Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1901-12-12

!
over by contract. or of those who, CON.
ing freely, yet represent a standard of
living so depressed that they can under
sell our men in the labor market and
lrag them TO lower level. / regard it
IS necessary, with this end in view. TO
'e-enact Immediately the law excluding
Chinese laborers and to strengthen it
wherever necessary in order TO make its
enforcement entirely effective.
1.-THE condition of the American mer.
phant marine is such as TO oall for inn
mediate remedial action by the congress
1t is discreditable to us as a nation that
our merchant marine should be utterly
Insignificant in comparison to that OF
other nations which we overtop in other
forms of business. We should not
longer submit to conditions under which
only trifling portion Of our great COM
nerce is carried in our own ships"
The message advocates tho preserva
hon Of forests, and says: "The wise ad.
ministratiou of the forest reserves will
be not less helpful TO the interests
which depend on water than to those
which depend on wood and grass. The
water supply itself depends upon the
forest In the arid region it is water, not
land, which measures production. The
western half Of the United States would
sustain a population greater than that
OF our whole country today if the waters
that now run to waste were saved and
used for irrigation. The forest and
water problems arc perhaps tho most
vital internal questions in the United
States"
Tho message draws attention to the
fact that, under the protection Of the
United States, the island OF Porto Rico
is in thriving condition. In Cuba
such progress has been made toward
putting the independent government Of
the island upon a firm fooh that be-
fore the present session Of the congress
closes this will be an accomplished fact.
In the Philippines our problem is
larger They are very rich tropical isl.
ands, inhabited by many varying tribes,
representing widely different stages Of
progress toward civilization. Our ear
nest effort is to help these people up
ward along the stony and diillcult path
that leads to self.government. Wo hope
to make our administration of tho ISL
nnds honorable to our nation by making
1t of the highest benefit to tho Filipinos
themselves; and as an earnest Of what
we intend to do, we point TO what we
have done"
On the subject of Pacific cable the
message says: II call your attention
most earnestly to tie crying need OF q
cable to Hawaii and tho Philippines, to
be continued from the Philippines to
points in Asia. We should not defer a
day longer than necessary the construo.
tion Of such cable. 1t Is demanded
not merely for commercial but for polit-
ical and military considerations.
In reference to tho isthmian canal,
the president says: II am glad to be
able to announce to you that our negoti-
ations on this subject with Great Bri.
tain, conducted on both sides in spirit
OF friendliness and mutual good will
and respect, have resulted in my being
able to lay before the senate treaty
which II ratified will enable us to begin |
for an isthmian canal at
any time, and which guarantees to this
nation every right that 1t has ever asked
In connection with tho canal"
"The Monroe doctrine" says Presi- |
dent Roosevelt, "should " be tho cardinal |
feature OF tho foreign policy of all the |
nations OF tho two Americas, as it is of |
the United States. 1t Is in no wise in. |
tended as hostile to any nation in the |
Old World. Still less is IL intended 10 |
give cover to any aggression by one
New World power at the expense of any |
other. IL is simply step and long
step, toward assuring the universal
peace on this hemisphere,
During the past year other inAu.
,nces have established tho permanence |
and independence OF tho smaller states
1f Europe. Through tho Monroe doc. |
.rine we hope to bo able to safeguard |
ike independence and to secure like |
for the lesser among the |
New World nations"
An increase in the army beyond its
present size is not recommended, but it |
S necessary to keep it at tho highest
point Of efficiency.