The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1914-03-28

ago., | do not believe that the question
would ever have been raised that we
40 not nave the right to exempt Amer
lean ships from the payment of tolls
when we charge foreign ships a fair
and equitable rate for their. passage
through the canal. Great Britain
charges $3.50 for the passage through
a canal that cost only one-third of
what it cost US to build the Panama
canal and our tolls charge is only
$1.20 net per Jon.
1T seems to me clear. that it, does
not lie Within h mouth Of Great
Britain or any foreign nation to COM
pain thai we have not given them fair
and equitable treatment in the tolls
that we have charged for the passage
of their ships through the canal.
Their is a more serious question
involved in the passage of this bill,
the right to discriminate in favor of
our ships, he opportunity to encour-
age our shipping and to increase our
commerce are matters of vital import
ance, but they pale into insignifcance
when compared with the attack on the
sovereignty OF our country in the can
al zone.
THE power to build the canal. un-
der ou' constitution, rests in the war
power Of the United States. We built
the canal primarily as an addition to
our war power as it permits the
quicker transfer of our naval forces
from n ocean to another. It's inland
lake provides a harbor of refuge in
which u naVies can rendezvous, and,
as occasion offers, strike either ocean,
The advocates of Great Britain
take the position that We are forbidden
to discriminate in favor of our own
vessels of commerce, and as vessels of
commerce and wal are named togeth-
er, how long will it be before the same
advocate of the British contention will
avs us that we cannot discriminate
IN favor Of our own war vessels?
me contention of those advocating:
the British claim seems almost absurd
When we recognize that IL we admit
them for vessels of commerce the same
reasoning will require US to admit
would convert the canal in time of war
into a liability instead of an asset. OF
course we made no such contract. We
give to all nations observing certain
in the canal. That did not mean that
we proposed to build a canal at our
own expense and then surrender its
soWereignty to all other nations.
There is no word in the treaties
that even by implication denies our
right to give free tolls to our vessels
in n trade, and the day will yet
from tolls in the foreign trade. But we
have yet to consider the most serious
surrender that the advocates of the
4 DElISH CUILGnL4OLS uSSlT9 TO make
that is, to make the admission that we
are not sovereign in the canal zone.
BY your vote you are asked to rati-
fy for all time to come the British
desire that we surrender sovereignty
of the canal zone n adIni that it is
an International waterway in which
! we nave no rights that are not possess
ed by eleven other nations.
"Our governmental status on the
canal zone was established and fixed
by a treaty made with the republic OF
Panama subsequent to the making ef
the Hay-Pauncefote treaty. Great Bril-
tain remained silent after the publica-
lions Of this treaty and allowed us to
build the canal under it, and she is
CURED under this treaty with Panama
The republic of Panama acquired
the. sovereignty over the land through
which the canal was built in the same
this union acquired their sovereignty,
by successful revolution. Panama has
surrendered her sovereignty over the
canal zone to our government, by Ian
guage that Is so clear 1T cannot be mis-
understood.
"Are we now to yield the sovereign
rights ofsa nation and for what? Can
anyone tell us plainly why we surrend-
er and what is to be accomplished by
care we to yield merely because the
sentiment of Europe is against us2
When has the sentiment Of Europe ever
ent?.
"Was Europe with US when we pro.
tested against the British governments
taxing us without granting represen-
tation in the parliament? Did Europe
sympathize with us when we protest.
ed against the unlawful seizures and
| search of vessels in the second decade
| Of the last century?
when will the time ever. come, when
we can expect to maintain md pre-
serve our rights, political and
| cia1. with the acquieScent sympathy of
European governmental