Pine Bluff daily graphic. (Pine Bluff, Ark.) 1893-1942, 1914-06-13
CANAL TOLLS ACT
GOES TO President
CONTINUED from Page IL
do injustice to their interests"
H8y-PauncefOte Treaty.


Phe Hay-Pauncefote treaty super
seeded the Clayton-Bulwer treaty un-
der which Great Britain and the
United States were, Jointly, to build
the canal. The Hay-Pauncefote agree
ment, after providing rules for the
regulation of the canal, based on the
rules governing Suez canal traffic
set forth:
",The canal shall be free and open
to the vessels of commerce and OF
war of all nations observing these
rules on terms Of entire equality, so
that there shall be no discrimination
against any such nation or it's citi-
zens or subjects in respect of the con-
ditiol.s or charges of traffic or other
WISE Such conditions or charges OF
traffic shall be just and equita ble."
| The British note of protest started
"a lengthy diplomatic correspondence
on the subject. Great Britain through
out claimed that the United States
could not, under the terms Of the
treaty, make toll exemption of any
vessels, whether it's own or of other
nations, Secretary Knox, who conduct
ed the correspondence for the United
States, in several lengthy notes con-
tended that Ne exemption Of Ameri-
can coastwis~ shipping was in no way
a Discrimination against other traffic
using the canal. He asserted that she
exemption was in the nature of sub
sidy, paid, not by imposing the tolls
for certain American vessels upon 9TH
err ships passing through the canal,
but by the American vessels upon 9TH
err ships passing for the maintenance
of the canal.
"The avoidance of possible friction
said the note, has been one of the
lmain objects of those methods of ar
bitration of which the United States
has been for 60 long a foremost and
consistent advocate"
Wilson Takes Up Fight.
Throughout the first year of Presi-
dent Wilson's administration there
was constant agitation for the re-
peal of the exemption clause. The
president let it be known that he IA
vored the repeal, and on March 8
1914, he delivered an address to con-
gress in Joint session, earnestly urg-
ing the repeal The exemption, he
, said, was a. mistaken economic poll
cy." and was sin plain contravention
of the treaty.
"The large thing to do said the
. president. "is the only thing we can af-
ford to do: a voluntary withdrawal
from a position everywhere questioned
and misunderstood. We ought to re-
verse our action without raising the
question whether we were right OF
wrong, and SO once more deserve oul
reputation for generosity and the re-
demption of every obligation without
bubble or hesitation.
81 ask this of you in support OF the
foreign policy of the administration
| shall not know how to deal with
. other matters of even greater delicacy
and nearer consequence If you do no,
> grant it to me in ungrGdging meas
ure"
Speaker Clark, Majority Leader I'm
derwood and other Democratic leaders
in the house opposed the presidents
, demand for the repeal, but after {
J vigorous legislative struggle the
house, on March 81. passed the Sims
repeal bill. The measure then Wen
to the senate.
In the senate, the fight was pro
longed and brought the leading debat
ers of that body to the front. Part!
lines were large eliminated. Senate
Root and Senator Lodge were promi
4 nent among the Republicans who sup
ported President Wilson's position il
l debate and with their votes; the figh
against the repeal was led from tn
Damocratic ranks, with Senator
O'Gorman and Chamberlain leadin
the opposition to the president.