The Liberal democrat. [volume] (Liberal, Kan.) 1911-1924, 1914-04-17
IS PANAMA CANAL
FAVOR T0COLOMB|A
SOUTH AMERICAN NATION GETS
FREE USE OF THE BIG WAT.
ERWAY.
PART OF PRICE OF PEACE
Gives New Weapon to Repeal Foes
Senate to Block Bill Until Sum-
mer, is Bellef-May Mean
Long Delay For Trust
Program.

Washington, April 11.-F'ree use OF
the Panama canal by the Colombian
men of war, troop ships and army
and navy supply vessels is proposed
In the new treaty between the United
States and Colombia signed at DO.
gotta Tuesday to heal the breach be-
tween the two countries over the sepa.
ration of Panama This was an.
nounced tonight by Secretary Bryan,
with the explanation that the clause
in the convention was identical with
one in the Colombian treaty negoti-
ated by Secretary Root in 1909 with
the approval of Great Britain and rati-
fled by the United States senate
though never accepted by Colombia.
Mr.. Bryans statement was made
after long conference at the state
department with Senator O'Gorman,
chairman of the senate canals COM
mittee, which has under consideration
the administration bill repeating the
clause of the Panama canal act ex.
empting American coastwise shipping
from canal tolls.
Senior O'Gorman, who is leading
the Democratic opposition to Presi-
dent Wilson's repeal policy, went back
to the capitol carrying new ammuni-
tion for his fight. He would not dis
cuss the matter himself, but other
opponents of exemption repeal point
ed to the fact that Great Britain. in
1909 had agreed to preferential treat
ment for Colombian vessels because
of Colombia's peculiar relation to the
canal and as evidence that Great Brit
ain and President Wilson are now
putting new construction on the
words, "all nations" in the clause of
the Hay-Pauncefote treaty, guarantee
ing equal treatment to the vessels OF
the nations of the world using the
canal Their claim is that these words
were not intended to apply to the
United States, the owner of the canal
and they will urge the admission OF
Great Britain in the Colombian mat.
ter as proof.
Consideration by the senate commit.
tee on inter-oceanic canals Of the pro
posed repeal of Panama canal tolls
exemption for American ships was in.
terrupted today by lack of witnesses
and further formal discussion of the
issues was postponed until Monday.
In the meantime opponents of the
repeal plan to hasten arrival of rep.
resentatives of Pacific coast CONNER.
cial bodies in order that they may
appear before the committee to voice
the sentiment of their constituencies
against the administration policy.
Senator O'Gorman, chairman of the
committee, and the leader of Demo.
Garlic opposition to exemption repeal
spent part of the day going over the
records of the state department relat.
ing to the negotiations of an unratified
treaty with Colombia, in which a
clause, reported to have been consent.
ed to by Great Britain, granted Colon
bia use of the Panama canal free of
tolls for cosatwise ships. These rec.
ords, 1t was said tonight, disclosed
only that Colombia was to have had
use of the canal free of tolls for war
vessels of which the South American
republic has few.
Chairman O'Gorman was asked by
the comittee to make this inquiry
after Senator Borah had attributed to
Senator Root, then secretary of state,
that Great Britain had agreed that
Colombia should use the canal with
out tolls for coastwise traffic.
81 merely reviewed the correspond.
ence relating to the negotiations OF
the proposed treaty with Colombia"
said Senator O'Gorman, after his In.
vestigation, land l prefer not to say
anything until l have reported to the
committee.
When the canals committee resume
Monday, Senator Lewis of Illinois, will
be given an opportunity to discuss the
bill which he offered as a compromise
for flat repeal of toll exemption for
American ships. The measure would
repeal redemption but would also give
the president authority to suspend
tolls whenever he might deem it for
tho host intaraef of tl,o ,no4;o.