Panama Canal Scandal Brewing: President Wilson’s Tolls Tussle

In the nation’s capital, a storm is brewing over President Woodrow Wilson’s sudden desire to repeal the toll exemption provision in the Panama Canal Act. The move, which would strip American coastwise ships of their free passage, has set the stage for a heated debate in Congress. Representative Adamson, chairman of the House Interstate and Foreign Commerce Committee, is poised to introduce a bill to repeal the exemption, pending the President’s green light. This bold move has some questioning the President’s motives, particularly in light of the Democratic Party’s plank supporting the exemption.