Preference for American Ships Washington, June 13.
The Senate Commerce Committee has decided to report favourably on the bill to exempt American coastwise shipping from the payment of the Panama Canal tolls.
While the Harding administration and the Republicans in Congress are pledged to the idea of exempting American ships from the Panama Canal tolls, there is tremendous opposition to it, especially on the part of the railways which fear that the effect will be to diminish trans-continental railway business. There is also the question of the Hay-Pauncefote Treaty, signed in 1901, prohibiting discrimination against foreign vessels, in which connexion the "New York Times" declares that Great Britain's consent must be secured before steps can honourably be taken to give American ships special privileges in the canal.—Reuter.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.