WHIT MAY HAPPEN.

Wanganui Chronicle, Issue 12856, 13 December 1912, Page 4

WHIT MAY HAPPEN.

Some of the lawyers in Congress .wiho gi.ve attention to imternational matters have been considering what might happen should the United States insist upon passing the Panama Canal Bill. One of these political lawyers says the United States, in that event, might confidently expect one or iboth of two results: (1) The filing of a large number of olaiims for damages against the United States, .and (2) the adoption.of sharply discriminating tactics on the part of foreign countries. Thus, it is explained Great Britain might idemland an arbitration'and requestrfihe larlbitrating tribunal to award ""to 'her fhe> iflaims of all British shm owners^ who- were damaged by having to ,pay 'Panama Oanal tolls, the m&asure of suich damage being the amount of toll they had to yay, or more. The damages, it is estimated, might a/mount to nob less than $10,000,000 a yclar; or, assuming that the arbitration proceedings oocu-

pied four, years, as did the Geneva arbitration, the total might reacih $40,000,----000. It is suggested, also in Washington, that Great Britain, instead of resorting to .this method., might act jointly with Canada in closing the Sault Ste. Marie and Welland canals-to American traffic, and begin a sharp policy of commercial discrimination against the United States in other ways, abrogating several commeixjiial treaties that "have been arranged during recent years. The United States would not be able logically to protest against the closing oi the canals to American traffic because of the treaties with Great Britain concerning these canals contain exactly the same language used in- the Hay-Paunce^ fote treaty, and the Americans would thus be hoist with their own petard. Sir Ediward Grey's despatch to Washington, just published, makes it clear that Britain is- prepared to submit the matter to arbiteatioii, ;and as President Tafit is rep'orled to bo anxious to see the-question definitely settled before .he goes out of office there seems'a reasonable probability of a mutually satisfactory settlement being arrived at either by 'arbitration or as. the outcome of direct negotiations between the two

countries