Show hay treaty involving panama canal the hay treaty of 1901 was signed long before there was a panama canal in existence and did not give england free use of the panama canal notes a writer la in the detroit news it replaced the clayton bulwer treaty of 1850 as an anglo american agreement of policy concerning an isthmian canal then supposed to be dived as across nicaragua public feeling for some gome years had bad been growing sore over the clayton bulwer tre treaty atys restriction on the independent action of the united states and there was grave fear lest congress might abrogate that treaty by open violence a great blow to future amicable action president mckinley in his annual message for 1898 1893 declared that the canal had become a national necessity negotiations were opened with great britain and a draft treaty was sen by the president to the senate in february low 1000 providing for the construction st of a canal to be permanently neutralized disputes in the senate over the terms led to the formulation of a now new treaty ratified as the hay day fote treaty in december 1801 1901 before the opening of the panama carial canal in 1911 1014 there was a controversy with great britain regarding the provision of the panama canal act of 1912 exempting american vessels engaged in coas coastwise twide trade from canal tolls this was regarded by the th british as a violation of the original treaty eventually after president wilson had sent congress a message urging this action this exemption of american ships from the canal tolls was repealed |