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/-\.T a. spe 7 eg la Poon Fe LA iT ae. i w Tl Aut PASE F Lit 7. HE ft [EGISLAIORS i PD i -- ENATOR Chamberlain, of Oregon, S has introduced in the senate a reso- lution to abrogate the Hay-Paunce- fote treaty upon the terms of which Great Britain bases her protest against the Panama canal act. He also includes the Clayton-Bulwer treaty in his resolu- tion, though the Hay-Pauncefote treaty superseded it, his motive in this par- ticular being to prevent any subsequent claim on the part of Great Britain that the Clayton-Bulwer treaty automatically revives upon the abrogation of the: treaty supplanting it. The sentiment in favor of the abroga- tion of the treaty appears to be quite general. The Washington Post, always a very conservative journal, comes out flatly in favor of the abrogation of the treaty, saying: '"'Unless. Great Britain can bring new reasons to bear in sup- port of her position, stronger and more conclusive reasons than any yet ad- vanced, the treaty should be abrogated, and Great Britain, if she is a real friend of the United States, will consent to the abrogation." Abrogation of the Treaty The gist of Senator Chamberlain's resolution is contained in the following paragraph: "Whereas, the United States at great expense and without any question as to her power, authority or rights, has con- structed a canal across the Isthmus of Panama on territory over which she has so an exclusive a jurisdiction and author- ity and has enacted a law for the use of said canal by her own people as well as by other nations in strict conformity with her duties and obligations to all the maritime powers of the earth and after the enactment of said law, but before the president's proclamation fix- ing the canal tolls Great Britain entered her form of protest against said act as violative of the treaty of Nov. 18, 1901, and in particular through that portion of the act granting free tolls to Amer- ican vessels engaged in coastwise ship- ap ae be fs etc ee ping, which was purely a domestic con- cern, and "Whereas, in said note of protest it is suggested that there are other provi- sions in said act to which Great Britain may later feel constrained to protest, claiming that they are violative of said treaty, particularly that part of said act which forbids the passage through said canal of railroad-owned ships which provision is intended for the protection of the internal commerce ot the United States. Remission of Tolls "Now, therefore, in order that the views of the congress of the United States may be understood and room for future protest and objection on the part of Great Britain removed, be it "Resolved, that the United' States are of right each and all of the stipulations of said treaty of April 19, 1850, commonly known as the Clayton-Bulwer treaty, and from each and all of the stipula- tions of said treaty of Nov, 18,1901, known as the Hay-Pauncefote treaty, heretofore concluded between the United States and Great Britain, and that the same shall not, nor shall either of them nor any of the stipulations in either thereof contained henceforth be regard- ed as legally obligatory upon the gov- ernment or citizens of the United States." The resolution has been re- ferred to the committee on foreign rela- tions. Discussing the resolution, Senator Chamberlain said: "If Great Britain is to protest step by step against our canal legislation, then we may as well go at once to the agreement upon which she bases her protest and nullify it." Senator Chamberlain is convinced that Great Britain's protest against the re- mission of tolls to American shipping is supported and inspired by the Canadian trunk lines and that they are aided and abetted by the American trans-continental railroads, which are naturally opposed to the provision excluding -- railroad- nisin enter - freed and exonerated from. see 5c He ---- is owned ships from the use of the canal. One of the worst features of the Hay-Pauncefote treaty is the fact that it prevents the United States from reg- ulating its own commerce in its own way. It is no longer a reciprocal meas- ure, but one which operates exclusively to the advantage of Great Britain. Senator Chamberlain is insistent upon saying that Great Britain has no case whatever and that it would not have protested against the Panama canal act had it mot been for. the activity "of Anglomaniacs in the United States. In this class he puts Senator Root and blames him most of all for the present unpleasant situation. He also _ believes that Great Britain was quite hasty in framing its protest and, did so without full knowledge of the facts. In fact, there is much in Sir Edward Gray's note to Secretary Knox to sustain this contention, because it is quite clear from a perusal of that note that Sir Edward Gray did not understand that coastwise shipping is reserved exclusively to Amer- ican ships. Concluding his discussion of the resolution, Senator Chamberlain says: Too Many Anglomaniacs "We have had too many Anglomaniacs in this country coming to the support of the British view. If we yield on one phase of the case we shall be called upon to yield on others. England says so, frankly. If we accede to the British demands regarding our right to exempt Our coastwise ships, then Great Britain will protest that provision which pro- hibits the use of the canal to railroad- owned steamships.' This is of equal importance to the country, as it is through this prohibition that we will control our own internal commerce. "Wipe that proviso from the canal act and the steamships of the Canadian railroads will sail through the canal from Atlantic ports to Victoria and absolutely dictate what the rates of the railroads will be. The community of interests between the American and the