Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-04-10

its foreign relations has become very
apparent to him, as it has TO other
responsible and rejecting men, and
with this appreciation of our present
position has come the earnest wish
to retrace some of our steps, at least,
and to regain, so far as possible, the
high plane which we formerly oc-
cupied. 1t would be an obvious i'm
propriety to point out the specific
conditions of our present relations with
the various nations, both in the old
World and the new; ii is enough to
note the fact that we are regarded
by other nations with distrust and
in some cases with dislike. Rightly
or wrongly, they have come to be-
lieve that we are not to be trusted
that we make our international re-
lations the sport of politics and treat
them as IL they were in no wise diff
ferent from questions of domestic
legislation. This has not been in ac-
cord with our history or our position.
Only once have we abrogated a treaty,
and then actual if not declared war ex-
listed. We have scrupulously observed
our international agreements, and
where differences have arisen we have
of power but by negotiation and ar
bitration.
II suppose that at this moment in
the midst of the adroitly stimulated
passions raised against the President
recommendation that we should repeal
the toll exemption it will be thought
very poor spirited and even trucking
i believe that is the accepted word
to suggest that in deciding this
question we should take into consider
alton the opinions of other nations.
Nevertheless, ! consider this very
important element in any decision
which / may reach, and l am encout-
aged to believe that 1 am right in
so thinking, because l have the war
rant and authority of the author of
the Declaration of Independence. When
Jefferson framed that great instru-
ment he declared that the impelling
reason for making the Declaration was
"a decent respect to the opinions of
mankind
THE long delay in the ratification
by the Senate of the treaties renew
ing the arbitration treaties of 1908 pro-
duced a widespread feeling among
other nations that our championship
of the principle of arbitration and
our loud boasts of our devotion to the
cause of peace were the merest hy-
pocrisy, because we seemed ready to
abandon the cause of arbitration
when it looked as if our treaties
might bring us to the arbitration of
questions which we did not desire to
have decided by an impartial tribu-
nal. The President renewed the ar
bitration treaties, and finally, after a
delay which, as 1 have said, aroused
unpleasant suspicious, those which
have been sent to the Senate have
been ratified This was the Presidents
first step, as l hooked at it, in his eff
fort to restore the influence and rep
utation of the United States, which
he had found to be impaired. The
second step is his recommendation of
the repeal of the toll-exemption clause
of the Canal Act.
1.-The outcry about exhibiting sub
serviency to Great Britain or any 9TH
er country because we see fit to repeal
the tolls seems to me hardly worthy
of serious consideration. The United
States is altogether teo great and
lCO po"tIluI ~ b6 SubSSEkieHl TO dnY
one. and the mere fact of suggesting
it seems to me to indicate an un-
easy suspicion on the part of those
from whom it emanates not only of
the validity of their position but of
the power and greatness of their own
country, as to which I, for one, am
troubled by no doubts
LAS I have listened to some recent
stirring declarations of our utter fear
lessness, of our readiness to face a
world in arms, in defense of toll ex-
emption, about which noble cause no
country would think of fighting, there
have been moments when I have mar
yelled as l thought of the GOODNESS
and Indifference with which we have
contemplated the murder of more than
a hundred and fifty Americans not
many miles from our own border. The
violated rights, the unavenged, the
almost unnoticed deaths of those in
nocent people have seemed to make
heroics about canal toils, where there
is no peril to any one, peculiarly out
of place"
In opening his address Senator
Lodge rehearseed the history of the
canal negotiations previous to 1.-The
blunder of the Clayton Bulwer treaty"
which he said had committed the Uni
ted States to obligations pregnant with
future trouble. He told of the various
steps by which the Hay-Pauncefote
treaty had been reached and Of the lat
er adoption of the exemption clause
in the regulations.
81 am of opinion" he said, that
under the terms of the treaty we have
a legal right to exempt our own ves-
sells no matter what trade they are
engaged in. In my view, if we admit
that we have not the legal right to
exempt from tolls vessels engaged in
foreign trade we have no right to ex-
empt or refuse to collect tolls from
vessels of the United States engaged
in any trade I think, however that
we have the legal right to exempt or
refuse to collect tolls from all vessels
of the United States
After reciting his own connection
with the treaty negotiations, Senator
Lodge continued:
Il took the view then that under
the terms of the treaty of November
49, 1901 the United States was at lib