The diamond drill., 1921-11-05
LENRooTs EXPLANATION

Sen. Lemroot Of Wisconsin. In per-
sonal letter 10 Rob Coe. OF the White
water Register explains his vote In
favor OF the Borah bill TO exempt coast
trade vessels passing through the
Panama Canal from tolls. His ex-
PLANTATION places the treaty objection
10 the bin In a much different light
than II is placed In by the current
press items for and against the bill. In
part his explanation follows:
AS you know the Interpretation OF
the Hay-Paunceforte Treaty has been
the subject OF very wide differences
or opinion among our own people. Ex-
President Taft. now Chief Justice of
the Supreme Court Senator Knox,
! Colonel Roosevelt and many other
distinguished men have held that the
treaty clearly permitted US to exempt
our coastwise shipping from the pay
ment OF tolls. Senator Root, Senator
Lodge and other distinguished men
have held the contrary opinion.
You Will remember that the origin
al act did exempt this shipping from
a payment OF tolls and In 1914 Presi-
dent Wilson asked for the repeal OF
this exemption, stating In a message
delivered personally to Congress, that
he would not know how TO deal with
other vital international questions
unless this request OF his could be
granted. Great Britain had asked for
arbitration but evidently on account
OF the Mexican situation President
Wilson desired TO concede Great Bril-
tiam's position. took the position
then that we should either arbitrate
OF concede the position that Great
Britain had taken. As you know the
Act was passed. You also are aware
that we have treaty with Great
Britain, negotiated in 1908, providing
for the submission OF all questions OF
incorporation OF treaties to the Per-
manemt Court OF Arbitration at the
Hague I believe this matter should
be arbitrated In accordance with our |
Treaty, but until the Borah Bill, or !
some similar bill. has passed at least |
one house OF Congress there rs moth |
Ing 20 arbitrate for we stand as con- |
ceding the British position. Now that |
the Senate has passed the bill. the Is |
sue In made and even Senator Borah |
himself comedies that the matter /
must be arbitrated and / shall sup
port and vote for whatever decision is /
made In such arbitration.
So much for the treaty side OF the |
The domestic situation
as TO the effect upon the interior OF
the country from the exemption of
coastwise shipping from tolls Is Inn
portamt and clearly is OF most bene-
fit 10 the coast. Upon this phase OF
the proposition. while clearly recog-
nize that free tolls would not benefit
our section and in fact might injure
It, / had in mind the project that is
very close 10 my heart, the deepening
OF the st. Lawrence River for ocean
going vessels and that we were ask
ing the Pacific coast states and At
lantic coast states TO consider this not
from a sectional standpoint but from
a national one. This means more 10
US In the west than any exemptions
OF tolls can possibly mean and did
not think that II would be for the in
terest OF this great project that we
In the west would be charged in the
Panama tolls matter or regarding IL
from a sectional standpoint We will +
be in very much better position TO
expect support from coast states on
our project where admittedly its ben
efits Will result primarily TO the In
terror than it we had taken a section
al view OF the Panama tolls question.
Ea - Fa