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Show UPLW I FORREPEAL OF I Tersely Tells Congress That Exemption Clause Is Re-garded Re-garded Abroad 'as Vio-lation Vio-lation of Treaty. WORDS REGARDED IN H LIGHT OF WARNING H Impression Seems to Prevail That President's Wish Will Be Granted, Although There Is Opposition. WASHINGTON, March 5. President "Wilson, beforo congress, today pleaded for repeal of the provision of tho Pan-ama( Pan-ama( canal act which exempts Ameri-can Ameri-can coastwise shipping from tolls. He tersely asscrtod that his reason for asking tho repeal was that everywhere except in tho United States the tolls exemption was regarded as a violation of the Hny-Pauncefote treaty, and ho further asked it in support of the ad- jH ministration's general foreign policy. That the president's request will bo granted there seemed tonight to be lit-tlo lit-tlo doubt, despite the fact there will be vigorous opposition to the repeal both in the senate and the house. The first action in the question will be jH taken tomorrow in the house, when the interstate and foreign affairs commis-sion commis-sion will meet to consider the message. It was stated tonight- that the commit- jH tee will present a bill to repeal the ex-emption ex-emption provision. In the senate today Senator Chilton, IH a Democratic member of the inter- oceanic cnuais committee, introduced au act which yldgothprciJideiit an-thority an-thority to mnlce'br suspend tolls' by proclamation and to prescribe their tolls in cases exempted. This would H put it up directly to tho president to 1 eliminate tho exemption. H Pointed Phraser. Aside from tho bearing of today's H message on the Panama tolls question H some of the phrases used by the presi- H dent attracted widespread comment in H congressional quarters us relating to jH foreign relations in general. In somo H quarters there was a disposition to re- H gnrd some of his statements in tho na- jH ture of a warning on tho difficulties H involved in "other matters of even H greater delicacy and nearer couse- H Later in the day the president, in IH talking with callers, explained that H these phrases had no significance be- IH yond their bqaring on the need of rig- IH orous good faith in tho Panama tolls jH question, as an evidence of unwavering IH good faith on all other questions, ana IH that nothing critical was pending in foreign relations. But tho language of the message continued to bo com-munted com-munted upon as having an application considerably broader than the Panama question. IH Threo points in particular were IH noted: Pirst, the president's state- ment that no communication ho had vet addressed to congress carried 7 'graver or more far-reaching implica-tions implica-tions to the interest of the country"; second, that overywhorc outside the IH United States tho language of the Hay- H Pauncefoto treaty was given but ono interpretation, and third, tho conclud- ing statement as to "other matters of even greater dolicacy and nearer eon- H sequence." H Foreigners Suspicious. The prosident told his callers that H whilo ho had never received any formal H communications on tho subject ho - had H understood that European nations gen- H orally took tho same view as did Great IH Britain, that the Hay-Pa uncefo to IH treaty was violated by the ranama ea- lH nal act. Ho pointed out that in deal- IH ing with foreign affairs nations whioh JM beliuvod the United States did not keep IH a promise on so important a treaty as IH tho Hay-Pauncofoto convention would jH not be "likely to expect sincerity on IH other delicate questions. IH Word had oomo to tho prosident of a jH general impression in Europo that tho H United States was "sailing as close to IH the wind as possible," in interpreting M promises mado on its treaties. No pros- IIH sure had been brought to bear by any VH nation to cmphnsizo their view in this B'H connection, but the president folt con- Bil fident that foreign governments had Kl this feeling on tho subject. HH In this connection Mr. Wilson re- IH vcalcd tho fact that siuco his talk of a H vear ago with former Embassador Bryce, IH In which he gave assurance that tho IH toll question would bo taken up at tho 1 regular session of congress, no com- H munication, formal or otherwise, had IH I passed between Great Britain and the IH United States. IH Reason for Appearing. H Tho president Baid no particular thing H had caused him to road tho moesago jH oxcept a doubt that had existed in soma H quarters in congress as to how strongly jH convinced bo was ns to the necessity of IH repeal. Ho had folt that he wanted IH members of congress to realize that ho IH earnestly sought them to revcrao their IH action of a year ago, H Senator Sbively, acting chairman of - IH tho foreign relations committoe, said to- IH (Continued on Pago Three.) JH WILSON PLEADS F00 CA1 TOLL REPEAL! (Continued from Pago One.) night he was assured President WilHon's i reference to "other matters" meant all forcigu matters confronting tho government. gov-ernment. "The administration has inherited many foreign problems," ho said, "and it is necessary that our foreign relations rela-tions be readjusted. That is what I think the president had in mind." When the house committco on interstate inter-state commerce meets tomorrow it is i expected, to favorably Tcport the Sims bill to repeal the exeiirntion clause. On the senate side a bill tor that purpose was introduced last year by Senator Itoot of New York. Senator Chilton's Plan. Senator Philtou. discussing his amendment amend-ment to directly accomplish tho repeal, said that it was his own idea of a way out. of the difficulty that might meet the viow of some who do not favor direct di-rect repeal by congress. The president had not been consulted with rotation to it. ho said. Some senators woro inclined in-clined to the belief that tho Ohilton amendment would lcavu cougress open to the charge that it had attempted to dodgo an issue flatly placed beforo it by the president. Senator Hoot asserted that tho result would be the same as a flat repeal and that congress might better act by direct repeal. Some of the leaders in congress, including in-cluding Ma.joritj' Leader Underwood of the house, who oppose the repeal, had no comment to make. Many senators and congressmen praised tho message. Others indicated that the' would support the repeal, although al-though they did not agree with the president's position. Position of Leader Kern. "1 voted for toll exemption, " said Senator Kern, Democratic leader in tho senate. "If T vote for the repeal it will not be because I have changed my views. I do not believe that, toll exemption ex-emption violates the Hay-Pauncefote treaty. .If I support the pfesidout's request re-quest T "will do so because of his desire tor congress to support his foreign policy, pol-icy, and for the further reason that in questions ot this kind where there is any doubt as to interpretation of treaties, the foreigner should be given benefit of tho doubt," representative Evans of Montana, a Democratic member of the committee, telegraphed yesterday to bo recordod in favor of the repeal bill at the committee meeting tomorrow. Eoprcsentalivo Palmer of Pennsylvania Pennsylva-nia announced that a poll of the house conclusive' demonstrated that there are more than enough votes in the house to sustain the president's appeal. Representative Knowlaud of California, Cali-fornia, Republican, issued a statement declaring that "because of tho failure of a foreign policy and 'to please nations na-tions that nro our commercial rivals, tho government's policy must bo reversed, re-versed, congross turn a somersault and this country humiliated in the eyes of the world," Tie added that in a speech during the prc-clcctiou campaign the president had said, referring to the Baltimore Bal-timore free tolls plank, "Our platform is not molasses to catch flies; it means business: men who talk one way and vole another will be retired from, public life." Text of the Address. President Wilson 's address, tho shortest short-est he has yet delivered to congress exactly -120 words was as follows: Gentleman of the congress: I have conic to you on an errand which can be very brlelly performed , but I beg that you will not measure. Its importance by tho number of sentences sen-tences In which r Htato It. No communication com-munication I have addressed to the congress carried with It graver or moro far-reachlns implications to the interest of the country, and I como now to speak on a matter with regard re-gard to which I am charged jn. a ne-cnllar ne-cnllar degrco, by the constitution Itself, It-self, with personal responsibility. 1 have como to ask for the ropcnl of that nrovlalon of tho Panama canal net of August 24. 1012. which exempts vosselH cntjaKnd in the coastwise trade of tho United States from payment pay-ment or tolls, and to urge on vou the Justice, the wisdom and tho largo policy of ouch a repeal, with the utmost ut-most earnestness of which I am capable. ca-pable. Deliberate Judgment. In iny own Judgment,, very fully considered nnd maturely formed, that exemption constitutes a mlblakon economic eco-nomic policy from ovory point of view, i and la moreover In plain contravon- tion of the treaty with Great Britain concerning the canal concluded on November IS, 1901, But T have not come to you to urge my personal views. I have come to state to you a fact anil a situation. Whatever may be our own differences of opinion concerning this much-debated measure, meas-ure, its meaning .is not debated outside out-side the United States. Everywhere else the language of the treaty is given but one interpretation, and that Interpretation precludes the exemption I am asking you to repeal. We consented con-sented to the treaty: its language was accepted. If we did not originate it. nnd we arc too big, too powerful, loo self-respecting a nation to Interpret with too strained or refined a reading read-ing tho words of our own promises Just because we have power enough to give us leave to read them as we please The large thing to do is the only thing wo can. afford to do. a voluntary vol-untary withdrawal from a position everywhere questioned and misunderstood. misunder-stood. "Wo ought to reverse our action ac-tion without raising tho question whether we wero right or wrong, and so once more deserve our reputation for generosity and the redemption of every obligation without quibble or hesltaiion. T ask this of you in support of the foreign pollcv of the administration. I shall not know how to deal with other matters of even greater delicacy deli-cacy and nearer consequence if you do not grant it to me in ungrudging measure. O'Gorman Will Resist. .Senator O'Gorman of New York, who will load the Democratic opposition to the repeal in the senate, issued a statement state-ment tonight, saying that while he yielded yield-ed to no one in respect for tho president's presi-dent's motives and patriotism, his duty as a. senator left him no alternative but resistance lo the proposal repeal. Lie characterized the move as unwise, unnecessary un-necessary and destructive to the best Interests' of tho American people, and quoted former Presidents Taft and Roosevelt, former Secretaries or State Knox and Olncv and rtoprcsentative Underwood Un-derwood as holding the exemption clause not to be In violation of the May-Pauncefoto May-Pauncefoto treaty. Declaring that even Knghsh lawyers, as well as German and other continental writer?, had expressed this view, ho argued that the word "vessels," as used in tho treaty, means ships engaged in over-scas trade. "If we must purchase foreign friend ship, tne sonaior cuuviuueu, me jii exacted must not Involve us in national dishonor and repudiation of party pledges upon which this administration secured office." |
