Evening star., 1914-05-05
PRAISES PRESIDENT
IN URGING TOLLS
Senator Stone Says Confid-
ence of People in Him Can
not Be Shaken.
TAKES A DIFFERENT VIEW
IN ARGUMENT FOR REPEAL
Does Not Agree That Under Hay
Pauneefote Treaty U. S. Had No
Right to Exempt It's Vessels.

Although declaring hts strong belief In
~ right Of the Emitted States to exempt
It's coastwis~ vessels from the payment
cf tolls through the Panama canal. Sen
a;cr stone of Missouri. chairman of the
foreign relations committee. today urged
1h,, Senate to pass the Panama canal
tolls rep,,al bill. He took the ground
that the exemption would be in effect u
subsidy o. the coastwise merchant
marine and that the democratic party
was absolutely opposed TO all such sub
sidies
Senator Stone .E his argument broke
away entirely from the view taken by
President Wilson and other prominent
democrats to the effect that under the
v-Pauncefote treaty the United States
had no right TO exempt its coastwise yes
sels from tolls. But Senator Stone at the
conclusion of his address strongly re-
scented the attacks which have recently
been made against the President
The President is an able. scholarly
and patriotic American. said Senator
Stone. The American people cannot for
one moment he made to believe that the
welfare and highest interests of this re-
public would not be Zealously guarded
under his administration. The longer he
serves the people and the better they
know him the greater will be their faith
in him.
Justifies Previous Vote.
senator Stone justified his previous
vote in the Senate in favor Of the free
tolls provision of the canal act by
saying that he was registering at that
time his belief in the right of the
United States to make such provision II
il so desired Since that time he said
the matter had come up as merely one
of domestic business. AS a domestic
proposition. he said. he was utterly
opposed To granting any ship subsidies.
Il am unable 10 see VIII, any one
should be embarrassed by the clause in
the Baltimore platform declaring for
free tolls. said Senator stone. For.
according TO my views. there is nothing
In II that should occasion embarraSs-
ment. Ii seems TO me that those sena-
tors and members of the House who
have been beset with difficulties be-
cause of the platform have taken a
superficial view of that pronounce
ment
Senator Stone insisted that the free
tolls plank in the democratic platform
had been placed there merely 10 show
that the democratic party believed that
the United States had the right under any
treaty arrangement existing 10 exempt
American coastwise vessels from the pay
nleNt OF tOllS II II CnOSe. tie sara tndt III
1872 Great Britain had joined issue with
the United states on this proposition.
The vote of Congress at that time in IA
vor of free tolls put this country on rec
ord as 10 that controversy.
Concerns This Nation Only.
But now ! come 10 deal with the
tolls question from the standpoint OF
treating it as a question with which we
are alone concerned. said Senator
Stone. 1t is now proposed TO repeal
that provision of the act of 1872 ex-
empting American oastwise ships from
the payment of tolls. That is now a
question of our own with which foreign
nations have nothing 10 do We have
taken up this question on our own Inl-
tiative. No foreign country is making
any effort 10 exercise an influence, so
far as l know, intended To effect the
leeislatio upon which are now
gagged. We answered the protest Of
Great Britain through the act OF 1917.
and since then that government has
taken no further action in the premises.
50 far IS | am advised all foreign gov
errments have been standing aloof.
with hands off. since the passage of the
act OF 1872.
t.On the merits of the pending question
] can ind no satisfactory reason why
the American people should grant
subsidy Of millions TO this special inter
est. the coasIwise merchant fleet. which
now enjoys under our laws an absolute
monopoly of the enormous traffic carried
ing this continent