Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-03-17
CANAL TOLLS PLAN
SCORED BY FORAKER
Former Senator Says Yield
ing to England Doesn't
Insure Peace.

| CLEVELAND. Ohio, March 17.-In
! speaking against the proposed bill to
repeal the act granting exemption from
| Panama canal tolls to American coast
wise shipping. former Senator Joseph
b. Foraker, before the chamber of COM
| merce here today, went into an exhaus-
| tive review of all diplomatic acts and
| numerous comments thereon which con-
cerned the Panama canal since the
original Clayton-Bulwer treaty
The greater part Of his address was
devoted to the existing Hay-Pauncefote
! treaty. He contended that nothing pro-
| hibited Congress from exempting
American coastwise shipping from
canal tolls. Mr.. Foraker said, in part:
II we cannot favor our coastwise
| shipping. with which no foreign ship
| ping can compete, of course, no such
| favor can be allowed to our ships en-
| gagged in foreign trade. and as a result
no advantage whatever arises to our
| shipping OF any class out Of this great
| national work, the erection of the Pan
anna canal
''On the other hand. the exercise Of
this right to show favor to our own ships
IN the use OF our own property would
| go far toward obviating the necessity
| of resorting to subsidies, against which
| there is SO much prejudice.
Not the Way to Peace.
THE dispatches from Washington tell
US Of the expenditure Of many thousands
OF dollars in support Of propaganda
! started by the Carnegie endowment for
| international peace to help secure the
repeal OF the exemption act in the inter-
est OF international peace. This is an
| even greater blunder than the policy OF
| 'watchful waiting
Both alike may postpone. but neither
can permanently prevent rightful set
| Element. Neither policy secures peace:
beth threaten war-men will not submit
| to injustice, neither will nations
In discussing the statement of Presi-
the United States should repeal the tolls
exemption act Mr. Foraker concluded his
| speech by saying:
And yet if it be proper to consider
| the opinion that prevails everywhere
! outside of England and the United States
! and very generally in both of these coun-
! tries, allow me to read as a fair index
| of what that opinion is, a few words
| from that distinguished German Count
Won Revonthiow, as reported in the daily
press.
Quotes German Writer.
Speaking of President Wilson's mes
sage to Congress. he is reported as say
| ing:
" The conclusion seems well grounded
| that the attitude of the British govern
ment concerning Benton's murder and
Wilson'S announcement yesterday stand
in the relation of cause and effect 1t
will be interesting to see how public
opinion in England likes the idea of get
| ting the tolls paragraph removed in ex-
change for murdered Englishman.'
IF such an opinion as this obtains
! everywhere or to any considerable ex-
tent with everybody outside of the United
] States then surely, If we are to be gov
! erned by foreign opinion at ALL the Con-
gress should not do what Is proposed. but
should Indignantly refuse to become a
party to such a transaction, and If there
be no basis for such charge then the
President owes it to himself and to the
! whole American people to make a suf-
ficient disclosure Of the facts to exonerate
himself and this great nation from the
charge Of participating in such an
unworthy and unpatriotic performance"
! Capt Edward Percy Meeker. U. S. NJ.
c.. retired, died at the residence of his
son. George r. Meeker. in Brooklyn. An
, operation enr cancer performed year
no Of fha =