PANAMA CANAL.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXX, Issue 13069, 8 May 1913, Page 9

PANAMA CANAL.

AMERICAN RIGHTS

WELL-KNOWX LAW^YJEIR'S VIEWS. WASHINGTQN, April 30. "The United States, as owner of the Panama. Canal, has a right to fix such terms as she pleases. The neutrality clause applies only to the users, not to the owners." ' This was the view expressed by Mr Richard Olney, n former Secretary of State, m the course of an address before the American Society of International Law. ■ . "It is clear," Mr Olney went on to say, "that the nation does not convey away her sovereignty m property' except I My terms that are clear and susceptible rof no other meaning. We nave a clear right to urge that the words 'all nations' do not apply to the United States. It is-, however, unnecessary to rely upon this presumption, as the United States is the owner of the canal, and may fix whatever terms she pleases as those upon wnich the canal shall be used.? Mr Olney thought that if arbitrated UDon. the question should 1 not be submitted* to the Hague, but to a special tribunal. The Hague, he declared, would not be likely to deal with, the matter m an impartial way, a« all the European . Powers, were interested m the canal; 'Mr Olney. is a . barrister by profession, and was formerly a prominent figure m American politics. He was Secretary of State m President Cleveland's Cabinet from 1895 to 1897. j