Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-06-22
Monday, June p, 1914.
A Shameful Surrender.

others in the countryS aHalrS-that
the national Democratic party has alb
solutely no respect for its platform
pledges. 1t secured control of the
government by false pretenses and
makes no excuses for repudiating its
sacred promises. The President and
those whom he could whip into line
with the patronage lash, have talked
much about the "sacredness" of the
American duty to the world (to turn
over the Panama canal to British de-
mand and cross country railroads)
but they have said little about the
"sacredness" of the Baltimore plat
form plank on canal tolls or the plank
,denouncing Republican extra gavance.
Both have been thrown to the winds.
This Congress will spend more of the
peoples money than any Congress
has ever spent. Canal tolls has been
repealed at the behestN of the Presi-
dent who approved and lauded ex-
emption in his campaign.
How can the country trust a party
of that stamp? The voters and the
people have been betrayed, and the
end is not yet. The canal tolls re-
peal was disgraceful surrender to
British interests. In the light Of
last-hour developments in the Senate
debate, the surrender was cringing
and cowardly. An exchange quotes
freely from the clash between Senator
Smith of Mich. a member of the
Senate committee on foreign rela-
lions who was consulted by the
President, and Senator Clapp Of Min
nesota. The revelation was made
that England, Mexico and Japan were
mixed up in the pressure which forced
President Wilson to address his re-
markable communication to Congress.
An exchange relates the incident as
follows:
The Senator from Michigan intimated
THAT, II it had not been for the Mexican
muddle, the question of the Panama
Canal tolls would never have arisen.
Senator, clapp of Minnesota thereupon
proceeded to cross-question him. "A few
minutes ago. he said, the Senator from
michigan made the statement that IL it
had not been for the internal difficult
ties of Mexico. we should never have
heard of this proposition to repeal the
free tolls clause. l would certainly be
much interested in the narration or dis
cussion of any possible relation between
the revolution in Mexico and the repeal
of tolls at Panama a thousand miles or
Leo cAtx+h 81 avtn
feet of making Senator Smith raise the
icurtain of secrecy to give us glimpse
of what was taking place behind it.
He told how the first time the mention
of repeal was made by the President was
in a conversation with a Congressional
committee considering the Mexican
trouble when it was at its acutest stage.
On that occasion the President said that
the repeal of the free tolls clause in the
Panama Canal Act would strengthen
the hands of our Ambassador at Lon
don" Here Senator Clapp broke in with
the very pertinent question: But what
mad our Ambassador in London to do
with our relations with Mexico? That Is
what interests me-
i This was a leading question which i'm
peratively demanded an answer. Sena-
nor Smith proceeded to give one by ask
ing a series of questions which were TAN
tanount to an acknowledgment that the
Administration had shown the yellow
streak In other words, IL had Deeil
frightened by a bluff cleverly carried out
by England and her Asiatic ally Here Is
very suggestive query the Senator from
Michigan put to the Senator from Mime
sofa: Does the Senator know that Eng
land has a treaty of offensive and de-
Renstye alliance with Japan? The rele-
vancy of this question was brought OUT
when Senator Smith proceeded 10 say
1.-The Senator from Minnesota knows OF
the unusual friendship existing between
these two great government tEngland
and Japan The Senator knows that
Japan at one time, not far distant. pc
came greatly interested in the Mexican
situation He knows that the oftcers OF
the Japanese battleship paid visit TO
the City of Mexico for a week the mo
mediate effect of this visit was then de-
scribed by Senator Smith in these terms:
"It was Just at that moment that the
Administration seemed to be impressed
with the necessity of finding an ally for
the settlement of the most aggravating
conditions in our neighDorlnS repupiIc
TO the south
BY this time all the Senators present
were straining their ears TO catch every
word of the speaker who, as a member
of the Senate Committee on Foreign Re-
lations, was one of those to whom
President Wilson had unfolded his real
motives for asking Congress to give an
'ungrudging" Endorsement of his repeal
policy When these motives were laid
before the Senate, the Senator from
Minnesota Indignantly asked: Then we
have reached that point In national de-
cadence WAere we Duy peace IS lLidt ili
Senator Smith virtually replied that that
was the case few days before his In
terview with the President, Charge
d'Affaires OShaughnessy sent telegram
from Mexico which sounded this note of
warning:
"The officers of the Japanese bat
tIeship will reach Mexico City next
week and will be entertained in
Mexico officially by Huerta and his
government with extravagant express
sions Of welcome and friendship. The
incident at this time is significant
and unfortunate. | think ! see in this
carefully timed incident the fine hand
of Sir Lionel Garden, the British Am
bassador."
Senator Smiths revelations. backed up
by Charge d'Affaires Shaughnessy' s
telegram, lay bare the secret of the re-
peal of free tolls. England. using her
Asiatic ally as her agent, irtimidated the
President OF the United States He, in his
turn, through the lavish employment of
Federal patronage. coerced Congress into
enacting England's will into law Such
Is the genesis of the most disgraceful
surrender recorded in American history.
The thing has been accomplished,
but 1t will not last Repeal will be