PANAMA CANAL.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1491, 13 July 1912, Page 5

PANAMA CANAL.

BRITAIN OBJECTS TO THE ■■:]■ BILL. By Telo'Eraph—Press Association—CoDyrinlit .. '.■ f Washington, July 11. ~ Great Britain demands the delay of the Panama Canal Bill until Mr", Bryee, the British Ambassador, cftii present the British" objections to the provisions- of tlie.mcasuie. llhe Canal Hill will be presently Wfora the Inter-Ocean Canal Com-mittee-of Congress. . The nature of the British objections has not. beeti disclosed, but considerable cxciteinint was caused in political circles when the news was announced. , ... (Rec. July 12, 9.45 p.m.) ; . . .....'.-. . . .'• : London, July il2. "Priendiy communications are passing between London and Washington concerning. the /bearing;of the Hay-Pauncie-fote, Treaty, on the. proposed Panama Canal' charges. .•■ ■

AMERICA'S OBLIGATIONS. - TREATY PROVISIONS IGNORED. Tho objections of .Great' Britain to the Panama Canal Bill, probably arise from the insertion of a provision by tho House . of/Representatives .exempting Americanowned vessels from liability . to . paying ■■ , tolls, for the use of tho canal. A mes- , sage received. last month stated that the :* Senate Cotilmittee . had retained this provision.). The. London "Times," in writing on 1 the subject receiUlv, said:— In tho newspaper, discussion. of the question of tolls on .tho 1 Panama Canal . there seems to bo ;'a general tendency to ignore, it not ah actual ignorance, of, tho contract the United' States, has entered into on this subject. The Hay-Paunce-foto Treaty (November 18, 1901), Section 1, ■*■•. Article* 3,..says:— . ■:■* .■■ ... " ■ "■■■i,'"The canal shall bo free and open, to the .vessels of commerce and of . war of. all nations observing these. . ■ rules (rules, for neutrality) on terms -of .entire equality, so that, there shall .• ■ , be. ho discrimination ■ against any * : such ■ nation; or its citizens or. sub- . .. jects, in respect to the conditions or charges of traffic, or otherwise. Such conditions and charges of. traffic shall ■'.bo just, and equitable." ./ In the face p£ this pledge of equality, for the .ships' of all nations a means of discriminating in favour of American i ships, is being sought, and ono of these ~ means -ia the ; .clumsy; expedient of re- ',' fundini; tolls to .'American, vessels.. ' '• .While • Great ; Britain may ho'inclined to hold aloof oil the cjuestion.of fortification of the , canal, (taking the position that: •■' theo.Uriited States may. resort to any .. measures it seems fit for preserving, neutrality),, it is not likely that.so open a . ■ breach of .faith as -tiie refund of tolls wouldbe passed unnoticed.. "-. Ojreat Britain has a large, stake in the ; Panama , trade. Of ; ten , , lines of ships iri the regular: trada on the Atlantic side of. the Isthmus, five are under British flair. Of the seven lines making regular ,calls at Panama.oh.the Pacific side, two are ..British. ■ .-'" ■ •■

Interests of Other Countries. Although Great Britain and the United States are the only, actual' parties to th 6 Hay-Paiincefoto Treaty, that contract in effect'established a general principle for th'o linternationalisatioit of the ■ Panama, Canal, which other nations have a right to expect will be adhered to. Germany already has. two" lines in the Panama trade. ■ -.France, Italy, .and Spain have regular : lines in tho Colon trade,, and Chile .and Peru in the west coast trade. Much of this traffic Svas established before the United States began, the construction of the 'Canal; .and established conditions may not be ignored - in. contracts such as that'between the United State tind Great Bri tain,. es.pecially-where other .nations have a tangible interest. The Hay-Paunctfoto .Treaty did-not intend to ignore these nation's; biit was intended as a promise on tho part of tho United States that "the canal shall bo free and open to the vessels of commerce and: of war of all. nations .observing theie niles,:on terms of entire equality,"' ■-■■■