Must Not Ignore Protest.

New York Times 100 years ago today, July 18, 1912:
London Post Says England Should See That Rights Are Respected.
Special Cable to The New York Times.
    LONDON, July 17.— The Morning Post, in an editorial on the Panama Canal bill, after declaring that the construction of the canal by the United States was only rendered possible by the conclusion of the special convention between the United States and Great Britain, proceeds:
    "It would seem that the protest put forward by this country is to be ignored. If that is the case, we hope the British Government will take effective steps to insure that adequate attention shall be paid to its protests.
    "The United States is no more entitled than any other power to take action detrimental to British interests, and still less can such action be permitted in a case where she has definitely undertaken to ignore the rights of this country.
    "There seems to be a disposition to imagine that the Government of this country made a protest against the Panama Canal bill merely as a matter of form. It is to be hoped, therefore, that the Foreign Secretary will make it clear that when the welfare of British shipping is concerned, he is determined to secure respect for plain treaty obligations.
    "As for the suggestion that if Great Britain wanted to protest she should have moved sooner in the matter, it can hardly be seriously made. This  country can hardly be blamed for assuming that the United States meant to keep her pledges. It was not until bills violating these pledges passed through the House of Representatives and seemed likely to pass the Senate that the British Government realized that it must take action in the defense of the interests of the mercantile marine."
    The article concludes: "If Congress persists in its attempt to disregard the solemn obligations of the recent treaty, Great Britain is bound to stand firm in defense of her rights and interests. If no solution of the controversy can be reached by friendly negotiations, the question must be referred to arbitration."