Says We've Again Violated Treaty.

New York Times 100 years ago today, November 16, 1912:
London Post Finds a Third Infraction in Canal Tolls for Foreign Warships.
BUT THINKS PROTESTS VAIN
Recognizes We Can Enforce Our View of the Treaty, but Foresees Future Difficulties for Us.
Special Cable to The New York Times.
    LONDON, Saturday, Nov. 16.— The Morning Post bases upon a dispatch from its Washington correspondent an editorial charging fresh infraction of the Hay-Pauncefote treaty, in that by the schedule of tolls on ships passing through the Panama Canal, foreign warships will be charged 50 cents a ton, while American warships are exempt.
    "Since the treaty was signed," it says, "we have already had three breaches of its terms: (1) The fortification of the canal; (2) The differentiation between American and foreign mercantile shipping, and (3) this latest differentiation in the cases of ships of war.
    "This is surely a record, even in American foreign policy; but the whole treatment of this matter serves to remind us that we had a long series of similar incidents in our relations with the United States. Questions of boundary, questions of shore nights, and questions of armament on the great lakes have always been treated in this way.
    "In the present case we have been induced to give up certain rights in exchange for paper guarantees. These guarantees now turn out to be worthless. If we had remembered the history of our treaty negotiations with the United States, we should not have consented to any such arrangement.
    "Americans might ask themselves if it is really good foreign policy to lower the value of their written word in a such way as to make negotiations with other powers difficult or impossible. The ultimate loss may be greater than the immediate gain. This is not the way that friendship between powers and mutual co-operation for common ends are promoted.
    "There is no doubt that the United States can enforce its view of the treaty, and there is no question of Europe making anything but diplomatic representations on the subject. But there might come a time when the United States might desire to establish a certain position by treaty, and might find her past conduct a serious difficulty in the way."