The Grangeville globe. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho) 1907-1922, 1914-04-09
SURRENDER WHEN VICTORY is
WON

perficial reading of the Hay Pauncefote
treaty that no course Is open to us con-
sistent with our National honor except
to repeal the toll exemption clause of
the Panama Canal law are seemingly
ignorant of the fact that before that
law was passed an official representa- =
tive of the British government admit
ted that exemption was In conformity
with the treaty.
The canal law was passed about the
middle of August. 1912. On July s. 1912,
A. Mitchell Innes. charge d'affars of
the British Embassy. presented note
to the State Department, in which he
said:
II trade should be so regulated az
to make 1t certain that bona fide
coastwise traffic, which is reserved
for United States vessels, would be
benefited by this exemption, 1t may
be that no objection could be taken.
Secretary of State Knox replied:
This statement may fairly be TAX
en- as an admission that this Gov
eminent may exempt its vessels en-
J gagged In the coastwise trade from
the payment of tolls, provided such
exemption is restricted to bona fde
coastwise traffic.
On November IA. 1912. Sir Edward
Grey. the British Foreign Minister. con-
firmed and elaborated the Innes note
Mr.. Knox replied on January II. 1913:
On this point Ito exempt all
American shipping from tolls) Sir
Edward Grey says that His Maj
esty's Government does not ques-
to grant subsidies to the United
States shipping generally, or to any
particular branches OF that shipping
1t is admitted In his note that
the exemption of certain classes
of ships would be "a form of sub
sidy' to those vessels; but 1t appears
from the note that his Majesty's
Government would regard that form
of subsidy as Objectionable under
the treaty If the effect of such
subsidy would be ''to impose upon
British or other foreign shipping
an unfair share of the burden of the
upkeep of the canal, or create dis
elimination in respect of the condi-
lions or charges of passage or
otherwise to prejudice rights secured
to British shipping by this treaty.
Mr.. Knox showed that the burden OF
tolls imposed on foreign ships would not
be increased by coastwise exemption
for he said that tolls for the ships OF
all nations were to be computed by in
Guiding in the sum total the tonnage OF
American coastwise ships, He thus dis
posed OF the only remaining British
objection to coastwise exemption.
Mr.. Knox. having thus reduced the
points in dispute to a minimum, Offered
to ratify the arbitration treaty OF Aug
ust 3, 1918. and thus open the way tt
arbitration, or to settle the controversy
by referring IL to a commission of in
quiry.
Thus the dispute was in a fair way
to settlement in a manner honorable to
both nations when Senator Root, or
January 81, 1913 four days after Mr.
Knox wrote the above mentioned dis
patch, made speech denouncing ex.
emption as violation of the treaty
and introduced a bill for its repeal. TIL,
effect of this speech on the British
attitude appears In the sudden change
in the tone of the British communica-
tons. In his reply to Mr.. Knox, Am
bassador Bryce said:
1t is unnecessary to repeat that a
reference to arbitration would be
rendered superfluous If steps were
taken by the United States Govern
ment to remove the objection en-
tertained by his Majesty's Govern
ment TO the act.
A diplomat who according to tn,
New York American. acted as assist.
ant to Mr.. Knox in his negotiations
and through whom access to the record.
was obtained is quoted by that journa
as saying
Great Britain acted as though
she had suddenly found her case
stronger than she supposed aud
that with the help of disloyal but
very subtle and powerful American
element to back up her claims. she
could succeed in establishing sort
of joint Anglo American control
over the great Panama Canal
Negotiations which were well unde
way to an amcable settlement in con
formity with the main American con
tention, suddenly halted and have no
been formally resumed Secretary Brya
and President Wilson repeatedly said
when asked about the tolls controversy
Nbtat titit NdS totniNS new, fidu MT
Knox remained in office and had Mr.
Root kept silent OF had Mr. Bryan con
tinued the negotiations on the lines Mr.
Knox was following. our right to exemp
coastwise ships might have been con
coded and all other points In disput
might now have been settled or Nigh
have been in process of arbitration
The right of the United States L
decide for itself the purely domesti
question whether coastwise vessel
should be exempt having been estab
lished, Congress would have been fire
to consider this matter OF internal pol
icy without the appearance of surren
dering at discretion to the demands o
a foreign nation
But the State Department pigeonhole
the tolls dispute, while AIR. Carnegie
through his peace endowment of whc
Mr.. Root is president conducted a pro
paganda for repeal.
Mr.. Carnegie strove to push alon
his scheme for an Anglo-American al
lance by promoting what is tantamoun
to joint British and American contrt
of the canal He was actively backe