PANAMA CANAL

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 101, 30 April 1914, Page 10

PANAMA CANAL

..... «a» BITTER ATTACKS ON PRESIDENT DEMOCRATIC PARTY CLEAVAGE. (PROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.} SAX FRANCISCO, Ist April. Not since President Cleveland's Venezuela message, nearly fifteen years ago. has John Bull been such a popular subject with the press cartoonist as be is to-day. And it is all because of President Wilson's determination to repeal the law exempting American domestic shipping from the payment of Panama Canal tolls. The President has been depicted in every conceivable attitude of subseiviency to England, typified by John Bull. Particularly in the newspapers of William Han- | dolph Hearst, who always has been antagonistic to President Wilson, although nominally identified with the Democratic Party, has the ma.n who directs the Government of the United States been attacked and ridiculed. Clothed in Court dress, the President Ins been almost daily pictured in the Hearst papers, which are published in all the chief cities and have immense circulations, as receiving favours from England. One cartoon pictured him be- | ing knighted, the King tapping with sword on the shoulder, and remarking : "Arise, Sir Woodrow." This, of course, is a very effective kind of assault on the reputation of the President, and what results it will have on his political future it is hard to say. Mr. Wilson is, however, not to be deflected from his purpose, and he is pressing the repeal through Congress by the fullest use of his great ascendency over its members. SOME SCARS. It is already certain that his success will leave some indelible scars, and notably in his own party. While he has shown that he can command a majority of the House of Representatives to carry out his behest, he can only, do so by whipping the rank and file into revolt from their immediate leaders. Speaker Champ Clark, titular head of the Democratic Party in the House of Representatives, and Oscar Underwood, floor leader of the same party in that House — each of whom was a rival of Mr. Wilson for the Democratic nomination for President in 1912 — both openly oppose the President on the question. They have aligned with them in their opposition Mr. 'Mann, Leader of the Republican Party, and Mr. M unlock, Leader of the Insurgent Party. These four men a,re accustomed to controlling almost every vote in the House of Representatives. Ordinarily, anything they should agree upon would get a practically unanimous vote. Yet President Wilson, so remarkable is his pres tige, took control from them, and on a test vote secured the passage of a rule limiting the debate on the subject of repeal to twenty-four hours, and precluding amendment. It' was an alto gether remarkable exhibition of political power, and assures the passage of the repeal Bill through the House later this week, because many who voted against the "gag" rule, as it is called, announced that they will vote for repeal. Speaker Clark's speech against the President's policy was notable for its vigour and outspokenness, and is taken as foreshadowing a possible split in the heretofore solid Democratic Party. "There is nothing sacred about this repeal Bill, and there is no reason for this meld rush," he said. ' "I will not be a party to lamming such a rule down the throats of members. We have a rule reported on a Bill on tho greatest question presented in my twenty years in the House, beside which tariff Bills sink into pitiable insignificance, a Bill which, if passed, will change our foreign policy, which we have maintained for 126 years, and only twenty-four hours of debate are permitted under this proposed rule, and the right to amend is absolutely prohibited. On such an important measure there should be at least a week allowed for debate, vifch the unlimited right of amendment." Floor leader Oscar Underwood was even more vehement in his opposition to his titular chief, the President. "Not for one minute do I believe we have violated a treaty." he declared. "Our whole difficulty arises from the unAmerican spirit of surrender that some of our people have exhibited toward this important question from the very beginning. Are we to yield simply because the sentiment of Europe is against us? When has the sentiment, of EurOpe been with us on matters of moment'/ "AX ADDITION TO OUR WAR POWER." "The power to build the Canal, under our Constitution, rests in the war power of the United States. We built the Canal primarily as an addition to our war power, as it permits the quicker transfer of our naval forces from one ocean to another. Its inland lake provides a harbour of refuge in which our navies can rendezvous, and, as occasion requires, strike either ocean. The advocates of Great Britain take the position that \ve are forbidden to discriminate in favour ot our owii vessels of commercs, and, as vessels of • commerce and war are named together, how long will it be before the same advocates of the British contention will advise that we cannot discriminate in favour of our own war vessels? . . . By your votes you are asked to ratify for all time to come the British desire that we surrender sovereignty of the canal zone and admit that it is an international waterway to which we have no lights that arc not possessed by other nations." Yet, in spite of this spirited opposition from the men who have hitherto had to only raise their voice to have the Democrats of the House of Representatives follow them, members of that party voted nearly four to one in accordance with President Wilson's desires. The Republicans, treating the matter as a party question, voted almost unanimous' ly against the President. As stated above, the passage of the Repeal Bill through the House of Representatives is now assured. In the face of strong opposition, it is considered that there is j every likelihood it will also pass the Senate. The argument is being made that President Wilson has proposed repeal simply to rescue bis Administration from the dilemmas that its bungling foreign policy has led it into. Julius Kahn, a California member of Congress, talcing this view, spoke as follows about this country's present relations with the rest of the world : — "The President and his advisers alone are responsible for the foreign policy of the Administration. If there is any inaptitude in the administration of that policy, they alone are rewponsible. Whj.t have been the fruits of that policy? Misunderstanding, distrust, vacillation, humiliation. This greatest of all the world's Republics lias giown to be, in one brief year of Democratic rule, 'the pariah of the nations.' We stand isolated — deserted — alone. It is a humiliating confession, but the truth cannot be gainsaid.' 1 President Wilson continues to reiterate that America should reverse its action, irrespective of whether »ho was right or wiong, because of the unanimous opposition of the civilised worM against the tolls exemption.