The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1920-11-06
President Elect Begins
Ful6nment of Promise
HARDING TO REVIVE
CONTROVERSY over
PANAMA CANAL TOLL
BY DAVID LAwKENcE
Copyright by The lntels!genccr

Marion. O.. Nov. 5.-President-elec:
Harding has u special purpose in want
ing 10 visit thc Panama Canal. The
full significance q: the trip Will rot De
come apparent rntlt March fourth But
thc truth is Mr.. Harding IS IN earnest
about reviving the Panama canal tolls
controversy. He wants To see American
ships exempted from the payment OF
tolls and Will press for that exemption
when he is lnauSurated.
President Wilson found himself con-
fronted with the same question when
ne took ofhc" in March. 1913. TIL"
Democratic platform written at Baltt-
more in July. 1912. had gone on record
in support Of the action Of the Demo
cratic congress IN voting TO exempt Am
erlCan ships from the payment NJ tolls.
But Great Britain insisted that this
piece Of legislation w;,S in effect us
criminat!on against British ships and Il
plain violation uf the terms Of the Hay
PaunCetote treaty. That compact oe-
tween England and the United states
OF crrtain rights Eurlnnd had 10 another
!nter-ocean:c canal IN Nicaragua and
the understanding WAS that II BRITAIN
rclnquished ~" rights. America would
not d!ScririinHtr against her. IneEe
mas been mu.r t"Ea:e as t0 whether TIE
treaty ac;usl': promised that America
would not discriminate against Greae
Britain as r,Iw"en foreign nations other
than tnp [ i.tEu S(iteS OF "neNHST ~
promise not I" discriminatc included
American shipping. Some international
lawyers argued that Of course America
as the owner and builder OF the cana.
had the right 10 do rs she heaS.u
about tolls and that the discrimination
did not apply with respect 70 our own
ships. Other authorities argued 10 the
contrary. Senator Lode and EIihu
Root. who also was in the senate at thc
time. made eloquent speeches. saying
lhc law ought 10 be Repealed. Iade'"'
President Wilson found Repuh, lean ~
we'll rs DcU'ocrat.c support IN ootn
houses of congress when he u'c!ar"u
shat America could not afford 70 take
ADVANTAGE cr oth"r nati"ns by Insisting
upon . selfish Interpretation NJ an am
hlguouS artlcl" IN any treaty. he a'9o
hintrd at inrg" and vital questions Oh
diplomacy when ho sale tina; the taw
n,fsht ~ be- repealed and friendship
With ,i-jtoin maintained on account
II matters Of tar nearer and more HNeuson .
cate concern" Just what Mr.: Wilson
meant by the foregoing phrase was
never publicly explained though II =
commonly supposed In Washington taat
Tho president was playing Tor BritaIn
friendship because OF the delicate rela-
,;onship between Japan and the Cniteo
states over the California allen lana
law. The world doesn't know how close
NneriCa and Japan came 10 war sHae
year md the friendship OF Great BTU
Ain with her powerful navy was doomed
rytr"mriy important to the United
Si.,,aH csnc,,Iailv In view OF the Anglo
Isn9nrSc offensive and defensive air.
TnIe. similarly England had an anti,
Japanese problem to meet in her own
,.anadiaa and Australian domIr!ons and
,bc w!ssst diplomacy Of the m"meae
seemed 70 be firm hand OF trtenushlo
ard n pooling II interests between Nh
erica End Great Britain. The lrlsn-
American and German American socle-
lies fought President Wilson on the is-
sue and rallied AL their frienas IN CON
gross but Mr.. Wilson won out Snu tnAt
Part Of the Panama canal act ei"mptrs
United states vessels from th@ LAY She'I
~ tolls was repealed.
Circumstances Changed.
circumstances have changed to some
.,xtent since 1913. In the election which
has Just closed millions OF Anne riSans OF /
irish descent flocked 70 the Hano!nS
standard. ASIDE from the fact however.
,hat tho new Presidents position mas
nieasad those in our population VINO are
6nnosed 70 everything British the deter
,,Iuation TO revive the controversy does
not have it's origin In that quarter;
somebody's influence urged tne revival
- tbe matter when the Republican plat
form was written at Chicago lasa June
Here is the plendge In that platform:
I'VE recommend that all ships engaged
N coastw!se trade and all vessels or tne
American merchant ,i mar'ne ,ttho,,t fhn,, p psv9
through tho Panama lanai "''hou' '"'
Woreoyer the speech Of acceptance or
Senator Harding In Marion last July
contained the following paragraph;
~ like that -ecommittal TO thought or
america first which pledges the Pansma
canal, an American creation. to the trss
.,Ss ~ American shipping: II Will add
- the American reawakening' :.
Doesn't Senator Harding realize.
,,iIr promptly be asked. that the rna-
t;ons between Japan and the United
StotrS over thc California; situation are
stll strained and that the Importance or
nm MATHEMATICIAN understanding IS as
Great as ever?
Friendly Negotiation.
Tho answer is that The PreSident-eteCt
expects 70 negotiate the SnoLe question
:, :, friendly manner win Great BRITAIN
L'n- instance, II might be advantageous
:, l.nriand 10 have definite under
standing with the CnIted States on tho
question OF naval armament with
Germany helpless, the American navy
,lpns stands as 4 possible competitor.
ENGLAND needs avery cent OF her nua6e.
rn- things other than naval armament
and she would. It is argued. save great
deal il she were assured conccr?sng me
American naval building program Ihat
fs inst an Idea which III" PrcSident-eiecs
ts said TO be considering aS Il sort or
ia r,ro quo in the settlement OF the
Tr,ran,a canal tolls question. Also
-, are questions OF tolls in the SueZ
,.,d n.hcr british waterways which could
ha adjusted IN a general discussion or
the whole subject ,,
Senatnr Harding has been impressed
Win the necessity OF securing adHtn-
,,ges cor the American merchant marine
IA ,hn yis;. 70 the Panama canal Is the
.ginnIuS Of n thorough study or the en-.
ira subject by the next President OF
,hC United states. What 'Treat srttaIn
y,u d. or say about il is quite another