The Somerset reporter., 1901-12-05
hostile Indians in the days when we

still had Indian wars.
Tie president declares that the time
has come for additional legislation for
the Philippines. lie says:
1t is necessary that the congress
should pass laws by which the re-
sources of the islands can be developed.
SO that franchises 0for limited terms Of
years. can be granted 10 companies do
ing business in them and every encour-
agement be given 10 the incoming Of
business men of every kind. 1t is ur-
gently necessary to enact suitable laws
dealing with general transportation.
mining. banking, currency. hamestcads
and the use and ownership of the lands
aud timber. These laws will give free
play to industrial enterprise. and The
commercial development which VII
surely follow will afford to the people
of the islands the best proofs Of the
sincerity of our desire to aud them.
The Cable nnd the Canal.
| call your attention most earnestly
to the crying need Of cable to Hawaii
and the Philippines. to be continued
from the Philippines 10 points in Asia.
We should not defer Il 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 Il government ca
BILE or else an arrangement should be
made by which like advantages to
those accruing from n government ca
BILE may be secured to the government
by contract with Il 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-
tance to the nation is by no means linn
tied 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-
marked upon the Pacific coast and the
gulf and South Atlantic states. it would
also greatly benefit other sections. 1t
is emphatically a 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 a spirit of friendlness and
mutual good will, have resulted in
my being able to lay before the SEN
ate a 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 1t 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 its 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 it is of the United States. The Mon
roe doctrine Is declaration that there
must be no territorial ACKNOWLEDGMENT
by any mona American power at the ex-
pense of any American power on Amer
js, In tn Jn1
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
suring the universal peace of the world
by securing the possibility of perma-
nent peace on this hemisphere.
During the past century other influ-
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 1t in truth allows
each of them to form such rs it desires
In other words. 1t is really a 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 1t 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 a sufficient
guarantee 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 deyotes 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 sen
men and Loco 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 a national naval reserve,