The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1901-12-06
i'll. "At present, America is under

NJ. VI SAN
fastest foreign steamships at a speed
of fourteen knots or above, are SUBJ
sidized and all our ships, sailing YES
sells and steamers alike, cargo carriers
of slow speed and mail carriers of
high speed, have to meet the fact that
the originalcost ofbuilding American
ships is greater than is the case
abroad. That the wages paid Ameri-
can officers and seamen are very much
higher than those paid the officers
and seamen of foreign competing
countries and that the standard of
living on the ships is far superior to
the standard of living on the ships of
our commercial rivals. Our Govern
ment should take such action as will
remedy these inequalities"
He disnisses the money question
with a short paragraph Eendorsing
the wisdom of the passage of the act
which establishes gold as the conf
mercial basis of this country and
speaks in high praise of our credit
with the civilized world.
He urges a reduction of the inter
nal revenue law so as to bring the
receipts within the limits ofour actual
needs. The Interstate Commerce
Act, he believes, is not being enforced
as its trainers intended that it should
be. "The railway is a public servant,
its rates should be just to, and open
to all shippers alike. The Govern
ment should see too that within its
Jurisdiction this is so and should pro-
vide speedy, inexpensive and effec-
tive remedy to that end"
He urges the protection of Ameri-
can forests and says that the Govern
ment should build irrigation works.
The land reclaimed by them should
be reserved for actual settlers and
the cost of construction so far as
possible berepaid by the land reclaim
ed.
On the subject ofinsular possessions
the message is quite verbose. He
thinks that in some cases the Gov.
crnment has been too kind in the
treatment of its new subjects and
that a sterner hand should hold them
in check until they have in a measure
learned to govern themselves. On
the matter of self-government he
says: "What has taken us thirty
generations to achieve we cannot ex.
pect to see another race accomplish
out of hand, especially when large
portions of that race start very far
behind the point which our ancestors
had reached even thirty generations
ago. In dealing with the Philippine
people we must show both patience
and strength, forebearance and stead
fast resolution" He recommends
that a pension should be given to aid
the Macabebes, who have been con-
spicuous for their courage and de-
votion to the flag. He also urges
immediate action towards connect.
ing this country with a direct cable
across the Pacific to the Philippines
and points in Asia.
The Isthmian Canal and the Mon.
roe Doctrine are treated jointly as
they go together hand in hand. He
urges the adoption of the recent
treaty with Great Britain which
takes the place of the old Clayton
Bulwer treaty, so long recognized as
inadequate to supply the base for
the construction and maintenance
of a necessarily American canal. The
Monroe doctrine should be the cardi.
nal feature of the foreign policy ofall
the nations of the two Americas as
it is of the United States. Just
seventy-eight years havepassed since
President Monroe in his annual mes
sage announced that "The American
continents are henceforth not to be
considered as subjects for future col
onization by any European power
In other words that there must be
no territorial ACKNOWLEDGEMENT by any
non-American Power at the expense
of any American Power on American
soil.
He urges that that the work of in.
creasing the Navy be continued.
mo one point of our policy, foreign or
domestic, is more important than
this to the honor and material we'll.
fare and above all to the peace ofour
Nation in the future. Whether we
desire it or not we must henceforth
recognize that we have international
duties no less than international
rights, even if our flag were hauled
down in the Philippines, and Porto
Rico, even if we decided not to build
the Isthmian Canal we should need a
thoroughly trained navy ofadequate
size or else beprepared definitely and
for all time to abandon theidea that
our Nation is among those whose
sons goes down to the sea in ships,
unless our commerce is always to be
carried in foreign bottoms, we must
have warcraft to protect it." He
also urges the highest efficiency i'll
American seamanship.
For the Army, he considers the
standing army as being large enough
at present and is opposed to raising
volunteer militia, which he regards
as obsolete and worthless. "That