Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-05-19
GatIinger Thinks Democrats
Wrong in Opposing Exemp-
ton for U. S. Ships.
PREDICTS THAT PARTY
WILL CHANGE ITS FRONT
Cites Past Delightful Inconsistencies
of Present Occupant of the
White House.

IodSl"lSt VESSELS lEolI pa llieiIl Vi toliS
through the Panama canal is poor eco
nonic policy. Senator Gallinger of New
Hampshire. republican leader of the Sen
ate. today warned the present admins
tration against hurrying through Con-
gress the pending repeal bill.
THE history of no political party and
no party leaders," said Senator Gallinger,
"justif1es any such claim Of infallibility
as the attitude of the administration i'm
plies; and so I venture to suggest that
the administration would not be in such
hot haste to sweep American shipping
from the seas, possibly for all time, if it
truly realized that after all the demo-
cratic party may be mistaken about this
matter and may have to. reverse itself. as
1t has been forced to do about some other
equally cherished decisions
Other Possible Subsidies.
If We are TO admit that the remission
of tolls to American coastwise vessels is
subsidy. then it follows that every
deepened waterway and broadened chan
nel every lock and every canal on our
lakes along the coast and upon our riv-
ers. built by national appropriations and
used by our shipping. is a subsidy. The
democratic party. not less than other
parties, has had its honorable share in
these great internal improvements, and
in that way has granted enormous sub
sides to foreign shipping for whose bene-
fit most of the great expenditures on
the seacoast have been made
Senator Gallinger referred to the fact
that In the past the democratic party
has at times opposed the abolition of
slavery. the establishment of gold
standard and the extension of education
at public expense beyond the three RS,
but that the party has since reversed it
self on these matters.
1T is only reasonable to suppose that
the democratic party is destined to
change front about this matter as it
Senator Gallinger.
Cites Changes of Mind.
Senator Gallinger declared that Presi-
dent Wilson has changed his mind about
various matters in the past, and one of
them was the tolls question. He pointed
out that the President in campaign
speeches in 1912 spoke in favor of the
exemption of American coastwise vessels
from the payment of tolls. and that now
policy.
Another instance of the delightful in
consistency of the present occupant of
the White House." continued Senator
Gallinger,a sis given in the following
estimates of his amiable Secretary of
State. Mr. Bryan
Senator Gallinger read letter written
by Mr.. Wilson in 1907, when he was
president of Princeton University. in
which he said: Would that we could
do something, at once dignified and eff
fective. which would knock Mr. BRYAN
once for all into a cooked hat He then
read letter written from the White
House in February of this year, in which
the President expresses the highest APP
probation of Mr.. Bryan's abilities and
characteristics.
1T would be quite within the prece-
dents" said Senator Gallinger. ito find
the President in short time advocating
free tolls quite as loudly as he now de-
nounces them
Says Root Started Agitation.
Senator Gallinger declared that the mat
ter of free passage Of American coast
wise vessels had been settled. and would
not have reared its head again. in all
probability. had not Senator Root of New
York last January made speech in the
Senate in which he reaffirmed the justice
of the contentious which had been made
by Great Britain.
This speech" said Senator Gallinser.
was seized upon by the Carnegie Peace
Foundation, and by the expenditure of
many thousands of dollars more than
100000 copies were distributed broadcast
over this country and in England This
unexpected turn of affairs gave fresh i'm
petus to the British contention. with the
result that February q, 1913, the Eng
fish ambassador called attention again
to the subject in note to the Secretary
of State
Senator Gallinger insisted that Great
protested against the exemption of Ameri-
can coaStwiSe vessels He went on to
show just how Great Britain. Japan
France and other nations were preparing
would use the canal. just as they are now
doing with regard to their vessels passing
through the SueZ canal.
Possible Situation. (
1T is easy to imagine what will speedily
happen to American ships at Panama, -
said Senator Gallinger. They will be the
only ones that are actually required to pay
tolls there This is what the President is
proposing.
The enterprising japanese nation is
preparing for the large use of the canal
and the indications are that that coun-
try will pay the tolls on Japanese ships
from the public treasury. The American
minister to Japan. George w. Guthrie
in a supplemental consular report for
April 10, 1914. to be found in the daily
consular and trade reports. May !. 1914
gives the following information
1.-The policy of the Japanese govern
ment with reference to the Panama ca
nal is further shown in the plan of sub
| sidiZing trans-Panama steamship line
as explained by the minister of communi-
cations at meeting Of the budget
diet. While the details Of the plan have
| not yet been fully decided. it is said that
the service contemplates eight steamers
! of 9.vvJ tons or more each. y
Advantage to English.
In another part of his speech Senate,
Gallinger said:
| IN addition to the direct benefit tc
would result from the repeal of the free.
| tolls provision, l desire to call attention
| to another economical advantage which
will accrue to English manufacturers. The
Pacific coast producers of oil. wheat
| flour, lumber. fruit, etc, are planning t.
| make shipments direct to England ant
| the continent by way of the Panama
canal. In returning these ships will bring
| to the Pacific coast the products of the
cheap labor in the factories of England
Germany. and other countries. which will
be sold to the people of the western coast
| If the free-tolls provision is repealed the
| English shipper will be able to add ovel
dollar per ton to the price of his ship
ments and still compete with the goods
rl,i nod CT via HI