Las Vegas optic. (East Las Vegas, N.M.) 1908-1921, 1914-03-06
FOUR MEMBERS OPPOSE IT
THEY WILL BE GIVEN THREE
DAYS TO FILE A MINORITY
CONCLUSION
POINDEXTER WOULD KNOW
SENATOR ASKS PRESIDENT TO
EXPLAIN PART OF HIS LAST
4. MESSAGE

Washington, March 6.-The Sims
bills to repeal the Panama tolls ex.
emption was favorably reported by
the house commerce committee today
by vote of17 to 4. Representatives
Doremus Of Michigan, democrat;
Knowland Of California, republican.
o'shaughnessy, democrat. Of Michigan.
and Lafferty Of Washington progress
siye, opposed It,
The bill as reported by the commit
tee is brief and to the point. 1t sim
ply provides that the sentence in the
Panama canal act reading: mo tolls
shall be levied on vessels engaged in
the coastwise trade Of the United
States shall be repealed. Members
who voted against it pointed out that
another provision relating to minimum
tolls also must be repealed or the
whole question still will be open and
the United States may, in its discre-
tion, allow American vessels free use
Of the canal.
The chairman began on report
to the house and declared he would
press the repeal just as rapidly as pos
sible. The committee also voted to
ask for a special rule to expedite the
repeal With three days allowed for
the minority report, it is probable no
effort will be made to take up the bill
in the house before next Thursday. At
the White House there was every EVIL
dence that the administration was
pushing for action.
Wants All the Facts
Senator Poindexter, progressive, in
troduced a resolution today calling
on President Wilson to explain what
matters of "even greater delicacy
and nearer consequence" he referred
to in his address to congress yester-
day as depending on the repeal Of the
Panama tolls exemption t
The resolution, with similar one /
by Senator Jones, republican, Of Wash
ington went over for a day under the
rules.
At the White House yesterday the
president when questioned about that
feature ofcAis address, explained that
he meant to say that it was awkward
to deal with foreign nations which
took the position that the United
States did not live up to its treaty
obligations, That particular phrase Of
the address, however was widely dis
cussed in official and congressional
circles and many constructions we're
applied to 1t.
Japanese War Probable
Republican Leader Mann told the
house that after reading London dis
patches giving the British view Of the
presidents Panama tolls address, he
now understood what the president
meant by saying that unless congress
ungrudgingly supported the admins
tration's foreign policy, r shall not
know how to deal with other matters
Of even greater delicacy and nearer
consequence.
Mr.. Mann read from a London dis
patch headed Thinks United States
fears Japan"
After reading that dispatch" said
Mr. Mann,'I can appreciate the scigni-
ficance Of the last remark Of the presi-
dent In his message calling for protec-
tion Of this government from war
with Japan and for this government
to act at the behest Of Europe. ! do
not court, but am not afraid Of war
with Japan or with anyone else, and /
would not yield what I believe to be
right through fear whatever else IIl
might do'
Works Keeps Talking
Emphatic disapproval OF the admin
istration, the legislation which It has
passed and Of what he called the "co-
ercion used By President Wilson to
compel action BY congress-, was