The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1901-12-06
sincerity of our desire to aid them.
The Cable and the Canal.

and the Philippines, to be continued
from the Philippines to points in Asia.
We should not defer day longer than
/ necessary the construction of such
cable. 1t is demanded not merely for
commercial but for political and mill
tary considerations. Either the con-
gress should Immediately provide for
the construction of a government ca
BILE or else an arrangement should be
made by which like advantages to
those accruing from government ca
BILE may be secured to the government
by contract with a private cable COM
pany.
No single great material work which
remains to be undertaken on this con-
/ tinent is Of such consequence to the
American people as the building of a
canal across the isthmus connecting
North and South America. Its impor-
lance to the nation is by no means linn
ited merely to it's material effects upon
our business prosperity, and yet with q
view to these effects alone it would be
to the last degree important for us i'm
mediately to begin it. While its bene-
fetal 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 it is for
the interest of the entire country to be-
gin and complete as soon as possible.
am glad to be able to announce to
you that our negotiations on this sub
ject with Great Britain, conducted on
both sides in spirit of friendliness and
mutual good will, have resulted in
my being able to lay before the SEN
ate treaty which, if ratified, will en-
able us to begin preparations for an
isthmian canal at any time and which
guarantees to this nation every right
that it has ever asked in connection
with the canal. 1t specifically pro-
vides that the United States alone shall
do the work Of building and assume
the responsibility of safeguarding the
canal and shall regulate it's neutral use
by all nations on terms Of equality
without the guarantee or interference
Of any outside nation from any quarter.
The Monroe Doctrine.
The Monroe doctrine should be the
cardinal feature of the foreign policy
Of all the nations Of the two Americas,
as 1t is of the United States. The Mon
roe doctrine is a declaration that there
must be no territorial ACKNOWLEDGMENT
by any non-American power at the ex-
pense Of any American power on Amer
lean 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 sim
ply step, and long step, toward as
surfing the universal peace of the world
by securing the possibility of perma-
nent peace on this hemisphere.
During the past century other infu-
ences have established the permanence
and independence Of the smaller states
of Europe. Through the Monroe doc
trine we hope to be able to safeguard
like independence and secure like per-
manence for the lesser among the new
world nations.
This doctrine has nothing to do with
the commercial relations of any Amer
lean power save that it in truth allows
each of them to form such as it desires.
In other words, it is really guarantee
Of the commercial independence of the
Americas. We do not ask under this
doctrine for any exclusive commercial
dealings with any other American
state. We do not guarantee any state
against punishment if it misconducts
itself, provided that punishment does
not take the form of the acquisition of
territory by any non-American power.
Our attitude in Cuba is sufficient
guar& z zee of our own good faith. We
have not the slightest desire to secure
any territory at the expense of any Of
our neighbors.
The Navy.
The president devotes considerable
space to the navy. the upbuilding of
which, he says, should be steadily con-
tinued. The navy offers us, it is declar-
ed, the only means of insisting on the
Monroe doctrine, and a strong navy is
the best guarantee against war. He
recommends that provision be made
not only for more ships, but for more
men. Four thousand additional sea-
men and 1000 additional marines
should be provided, as well as an in
crease in officers. After indorsing the
naval militia forces the president says:
But in addition we should at once
provide for national naval reserve,
organized and trained under the direc-
ton of the navy department and sub
feet to the call of the chief executive
whenever war becomes imminent. 1t
should be real auxiliary to the naval
seagoing peace establishment and offer
material to be drawn on at once for
manning our ships in time of war.
The Army
It Is not necessary to increase our
army beyond it's present size at this
time, but it is necessary to keep it {
the highest point of efficiency. The in
diyidual units who as officers and en-
listed men compose this army are, we
have good reason to believe, at least as
efficient as those of any other army in
the entire world. 1t is our duty to see
that their training is of kind to Ill
sure the highest possible expression of
power to these units when acting in
combination.
A general staff SHOULD he created
Promotions should be made sois-.
with regard to the good of the service.
Congress ought to provide, the presi-
dent adds, for field exercises. He con-
tinueS:
Action should be taken in reference
to the militia and to the raising of vol
unteer forces. Our militia law is OBJ