The age-herald., 1900-02-11
 WHEELER WANTS
 RIVERS IMPROVED Asks Large Appropriation for Work on the Tennessee. WRITES FROM PHILIPPINES With the Completion of the Nicaragua Canal Commerce Would be Es-
 tablished With All the
 Oriental Countries -a.~
WRITES FROM PHILIPPINES

The following letter, which was mailed to Congressman Catchings, Bankhead and others, has been received by The Age-Her- aid from General Joseph Wheeler:
 "Panique, Island of Luzon, P. l., Jan. G. ITO the Chairman and other Members Of
 the Committee on Riverts and Harbors,
 House of Representatives, Washington.
 My Dear Friends:-I write to ask the favor of your earnest and active efforts in the committee on rivers and harbors in se- curing large appropriation for the Ten nessee river below Chattanooga You are so well acquainted with this project and its importance that it is not necessary for me to state why this work should be pressed forward, as the reasons are growing strong CT and more and more apparent every day.
 'The problem which for a century has exercised the minds of those who control the affairs of civilized nations is how to get fin business contact with the COJ,000,O 900 people in the countries of the Orient bordering up- on the Pacific ocean, and the importance or this question is stronger today than ever before These people need the products Of American toll, and the events of the last two years have brought about condition which gives us an opportunity we must not neglect and which enables us to place the United States on the edge of what l be- lieve will be wondrously prosperous era.
 'sWith the Nicaragua canal completed the
  the Mississippi, the Ohio, tine Missouri the rivers of Alabama, and the Arkansas Tav- CTS and upon all the tributaries or these streams will be in direct water communi- cation with these five hundred million peo- ple and they will be nearer to this vast population than any other country.
 ''Let us by all means fix the Tennessee river so that the states of Georgia, Ten nessee and Alabama will not remain cut off from this great trade center an unes far east.
 "Tlhe people of the states bordering upon the rivers which empty Into the Gulf of Mexico will reap full share if not the greatest share in the prosperity wfdch IS to come to us, and a few weeks deiay Tn my entering congress will be more than compensated by the service l can perform here.
 ''Tlhe demand of the vast populat tions or eastern Asia for cotton goods and for all manufactures of iron will far exceed any possible production of the southern states.
 .arhe policy of a great country like ours should not be shaped or defined to meet the exfgencies and requirements of the next year alone, CT even tine next ten years. but wisdom would dictate that we must look forward and adopt a policy which the conditions now fast growing upon us will of necessity require and demand. Not only the present but the lasting benefit of our people frcm today onward and for our posterity in all future ages should have our best consideration.
 q expected to have been in Washing ton by December i, but I regarded it im- peratdve that I should remain while the campaign was going on in November. In December it seemed that the insurTec- ition was over, and I prepared to leave, but the death of General La'wton appar- ently gave fresh encouragement to the dn- surgents, and felt it my duty to remain a short time longer.
 ar think tse situation will soon be such as to justify my leaving, and l hope to start for Washington in a few days and by rapid travel reach there in the short est time possible.
 ''Wishing you a very happy new year, believe me with very thigfh regard, truly your friend, JOSEPH WHEELER"