The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-04-20
 . OF COMMERCE Closer. Relations With
 Other Countries. N. E. INGALLS, ADDRESS Banquet of the Bankers
 Club of Chicago.
N. E. INGALLS, ADDRESS
President of the Big -Four Urges That the West Indian Islands and South American States
 Bs Commercially Annexed.

Chicago. April is.-Thc necessity of ex- pansion was the dominant theme at the banquet of the Bankers Club which was held tonight at the Auditorium Hotel. The chief speakers of tho evening were President NJ. F. Ingalls of the Big Four Railroad, Robert. Lowrey of Atlanta. Ga. and Frank o. Lowden of Chicago. The principal address of the evening was de- Iivered by Mir. Ingalls,. and his views found earnest support. among his hearers. His address was, in part, as follows: .
 Both parties In this country have mo- tified the world that they will uphold the Monroe doctrine. While foreign countries have accepted this political and arbitrary notice. they have been insiduously and actively engaged in cultivating and com mercially annexing the West India isf- ands and the South American States by sending out their merchants, their manu- lecturers and their bankers. by loanins money. by promoting enterprises and by log credits; and the time may come when We shall stand here, silently and alone, as the defender of great doctrine, but with no fruits to follow.
 First Thing to Do.
 The very first thing to do to promote commerce and trade with the West In- dia Ielands and the South American States Is to build up system of trans portation and communication between our country and these several countries. If our country today. instead of spending millions of dollars on subsidies which are being used to compete with the fast ships on the. North fAtlantic; and the profitless trade sof Europe. would .silow.'the' Bost- ruaster-Generai to- spend whatever sum was necessary iM carrying the malls. al least once, a week between the United States and the pricipai ports of the West India islands and the South American States, we should find our commerce in- ufeasipg and bankers establishing agen- cies for furnishing exchanges and credit Too long. 1t seems to me, we have neg lected our communications with these countries which belong to us, and now at this time. when we are proudly taking a new departure, VIC must take some effec- tive means to enlarge our business.
 "If we would make this nation as rich and powerful as 1t ought tobe, if we would bring money and property to our selves and to the future. we must adopt some of the plans that were outlined by Blaine in his day. and were emphasized ny MchlnleS III DIS idSt h'son6'' w must adopt a system of reciprocity by which VIC can increase trade.
 Dangers of Tariff Wall,
 "A tariff wall against the labor of Eu- rope and Its competition may be neces- sary. but the same wall that protects Us upon that side is our ruin upon the other. nc We muat cultivate the West Indies. hc South American States. ana thu isl- ards of the Pacific by reciprocal arrange ments and relations which promote our commerce.
 We should ther bind these countries to us by ties stronger than any leGtsla- ton. They would be our friends, our partners in business. With the experi- ence we have had iu the southern States, with negro suffrage. arc you willing to undertake the admission of Cuba and Porto Rico as States. containing IS they do. a large majority of colored people" Neither do I care 10 maintain kinder garten in the Philippines for the educa- ton of eight millions of Orientais. Rath- TT, l say, keep the hands of foreign na- tions oil. help the commerce of these countries, furnish the transportation, fur nish the ships. furnish the money and the banking facilities for their trade, and we will have commer cial annexation without the danger of political annexation"
 Mir Lowrey spoke in favor of expan-. sion in general. and paid particular at- tention to matters in the South, drawing a brilliant picture of the prospects and of the Southern States.
 A number of the guests joined in the general discussion that followed the