Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-12-05

and yet with a view to these effects alone il
would be to the last degree important for
us Immediately to begin 1t. While its BEN
eficial effects would perhaps be most
marked upon the Pacific coast and the
gulf and south Atlantic states, it would
also greatly benefit other sections 1t is
emphatically work which 1t is for the
interest OF the entire country to begin and
complete as soon as possible; 1t is one of
those great works which only a great ma
ton can undertake with prospects of sue
cess and which when done are not only
permanent assets in the nations material
interests but standing monuments to it's
constructive ability.
am glad to be able to announce to you
that our negotiations on this subject with
Great Britain, conducted on both sides in
spirit of friendliness and mutual good
Will and respect, have resulted in my
being able to lay before tho senate q
treaty which IL ratified will enable us to
begin preparations for an isthnian canal
at any time and which guarantees to this
nation every right that 1t has ever asked
In connection with the canal. In this
treaty the old Clayton-Bulwer treaty, SO
long recognized as Inadequate to supply
the base for the construction and mainte-
nance Of q necessarily American ship ca
nal, is abrogated. 1t specifically provides
that the United States alone shall do the
work of building and assume the respon-
sibility Of safeguarding the canal and
shall regulate it's neutral use by all ma
tons on terms of equality without the
guarantee or interference of any outside
nation from any quarter. The signed
treaty will at once be laid before the SEN
ate, and If approved the congress can then
proceed to give effect to the advantages It
secures us by providing for the building Of
the canal.
The true end of every great and free
people should be self respecting peace,
and this nation most earnestly desires
sincere and cordial friendship with all
others. Over the entire world of recent
years wars between the great civilized
powers have become less and less fire.
quent. Wars with barbarous or semibar-
barous peoples come In an entirely differ
ent category. being merely most regret
table but necessary international police
duty which must be performed for the
sake of the welfare of mankind. Peace
can only be kept with certainty where
both sides wish to keep it. but more and
more the civilized peoples are realizing
the wicked folly of war and are attaining
that condition Of just and intelligent re-
gard for the rights of others which will In
the end, as we hope and believe. make
worldwide peace possible. The peace con-
ference at The Hague gave definite ex-
preston to this hope and belief and mark
The Monroe Doctrine.
This same peace conference acquesced
in our statement of the Monroe doctrine
as compatible with the purposes and aims
Of the conference.
The Monroe doctrine should be the car
dlnal feature of the foreign policy of all
the nations OF the two Americas as 1t is of
the United States. Just seyenty-eight
years have passed since President Mon
hit
"the American continents are henceforth
not to be considered as subjects for future
colonization by any European power In
other words, the Monroe doctrine Is dec
laration that there must be no territorial
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT by any non-American
power at the expense Of any American
power on American soil. 1t is in nowise
intended as hostile to any nation in the
old world. Still less is it intended to give
cover to any aggression by one new world
power at the expense of any other. 1t is
simply a step, and long step. toward as
surfing the universal peace of the world by
securing the possibility Of permanent
peace on this hemisphere.
During the past century other influences
have established the permanence and in
dependence of the smaller states of Eu-
rope. Through the Monroe doctrine we
hope to be able to safeguard like indie.
pendence and secure like permanence for
the lesser among the new WORTH llatlOnS.
This doctrine has nothing to do with the
commercial relations of any American
power save that it in truth allows each of
them to form such as it desires. In other
words 1t is really a guarantee of the COM
mercial independence of the Americas.
We do not ask under this doctrine for any
exclusive commercial dealings with any
other American state. We do not guaran-
tee any state against punishment If ii
misconducts itself provided that punish
ment does not take the form of the acqui-
sition Of territory by any non-American
power.
Our attitude in Cuba is sufficient guar
antee of our own good faith. We have
not the slightest desire to secure any ter
Htory at the expense of any of our neigh
bors. We wish to work with them hand
in hand. so that all of us may be uplifted
together and we rejoice over the good
fortune of any of them, we gladly hail
their material prosperity and political sta
bility and are concerned and alarmed IL
any of them fall into industrial or political
chaos We do not wish to see any old
world military power grow up on this
continent or to be compelled to become y
military power ourselves. The peoples of
the Americas can prosper best if left to
work out their own salvation in their own
way.
The Navy.
The work of uptuilding the navy must
be steadily continued No one point of
our policy. foreign or domestic, is more
important than this to the honor and ma
terial welfare and, above all TO the peace
of our nation In the future Whether we
desire 1t or not we must henceforth recog-
nize that we have international duties no
less than international rights Even If
our flag were hauled down in the Philip
pines and Porto Rico. even if we decided
not to build the isthman canal. we should
need a thoroughly trained navy of ade-
quate size or else be prepared definitely
and for all time to abandon the idea that
our nation Is among those whose sons go
down to the sea in ships. Unless our com
merce Is always to be carried in foreign
bottoms we must have war craft to pro-
tect 1t.
Inasmuch. however. as the American
people have no thought of abandoning the
path upon which they have entered, and
especially in view of the fact that the
building of the isthmian canal is fast
becoming one of the matters which the
whole people are united in demanding. it
is imperative that our navy should be put
and kept in the highest state of efficiency
and should be made to answer to on,
growing needs So far from being in any
way provocation to war, an adequate
and highly trained navy Is the best
guarantee against war. the cheapest and