Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1914-04-09
idity of their position but to the power
and greatness Of their own country, as
to which I. for one. am troubled by no

ldtty or their position but to the power
and greatness Of their own country, as
to which !. for one. am troubled by no
doubts.
AS I have listened to some recent
stirring declarations OF our utter fear
lessneSs, of our readiness to face q
world in arms. in defense OF toll ex-
emption, about which noble cause no
country would think OF fighting, there
have been moments when l have mar
yelled as I thought of the coolness
and indifference with which we have
contemplated the murder of more than
a hundred and ffty Americans not
many miles from our own border. The
violated rights. the unayenged. the all
most unnoticed deaths of those in
nocent people have seemed to make
heroics about canal tolls, where there
is no peril to any one, peculiarly out
of place."
Reviews Treaty Making.
In opening his address Senator Lodge
rehearsed the history of the canal ne
gotiations previous to "the blunder OF
said had committed the United States
to obligations pregnant with future
trouble. He told of the various steps
had been reached and Of the later
adoption Of the exemption clause in the
regulations.
II am of opinion" he said. that un-
der the terms Of the treaty we have
a legal right to exempt our own yes
sells no matter what trade they are en-
gagged 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 exempt or
refuse to collect tolls from vessels Of
the United States engaged In any trade.
think. however, that We have the le-
gal right to exempt or refuse to coll
lect tolls from all vessels Of the United
States"
After reciting his own connection
with the treaty negotiations, Senator
Lodge continued:
II took the view then that under the
terms Of the treaty of November IL.
1901, the United States was at liberty
to exempt its own vessels Of commerce
from the payment of tolls if 1t saw
fit to do so, and voted against the
barred amendment. which made this
right explicit, because thought 1t
needless
Point Open to Argument.
"lt is clear, that the United States
has rightfully, and in accordance with
the terms Of the treaty, built the canal
thru territory which is its own Tor
canal purposes, altho the ultimate SOW
ereignty remains with the. republic OF
Panama, and the treaty accords to the
United States all rights incident TO
building the canal 1t is also clear that
in undertaking the canal on these terms
the United states did so with the pur.
pose of excluding all foreign control
beyond the stipulation to preserve the
general principle of naturalization and
for equality of terms to all users OF
the canal.
aThose who deny the right OF the
United States to exempt its own ves-
sells rest their case on the lansuase
of article s, which declares that
!. The. canal shall be free and open
20 the vesseis OF commerce and of war
Of ali nations observing these rules, les.
on terms q entire equality and more
particularly upon the proposition tnat
the words ALI nations must include the
ITnited states I freely admit that THIS
e a fairly arguable point. but 1t does
mt seem to me that the words all ma
tions' in this connection necessarily IN
c,uae the United states"