Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1916-05-12
Free Canal Tolls

1.-THE ownership of the Panama
canal and our complete and exclusive
right of sovereignty over it are not
open to question. We reiterate oul
belief in the wisdom and justice of the
act exempting American coastwise
ships from the payment of tolls in
the use of the Panama canal and we
not only condemn the present nation
al administration for it's direct viola
ton of it's platform regarding free
tolls, but we vigorously condemn the
Democratic party for it's cowardly sur
render of American sovereignty over
this great waterway.-Plank of Re
publican state platform.
There is scarcely a public question
today about which so much misinfor.
nation is spread, especially on the
Pacific coast, as that of Panama canal
tolls upon American vessels in the
coastwise trade, and the foregoing
plank Of the Republican state con-
vention proves it, else the intelligent
leaders of that convention had not
attempted to make a political issue of
a question upon which the leaders of
both the Democratic and Republican
parties are divided. 1t is the purpose
of this article to discuss the matter
from the viewpoint Of former United
States Senator Root, who was the Sec
rotary of state who negotiated the
treaty with Great Britain concerning
the status of the Panama canal, and
who is now prominently mentioned as
a candidate for the republican nomin-
alton for the presidency.
On January IA, 1913, and prior to
the Inauguration Of President Wilson,
Senator Root, then ranking senator
from New York, introduced in the
senate a bill ITO prevent discrimina-
ton in Panama canal tolls" the pur-
pose of which was to repeal the pro-
vision of law exempting American
coastwise vessels from the payment
of tolls, and, as the record shows, the
able senator made strong fight for
his bill, solely upon the ground that
the exemption violated a treaty this
nation had with England. In this ef-
fort he was strenuously opposed by
his colleague, Senator O'Gorman.
Democrat. The bill was referred to
committee, and on February IL, 1913,
Senator Root made an argument in
favor of his contention, in the course
of which he went fully into the de-
tails of our treaty obligations in this
matter with Great Britain, commenc-
ing prior to 1850, and citing Rule l.,
Article 8, of the Hay-Pauncefote treaty
which follows:
"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
or charges of traffic, or
Such conditions and
charges of traffic shall be just and
equitable"
And referring to another treaty we
had with that nation, which provides
that whenever~a misunderstanding &C.
ours as to the meaning of any treaty
between the two nations, we agree
to submit the contentious to arbitra-
ton. Before the committee, of which
Senator O'Gorman was member,
Senator Root said, in part:
Mr.. Chairman. the bill I have in
troduced strikes from the Panama
Canal act the provision eXempting
American vessels engaged in the
coastwise trade from the payment of
Panama Canal tolls. The act, as you
know, imposes tolls upon all foreign
vessels using the canal, and the ex-
emption of American vessels is plain
The American coast
wise trade is already fully protected
in that none but American vessels can
engage in it. l don't suppose anyone
would have thought very long of un-
dertakirg to give subsidy to this
particular highly protected industry
an absolutely protected industry
were it not for the idea that it would
result in a reduction of freight rates,
which would tend to cut down the rail-
road freight rates in transportation
across the continent. 1t is exceeding
ly doubtful whether it would have any
particular effect of that character. The
quite unbiased gentleman who has
been studying the subject, Mr.. John
son, in his report regarding the pros.
pective operations of the canal, says
that he does not believe it will have
that effect. Mr.. Johnson reached the
conclusion that it will not have any
particular effect whatever with regard
to these conditions. The motive upon
which the ocean rates will be fixed
will be such that this subsidy will
simply 60 into the pockets of the
ship owners without having any prac
tical effect upon transcontinental rail
road rates.
When the ay-Pauncefote treaty
was reported to the Senate in it's first
form it was reported by the Commit
tee on Foreign Relations to the Sen
ate with a report submitted by Mr.
Cushman X. Davis, then chairman OF
the committee, which restated the
for the United States, but equal
rights and opportunities for every
country.
We have that report. 1t is on that
report the Senate considered and act
ed upon that treaty. In that report
the Committee on Foreign Relations
called attention to the fact that no
sovereignty in Central America could
grant or would be justified in granting