Italy In Tolls Protest.

New York Times 100 years ago today, June 10, 1913:
Joins England In Urging Arbitration of Exemption Question.
Special Cable to The New York Times.
    ROME, June 9.— Questions relating to the opening of the Panama Canal were discussed in Parliament to-day, when Signor Miliani pointed out that Italy's participation in the coming Panama-Pacific Exposition would be useless and without benefit unless steps were taken to prevent Italy being left behind in the keen mercantile competition which was bound to follow the opening of the waterway.
    The Under Secretary of Marine explained that measures had already been adopted to protect Italian traffic. He announced that Italy had joined England in insisting that the question of the exemption of American coastwise ships from paying tolls be submitted to arbitration.

    ROME, June 9.—Under Secretaries of the Italian Ministries of Marine and Foreign Affairs, answering in the Chamber of Deputies to-day questions as to the attitude of the Italian Government concerning the Panama Canal, said that since the United States Government had taken action on tolls the Italian Government had studied the problem, wishing to draw the greatest advantages possible from an event which had undoubtedly caused a revolution in international commerce, although, owing to the heavy tariff through the canal, many ships would still prefer the Magellan route.
    Negotiations had been started with Chile, the Deputies were told, for a subsidized steamship line between that country and Italy. The steamers of this line were to touch at ports in Colombia, Equador and Peru. Also the Under Secretaries pointed out that the Italian Government had for nine years been subsidizing a steamship line between Genoa and Colon.