The Times of Friday publishes another message from Mr. Taft
in regard to the Panama policy of his Administration.
The President declares that he has never in any of his utter- ances "wished to be understood to imply that he would refuse to countenance an appeal to The Hague." He has, however, expressed an earnest hope that "the question may be sus- ceptible of diplomatic settlement, and is awaiting with great interest the detailed British argument against the law." The President further asks the Times correspondent to state that the attitude of the Administration—the attitude of the
Senate is a different question—cannot be defined, especially as Mr. Knox has not yet returned from Japan." It is possible, however, that when Congress meets the President will " repeat his recommendation for the passage of a resolution making the controversy susceptible of an appeal to the Supreme Court," the object of such message being to allow the Supreme Court to go behind the Act of Congress and to deal with the
interpretation to be placed on the Hay-Pauncefote Treaty :— " If the President takes this course it will be largely because he believes that an adverse decision of the Supreme Court would be less galling to Americans than an arbitral award. Nor, if judgment were to go against British interests, would Great Britain have lost her legal right to demand arbitration."
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