Salt Lake Tribune | 1914-04-12 | Page 2 | Opponents of Tolls Repeal Very Hopeful

I OPPONENTS OF TOLLS REPEAL VERY HOPEFUL Every Possible Argument to Be Brought Forward to Induce In-duce the Committee to Make Adverse Report. O'GORMAN TO MAKE I PRINCIPAL SPEECH Some of the Leading Thinkers of the Country Summoned to' Discuss Controversy This Week. WASHINGTON, April 11, Tho heaviest heav-iest artillery opponents of repeal of Panama toll exemption for American ships caxt bring to bear will be trained against the administration, 'o flat repeal policy before the senate committee on interoceanlo canals next -week. Every possible argument that can be raised is to be brought forward in the hope of prevailing on the committee to make an adverse report on the bill as it paseod the house, and failing In that, to lay a foundation for continuing the light in I the senate itself. In addition to the genoral opposition to absolute repeal thore -will bo argument argu-ment by Democratic senators who agreo that exemption for American Bhips is In violation of the Hay-Panncofoto treaty and that the government should reverso its policy, but hope tho means of bringing bring-ing this result about can be tempered with an amendmont reasserting the sovereignty sov-ereignty of tho" United States over tho Panama canal. Fight Over Amendments. Whatever may bo the report of the canals committee and thoro iB a possibility pos-sibility that several proposed measures may bo roported without recommendation recommenda-tion administration and opposition leaders conceded that tho first fight will be over an effort to amend the Sims bill, which passed tho house. Champions Cham-pions of tho president's position insist that there will bo no compromise. Thoy adhere to their confident predictions that toll exemption for American coastwise shins will be repealed. Senator 0 'Gorman, chairman of tho interoceanic canals committee and leader lead-er of Domocratic oppositon to tho ro-eal, ro-eal, plans to make an argument boforo the conrmittoo noxt week against tfio administration ad-ministration 's position, on the ground that this government now is negotiating in its proposed treaty with Colombia a clause whereby Colombia's vessels of war may have access to tho canal free of tolls. Tho clause is identical with one hi a previously negotiated but never enforced en-forced treaty with Colombia which Great Britain approved. The argument will bo made that if Great Britain conceded con-ceded tlio right of tho United, States to except Colombian war vessels it is inconsistent in-consistent for Great Britain to maintain now thnt tho United States may not exempt ex-empt American coastwise shipping. Noted Men to Appear. Among men summoned beforo tho ca ncls committee next week to discuss thi tolls are Joseph 11. Choate, former em-. em-. onssador to Great Britain; Hcnr white, former chargo of tho American cmbassv in London and later embassa-dor embassa-dor to France; Dr. Benjamin Ide Whoe-ler, Whoe-ler, president of tho Universitv of California; Cali-fornia; Fredorick W. Lehman of St Louis, former solicitor general of the United States: Oscar S. Straus, onco em. bassador to Turkey, and former secretary secre-tary of commerce and labor; Georgo L. Record of New Jersey, who was a mem-ber mem-ber of tho platform committee of tho Progressive party at the Chicago convention con-vention in 1012, and many others. On the list to be heard, besidos several senators, sen-ators, are representatives of many Pacific Pa-cific coast, New Orleans and international interna-tional and commercial organizations.