN
respect TO our domestic commerce
which she herself claims and exer-
cises and which every other nation
in the world possesses"
Is No Violation.
Calling attention to Article TIT OF
the treaty upon which Great Britain
| bases its protest. Mr. Knox explained
; that II contains six rules. the first
/ granting a privilege and the other
7 ave specifying conditions upon which
that privilege is 10 be- enjoyed.
The canal shall he free and open
| 10 the vessels OF commerce and OF
war Of all nations observing these
I rules Is the language of the grant "
] he continued. Quoting the rules
I which relate to war. he submitted
I that they did not auDtv IN tho Ifuffed