Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-12-29
CHAPTER Xxx
TN AN introduction to 1.-The Pan
anna canal tolls controversy,

and Joseph G. Freehoff, Mr.. Oscar
S. Straus wrote: There is no more
i honorable chapter in the highly cred.
liable history Of the diplomacy OF
our country than the repeal Of the
Panama tolls act under the present
administration. Being a controversy
affecting our international relations,
it is gratifying that aside from the
leadership of the president, the re-
peal was effected, not solely by the
party in power, but by the help OF
leaders in all three parties, rising
above the plane of partisan politics
to the higher reaches of broad states.
manship, guided by a scrupulous re-
gard for our international character
in accord with "a decent respect for
the opinions Of mankind" as eX'
pressed in the declaration of indie
pendence.
President Wilson himself, after the
repeating act had been passed, re-
marked: when everything else
about this administration has been
forgotten, it's attitude on the Panama
tolls treaty will be remembered as
a long, forward step in the process
of making the conduct between ma
tions the same as that which OBJ
tains between honorable individuals
dealing with each other, scrupulous-
ly respecting their contracts, no mat.
ter what the COST"
In making his recommendations to
congress, he almost with high dis
dain ignored legal and diplomatic
bubbles and took high moral ground.
Said he, 1.-THE large thing to do is
the only thing we can afford to do,
a voluntary withdrawal from a posi-
ton everywhere quoted and misun.
derstood. We ought to reverse our
action without raising the question
whether we were right or wrong,
and so once more deserve our reputa-
ton for generosity and for the re-
demption of our every obligation
without bubble or hesitation"
An act passed in 1912 had exempt
ed American coastwise shipping pass
ing through the canal 1rO4u the cons
assessed on other vessels, Ind the
British government had protested
against this on the ground that it
violated the Hay-Pauncefote treaty
of 1901, which had stipulated that
the canal should be open to the YES
sells of all nations ION terms of en-
tire equality" Other nations than
England had an interest in this ques-
ton, and there was a suspicion that
some of them were even more keen
ly, if not more heavily, interested;
but England took the initiative and
the struggle to save the exemption
was turned, in the United States,
| into a demonstration by the Irish,
Germans and other anti-British ele-
ments. Innate hostility to England,
and coastwise shipping interests
formed the backbone of the opposl-
ton to any repeal of this exemption,
but the Taft administration had held
that the exemption did not conflict
with the treaty Ton the gr -und that
the words "all nations" meant all
nations eXcet the United States), and
British opposition to the gratlflca-
ton of the canal, as well as the at
titude of a section of the British
press during the Canadi; elections
of 1911, had created a distrust of
J British motives which was height
ened by the conviction of many that
the Hay-Pauncefote treaty had been
a bad bargain.
Unexplained to This Day
1t was understood early in President
Wilson's administration that he be-
lieved the exemption was in violation
of the treaty, but not until October
did he make formal announcement
that he intended to ask congress to
repeal it, The question did not come
into the foreground, however, until
March 5, 1914, when the president
addressed this request to congress
in ominous language, which to this
day remains unexplained. "No COM
| n
he said, "has carried with it more
grave and far-reaching implications
to the interests of the country" Aft
err expressing his belief that the law
as it stood violated the treaty and
should be repealed as a point of hon
| or. he continued: 'I ask this of you
in support of the foreign policy OF
the administration. I shall not know
how to deal with other matters OF
even greater delicacy and nearer con-
sequence if you do not grant 1t to me
in ungrudging measure"
The first word I received that the
president contemplated addressing
congress asking for the repeal of the
Panama tolls came about in this
way: I was notified after dinner one
evening that the president wished to
confer with me in his study. When
arrived at the White House Mrs.
Wilson met me and informed me OF
the plan which the president had IN
mind with reference to this matter
! and of his decision toiSsue statement
that night, which would be carried In
the newspapers the following morn
! ing, and of his determination to adj
dress congress, asking for repeal
of the Panama tolls. Mrs. Wilson
| showed a great deal OF excitement
over the presidents proposed step
when she discussed the matter with
me as I arrived at the White House.
She said she had argued with the
president and had tried to persuade
him that if he intended to do so un-
usual a thing, that now was the In
opportune moment for 1t, for the fea-
son that it would create a party
crisis and probably split, the result
| of which we could not foreSee.
When I went into the presidents
study he read me the announcement
he had prepared for the papers. The
| full significance and possible danger
which lay in the proposed move that
! the president was about to make
struck me at once. Frankly l put
the whole political situation in the
country before him as it would be at
fected by his attitude in this matter,
saying to him that the stand he was
about to take would irritate large
blocks of Irish, German and other
anti-British elements in the country,
and that we might expect that the
leaders in our own party, the heads
of the various committees, like F'itz-
gerald, of appropriations; Under
wood, of the ways and means, and
Clark, the speaker of the house,
would be found in solid opposition
and that at a time when we needed
every bit of strength to put our party
program of domestic legislation into
effect, it seemed to me unwise to
inject this matter, which could only
he a disturbing element, into our