The Washington herald., 1921-10-11
House May Hold Up Bill
Until Conclusion of
Arms Farley.
LODGE OPPOSES
PARTY MEASURE
Bor a h Admits Arbitra-
ton of British Protest
May Be Result.


the Hay-Pauncefote treaty. the SEN
ate yesterday passed the Borah bill -
eNempting American cosstwise ship
ping from payment Of Panama
Canal tolls. The vote was a. yeas
to 81 nays.
The House TO which the measure
now goes will be the scene Of the
real battle over this proposed dis
elimination contrary to the treaty
agreement To give the ships Of all
nations the use Of the canal on
equal terms. In the House. how
ever, the bill probably will be yer-
mitted to sleep until after the con-
elusion OF the conference on the
Limitation of armament in which the
United States desires the support OF
Great Britain and other nations
who protested in 1912 and are pre-
pared to protest again against viola
ton Of the treaty.
Lodge Vote. I'm Negative.
Party lines were completely OBJ
liberated and some curious political
paradoxes were revealed in the
final roll call on the bill. Senator
Lodge, Republican leader. voted
against the measure notwithstaud
ing Republican platform declara-
tion and President HardinE's warm
approval of the free toll plank On
the other hand. Senator Underwood.
Democratic leader, registered his
vote in favor OF the bill. The Re
publicans divided. thirty-five m
favor of the bill and seventeen
against IL. The Democrats cast
90 -. -
against il.
The passage Of the bill so far as
the Senate is concerned completely
destroys what President Wilson ac
complished in 1914 when he frankly
repudisted the free tolls plank %
1912 and, after one of the most
spectacular parliamentary contests
ever waged in the Capitol. obtained
the repeal of the free tolls clause.
Of the Panama Canal act
Repeats Act Of 1914
The text Of the bill follows
Be 1t enacted by the Senate and
House of Representa- Of the
United States Of America in Con
gress assembled, that hereafter no
tolls shall be levied on vessels pass
ing through the Panama Canal en-
gagged in the coastwise trade Of the
United States.
Section .: That section l Of an
act entitled An act to amend sec
tion 5 of an act to provide for the
opening. maintenance, protection
and operation of the Panama Canal
and the sanitation and government
Of the Canal Zone. approved Au-
gust "a. 1912 which said amenda-
tory act was passed and approved
June Is, 1914. be and the same is
hereby repealed"
-Four hours of animated debate
preceded the roll call. Virtually tn
only contention raised in the dis
cussion was that II would be unwise
for the United States 20 press TIL
tolls issue at this time because il
might adj a new complication -
the armament conference and iniu-r
the prospect for an internat.oaa.
arms Limitation agreement
Borah Answers Argument.
Foremost among the Senators
| who took this position were Lodge
| Of Massachusetts, and Mccormick.
"f Illinois. Senator Borah, OF Idsn-.
! author OF the bill. gave the Senate
/ to understand that he had consulted
! the President and assured his col
]
marily responsible for the successful
outcome OF the conference, so far as
| tie United states is concerned. do
not share the feaTs Of embarrass-
ment which have been expressed on
this floor today"
| Senator Lodge. who will be one
| Of Americas four representatives az
/ the conference, took the view that
the United States has the right un-
der the Hay-Pauncefote treaty 70
I exempt its coastvise trading yes
sells from paying canal tolls, but he
cOntended il would be unwise TO
exercise that right now.
Lodge for Arbitration.
Senator Lodge declared that the
tolls question should be settled by
arbitration, and predicted that the
British government would demand
arbitration under the terms OF the
treaty of 1914.
Senator Mccormick asserted that
passage OF the bill would strike =
blow at the agriculture and indus
try Of the States OF the Upper Mis-
sissippi Valley, between the Allie
ghenies and the continental divide. "
but he based his argument primarily
against the measure because Of the
likelihood that IL would cause the
| administration embarrassment in
the coming armament conference.
Senator Willis, OF Ohio, Repuo-
lican. chided Senator Mccormick
who was chairman Of the resolu-
tions committee which drafted the
platform at the Chicago convention,
for not having used his influence TO
prevent the inclusion OF the free
tolls plank. Senator Mccormick re-
minded the Ohio Senstor that be
was merely contending that ct
would be unwise to pass the bill al
this time"
Considers Platform binding.
Senator Willis replied that he
considered the Republican platform
declaration absolutely binding"
Senator Watson, of Indiana
chairman of the resolution commit
tee at the Chicago convention, tool
Occasion to deny assertions that
1.-THE free tolls plank was ''slippet
into" the platform surreptitiously
He stated that the plank 1wR'
drafted by Senator Borah; that 4
was formally submitted TO th'
committee, subjected to discussion
and adopted unanimously.
/ Senator Kellogg. of Minnesota
Republican. declared he had Eive'
the Hay-Pauncefote treaty csre'r'
. study and that he was ''''"-lv ur
Co.fi..sd ,u poo.