The Ocala banner., 1921-08-19


Treat Britain has Indicated thar
e does not look with favor on sl,a
proposition to exempt American coast
wise shipping from payment of Pana-
ma Canal tolls. VT do not blame
Great Britain Neither do We
Senator Bcrah IS one Of the ablest
men n congress. thorn in the side
or the reactinnaries and mossbacks
rs both the Republican and Democratic
parties. but this time he. mas made
serious error.
rs apparent purpose is to give our
alilng merchant marine d tonic to
aeip build up It's health and at the
same time administer deserved cElas-
tlsement 70 the railroads. worthy
purpose, but the means chosen are not
to be commended
Great Britain has good and lust.
ground for complaint. Did Mr.. Borah
ever hear OF the HayPaunceforta
treaty. 4
LIS chief provision is assurance TO
the United States of sole control of
the Panama canal and sole right to
maintain its neutrality in return for
which the United States bound itself
to preserve EQUAL RIGHTS TO ALL
NATIONS to enjoy the benefits OF the
canal.
That treaty has never been abro-
gated
Mr. Borah, whether he knows it or
not, is going about to add it to the
collection Of infamous scraps OF pa
per, which have made of international
honor a subject for ribaId laughter
or for tears
Mr.. Borah will say that American
c0astwise sElipping does not compete
with British shipping, although that is
probably not strictly true since some
OF the goods carried through the canal
in British bottoms probably does
compete with American goods shipped
by water from one coast to the other.
But granting that such competition
may not exist, who IS going to pay the
difference in the canal tolls when
there are no receipts from our coast
wise carriers Somebody has got to
make it up
Great Britain argues that it and
other foreign nations viii do so in In
creased rates. That is one possibility
And right there attention of our ship
pers to foreign ports is called to the
point that in that case they too viii
be penaIized for the benefit of the
eoasEwfse lines, since even Mr.. B0rah
would not have the nerve to charge
one rate to them and ANOTHER to for
eigu shippers. He knows too we'll
that if he did he would set the stage
right there for the biggest war ever
to shake the world
As d matrar of honor we cannot
in deeency release our coastwise ship
ping from the canal tolls.
Neither can We do it as a matter
OF expediency, for il the added burden
IS thrown on foreign shippers. we
viii have some foreign enemies We
can i'll AFFORD to cultivate Nobody
| loves Us now. b,lt why give the other
nations Of the world cause tor an ae-
tive grudge against u.s.
AndAsuDposing that by some sleight
OF hand this extra money IS not pass
ed to the foreign shippers, who IS 60
ing to pay it You and E dear tax
payer
1 II the coastwise trade is exempted
/ from tolls either other shipping viii
| subsidize it to just that extent, or
| we viii. Nature abhers q vacuum, and
so does the secretary OF the treasury.
with all OF the things we must pay
for in the years ahead. let Us not
take on unnecessary burdens Let
the coasrwise trade carry IT'S share
ana pay its tolls like good citizens.
Every subsidy puts premium on IN
competence and graft and goodness
/ knows cur shipping trade needs DO
encouragement IN either line.
For the sake Of our national honor
and seIf-respect: FOR the sake of good
international relations for the sake
af our own pocket books. Mr. Borah's )
blu should be killed Palm Beach
Post.