Mexico Missouri message., 1914-03-12
HE MAKES STRONG PLEA TO
UPHOLD THE NATIONS
HONOR IN MESSAGE.
SAYS PLAN MISTAKEN POLICY
Within Ten Minutes After Reading,
Senator Clifton Offers Bill to
Permit President to Change
Law in Manner Desired.

Washington, ID. c. President
Wilson read to the senate and house.
in joint session. his sixth message to
congress, 420-word document, which
asked that national honor and treaty
obligations be upheld by the repeal
of the Panama canal tolls exemption,
against which Great Britain protests.
Within 10 minutes ALTERS he had fin
ished, Senator Chiffon, Il Democratic
member of the canals com mittee, in
troduced an amendment to the PAN
ANA law, which would permit the
president to suspend, change or abol-
ish canal tolls imposed or to prescribe
tolls where they are now omitted.
Senator chiIton's Amendment.
The section which Senator Chiffon
would add to the Panama law is as
follows.
The president, notwithstanding
anything herein contained, is hereby
authorized and empowered by procla-
nation to make. suspend. alter, change
or abolish any tolls contemplated or
provided for by this act, and may pre-
scribe tolls to be charged in any case
In which the tolls are prohibited
herein"
In his message the president asked
the repeal of the tolls exemption "in
support of the foreign policy of the
administrator" and added that an
exemption for American ships not
only was a mistaken economic pol
ICY" but was in contravention of the
Hay-Pauncefote treaty.
The Message In Full.
The presidents address follows:
Gentlemen of the Congress: have
come to you upon an errand which
can be very briefly performed, but /
beg that you will not measure its i'm
portance by the number OF sentences
in which ] state 1t. No communica
tion l have addressed TO the congress
carried with 1t graver or more far
reaching implications to the interest
of the country, and l now come to
speak upon the matter with regard to
gree by the constitution itself with
peTSOnal responsibility.
Asks Repeal OF Canal Act.
Il have come to ask for the repeal
OF that provision of the Panama canal
act OF August "a, 1912, which exempts
vessels engaged in the coast trade of
the United States from payment of
tolls, and to urge upon you the just
tolls, the wisdom, and the large policy
OF such a repeal with the utmost earn.
estness of which | am capable.
I'm my own judgment, very fully
considered and maturely formed. that
exemption constitutes a mistaken eco
nomlc policy from every point of
view, and is, moreover in plain con-
travention OF the treaty with Great
Britain concerning the canal con.
cluded on Nov. IS, 1901. But have
not come to you to urge my personal
views. ! have come to state to you
fact and a situation.
Whatever may be our own differ
ences of opinion concerning this much
debated measure, its meaning is not
debated outside the United States.
Everywhere else the language of the
treaty is given but one Interpretation
and that Interpretation precludes the
exemption I am asking you to repeal.
Should Reverse Position.
I'VE consented to the treaty; its
language we accepted, II we did not
originate it; and we are too big, too
powerful. too selr-respecting a nation
to interpret with too strained or re-
fined reading the words of our own
promises Just because we have power
enough to give us leave to read them
as We please. The large thing to do
is the only thing We can afford 10 do,
voluntary withdrawal from a posi-
lion everywhere questioned and mis-
understood. We ought to reverse our
action without raising the question
whether We were right or wrong. and
so once more deserve our reputation
for generosity and the redemption OF
every obligation without bubble or
hesitation.
Il ask this OF you in support of the
foreign policy of the administration.
! shall not know how to deal with
other meetings of even greater deli
cacy and nearer consequence il yol
do not grant 1t to me in ungrudging
measure"
Biloxi. Miss-Vadie Steel, II years