The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-04-03
Speaks to an Immense Crowd
 on the Monroe Doctrine
SPEAKS OF NEED OF NAVY
Says While the United States Should Be an Example of Peace, the Coun- try Should Be Prepared
 to Use Force.

Chicago, April 2.-six thousand people in a hall the seating capacity of which Is only five thousand, tonight gave en- thusiaste greeting to President Roose- velt when he stepped upon the stage of the auditorium Many or those present stood without the doors and were un- able to hear the Presidents speech on | account of the tumult. All that came to those in the far hooks was the roar of ap- plause and with such loyal lungs did they accept their cue that several times they were giving vent to cheers when those on the inside had died away, and the President had resumed his address. In the street outside for more than an hour before the time set Tor the Presi- dents address a small army of police men was kept busy. The officers were stretched in double line along all the walks immediately adjoining the build- ing and no person who could not ex- hibit credentials entitling him to admis- sioa to the hall was permitted upon the walk When tho President, escorted by the members of the local committee, ap- peared on the platform. he was met with great enthusiasm. the vast crowd rising to It's feet and supplementing It's hearty cheers by waving programmes and fut- tering handkerehiefs
 1 Acknowledged Demonstration.
 The President acknowledged his recep- | tion at once took his seat between Frank l lin McVeagh, chairman of the commit- tee and Mayor Harrison, who was to deliver the formal address of welcome. As | soon as his voice could be heard Mr. Me- in fpw the nations chief executive would be made welcome to the city by Mayor Har- rson, who then sooke briefly, extending to the President a hearty welcome and expressing the pleasure felt by the peo- pie of Chicago at his visit and offering to him their best wishes for a happy and pleasant trip during his two months of vacation.
 The President bowed his thanks 10 | Mayor Harrison and to MT. MeVeagh, and expressed his pleasure at the cordial reception extended to him upon the first schedule stop in his long trip. Then turn ing directly to the audience, the Presi- dent proceeded to deliver his address. The address was as follows:
 The Presidents Speech.
 MT. Chairman Ladies and Gentlemen:
 Today l wish to speak to you, not mere- | y about the Monroe doctrine, but about our entire position in the western hemis- phere-a position so peculiar and predom- nant that out of 1t has grown the ac- l eeptance of the Monroe doctrine as a car dinal feature of our foreign policy; and in particular I wish to point out what has been done during the lifetime of the last congress to make good our position In accordance with this historic policy.
 Ever since the time when we definitely extended our boundaries westward to the Pacific and southward to the gulf since the time when the old Spanish and Por- fYt 1ygsFAp ff. fla 4 1T f4r serted their independence our nation has insisted that because of it's primacy in strength among the nations of the west ern hemisphere 1t has certain duties and responsibilities which obllge 1t to take a leading part thereon. We hold that our interests In this hemisphere greater than those of any European power possi- bly be- and that our duty to our selves and 10 the weaker republics who are neighbors requires us to see that none of the great military powers from across the seas shall encroaeh upon the territory of the American republics or &C., quire control moreover.
 Object to Requirement.
 The policy therefore not only forbids us to aequiesce in such territorial acquisl- tion, but also causes us to object to the | requirement of a control which would In it's effect be equal to territorial aggran- dzement. This is why the United States has steadily believed that the construc- | tion of the great Isthmian canal the building of which Is to stand as the great est material feat of the twentieth cen tury-greater than any similar feat in | any preceding eentury-should be done by no foreign nation but by ourselves. The canal must of necessity go through the l territory of one of our smaller sister re- l publies We have been careful to abstain l from perpetrating any wrong upon any | of these republics in this matter. We do not wish to interfere with their rights n l the least but, while carefully safeguarl- ing them, to build the canal ourselves un- | der provisions which will enable us, if necessary to police and protect it, and to l guarantee it's neutrality, we being the 1 sole guarantor. Our intention was stead- fast; we desired action taken so that the | canal could always be used by us in time of peace and and war alike. and In time | of war could never be used to our detri- ment by any nation which was hostile to us. Such action. by the circumstances | surrounding il. was necessarily for the 1 benefit and not the detriment of the ad- jaeent American republics.
 Objects Have Been Fulfilled.
 After considerably more than half of | century these objects have been exactly fulfilled by the legislation and treaties of the last two years. Two years ago we were further advanced toward the construction of the Isthmian canal on our terms than we had been during the preceding eighty years By the Hay Pauncefote treaty. ratified In December, 1901. old treaty with Great Britain, which had been held to stanu in the way. abrogated and 1t was agreed that the canal should be constructed under the | auspices of the government of the United | States. and that this government should l have the exclusive right to regulate and manage it, becoming the sole guarantoy | of it's neutrality.
 It was expressly stipulated, further more. that this guaranty of neutrality should not prevent the United States from l taking any measures which it found l necessary in order to secure by its own | forces the defense of the United State.