Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-04-11
PANAMA CANAL TOLLS
GOVERNED BY OUR tOMFAtiS
By George A. Talley.

Several American stateamcn could -
named who never have been ah9 ~
lose sight 0f toll exemption even in the
nidat of war and the great pence settle
mont: II seems H. have grown into
part of their very nature; were u not
for these IrreconBiabie ezernptiOnistH,
the toll settlement would remain set
tied There can be no well eil-foundod
demand for the repeal Of the present
law. Nilaup waa not 10 blame for the
rapaaI uf exemption. There ia ~ roa
ann for a change Of the law because
Harding came in and Wilson went out.
I voted for Harding. but not for toll
exemption. I WINS partisan In nhbonhi
politics but my highest partisanship
must oyer 30 for the constitution ana /
tho upholding of national compacts. " /
~, don't stand for orr aRreom"ntF how I
can sc expect nther nations - riand /
! for thelrat
Republicans and Democrats d. noi I,
divide on party lines on tho canal
question Buch scheme cannot 20
made to work Senator Root, re
! publican. in 1914 led for cqual toiiS
/ and O'Gornan. Il Democrat led for ex-
/ ou5ntion. Readers should recognize
/ that this condition has not materially
! changed Tho change If AZ all 7houIh
/ be on the side ~ letting fair settie
merf remain in statu quo" Harding
/ has azpresacd himself in favor - *
ernn4ior but he may not yet have met
face to fare al ~ the mountainous
/ obatr,lctigpa Tho President has
stronr influence ir matters II poiicy hnt
/ tho Democrats are out of power ana
rnev largely swfug 20 the side - toil
aop,lifv fhie. With largo bodv -
] reo,itilcans that cannot be swept along
v,ifb he rarity crowd may be able -
hold the nation to its moorirES and
uaye rational and secure constitutional
government.
rntornatioraI treaties are hard ~
hraak down. they are more than Hcrap~
~ raner.v the war has developed this
since the last argument on the toN
question High compnctF arc m longer
aacrar4f" There however ray ?" e
strong v1iA n cor1prnrnise and adjust
ono treaty against another hor" i"'
the danger The Colombia treaty q t1
ro settled. English French and Gnrua q
war treaties are n be adjusted. Canal
treaties are ~ be observed ~ - q"
amended Ther after an is don" wo
are Ir against an all-absorbing ard
dangerous domestic problem that q
taxing all Americans fo specially bern-
III a few coasfwise vessel owners
IN 1850 America wanted ~ arrange
fnr a canal light, across $icaragua .
England UwrfeS a right IN he sast
coast Our nation signed r0mpar z
with Fnglaod fc- mutual adva nta Re.
which bound }|ih nations in 4 degree.
When we hogan. ia 800 to arrange f1-
canal in earneqt this 1850 treaty.
must ~ riodifed nr broken Mckln!sy
ana Iav were not .rraty-hreakirg K
statesmen. they heid high aioft tmcri-
can honor. and negotiated thc Hav-
Paancefote treaty which The senate
ratifec De, cmber i6, 1901 This com :
pact was nc work II Mckinley. Hay
, and the Senate. AL sharing the respon-
sibnity anG the obligation. This was a
rcrent American obligation ana not 3
scrap of paoer- are We bound Nv III
we are bound without any question
whatever This new compact was
4 granted ~ England for the avowed
i purpose # allowing America 70 build
+ 4 canal. wholly on her own account
Under the qualifications expressly writ
ten into he agreement. The next step
+ Vas to buy the French rights ~ Pan
/ anna, or build II Nicaragua. We se-
cured the French property and ac-
J CURED a new grant ~ treaty with The
state Of Panama. hacked up ~ The con-
sent OF the civilized world. This last
treaty vas ratified by Panama De-
cember >, 1903, and BY our nation Feb-
5 ruary %. ls04. This treaty became 'h'
, title deed upon which the cana. rlsh
{ stands II required in Article XVII
4 that the canal shall be neutral IN per
, petuity and shall be opened Ipou m
G terms provided, for by section r.
y Article OF. and in conformity with
all the stipulations" Of the treaC
with Great Britain Novembcr Is. 1901
; We are thus tied twice by the provisio
of the ay-Pauncefote compact. Mc
Kinley. Hay and Roosevelt did -
u expect that We were TO make any chauS
!, in our olighted word. and their express
4 words show it. The whole question g
n exemption was pure Invention 3
i extremists. a claim wholly * post fact
e This title deed is not clear e.
IF simple title. It Is qualified with import
l. ant conditions: toll must be equa- ar
n we must in pcrPetuiry pay a Teut5. .
Y $3.50. .000 annually. Many other biud-n
conditions are in u. We are legal
bound to perform our contract ~ hui
3 our title or must hold il by the ~-zh
of might" the discarded eSerraa
Of method We should be extremely care
e full how We lead the country into 3ry
cd thing like a breach Of contract eve
Is with Panama Is there reason why
x have stood for equal tolls under thcs
le qualifying muniments of our title
10 Could l hatch up any reason why
10 should not? l break with many of NJ
Ao own party. bat I do 1t under the coz
u stitution and the binding words ~ o.
s international agreements.
Every citizen is equal under the oas
law Of the land. and when funds al
: invested in such pondeFous enterpris5
= no one should conceive of such a th.r
AZ as the government picking up sp
III cially selected ships and carrying the
ed from ocean to ocean and do it out
n pure generosity. taking money fro
.e- the common treasury Of the who
o. people Of America This would he. 2
To merely class legislation but violeu'
en- So People who are carried or III,
led feet by impulse do not see the que~t
he Of the great discriminating injustice
our own citizenshiI bur look far aero
ng seas and see nothing but onr givi
raj way to England" England has 2
)m question but far-reaching Al-absor
1ea ing problem t. Americans IS. Why sh
% an Americans be taxed to give II
H.