The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-12-07

him accordingly. is abandoned no brlls
uancy. no amount OF hard work, no
esgerress IN the performance OF nuty'
can advance him, and no slackness OF iu-
difference that falls short 2t 'Yrtu y',,t,
martial offense can retard him lhul
this system Is changed we cannot nope
that our officers will be OF as hlgh Eraue
rs we have right 10 eSpect consiosIlns
the material upon which we draw. more
over. when a man renders such service
as Capt Pershing rendered last spring w
the Moro campaign, IL ought 70 pc pc pc
Jumping him 10 the grade of hrigadicr-
general.
shortly after tho enunciation OF thN
famous principle OF American Foreign
p9ey tTne ngT President saewn Monroe. in special
message 10 congress on Jan. 30. 1879,
spoke as follows: The navy is tho arm
from which our government VIII always
derive most aid Ina support OF our -,
rights. Every power engaged in war VIII
know the strength OF our naval power
the number Of our ships or eacn clasS,
their condition and the -promptitude with
which we may bring them into service.
and will pay due consideration 20 that
argument
upon the steady progress in building UP
the American navy. We cannot anord
a iet-up IN this great work. To stand
stu means to go sd,S nask heIe ,rs SS efrastiVe
units OF the ighting strength OF the hee,,
Meanwhile the navy department ana VIC
officers OF the navy are doing Wen 'n.l, 1,
part by providing constant service at sea
under conditions akin to those or actusl
warfare. our officers and enllstcd Ineh
are learning TO handle the pattiesHps'
cruisers and torpedo boats with mgh ei-
flciency I'm fleet and squadron formations,
and the standard OF marksmanship Is oe
ing steadily raised. The best Work
ashore is Indispensable. but tho hghest
A,ty ri "a naval officer is to pAeftlSt
command at sea. a.
The establishment Of naval base ia
the Philippines ought not to DC iTnssp ION en-
| time Of peace; In time OF war " would pe
Indispensable. and its lack would DC rWu- W
inous. Without II our meet wouln ~,
helpless our naval experts arc agreed
| that Subig Bay is the proper place Ior
| the purpose The national interests re.
| auire that the work OF fertilization ana
development Of naval station AZ ouole
| BAY be begun az an early date. for under
| the best conditions n Is work wnlch VIII
| consume much time. 80
IL IS eminentIy desirable. however that
there should be provided a naval genera
J staff ON lines similar 10 those OF the gen
| eral STAFF lately created Tor the army.
Within the navy department ltseIt inc
! needs of the service have brough about q
system under which tho duties OF gen
erai staff are partially performed LOT
| the bureau OF navigation has under itS
direction the war college. the onice OF
naval Intelligence and tho board or m
spectlon, and has been i'm close tomcn
with the general board of The navy. but
though under the excellent OFFICERS az
! their head these boards and bureaus 90
good work. they have not the authority
OF a general staff. and have not SUM
| cient scope TO insure a proper readiness
| Tor emergencies. We need the establish
ment by law Of body OF trained oniSfis;
| who shall exercise a systematic contro,
OF the military affairs OF the navy. ana ana
/ he authorized advisers OF inc SsVie'"iS
| concerning IL.
ISTHMTAN CANAL.
By the act OF June ~, 1900. the congress
| authorized the president 10 enter into
| treaty with Colombia for the building oi
| the canal across the Isthmus of Panama
! IL being provided that I'm the event ol
! failure TO secure such treaty after lho
| lapse of a reasonable time, recours,
should be had TO building q canal through
| Nicaragua. II has not been necessary &C
consider this aiternatve, as ! am neat, st,
| providing for the building or the cana
across the Isthmus OF Panama; M u
was the route which commcndeo ltseli "
the deliberate Judgment OF congress, n ant
we can now acquire by treaty the rlgh
10 construct the canal over this route
The question now, therefore. Is not o!
which route the lsthmian canal shall b'
built for that question has been definitely
and irrevocably decided. The question II
simply whether or not we shall nave az
isthmian canal.
should take tho Panama route undo
treaty with Colombia. the essence OF tn
condition. OF course, referred not TO tn
government which controlled that route
but to the route itself; TO the territor!
across which the route lay not to tn
name which for the moment the territor,
bore on the map. The purpose OF the Law
was TO authorize the president to make
treaty with the power In actual contro
of the Isthmus OF Panama. This purpos
has been fulfilled
In the year 1S4s this government entere'
into treaty with New Granada. the pre-
decessor upon the Isthmus OF the Republi
OF Colombia and of the present Republic o
Panama. by which treaty " was provide
that the government and citizens or Tn
United States should always have FIRE
and open right OF way or transit acros
the Isthmus or Panama by any modes o
communication that might be con
structed while In return, our gov
/ ernment guaranteed the perfect neutralit
OF the aforementioned isthmus with th
view that tho free transit from the one I
the other sea might not he interrupted o
embarrassed. The treaty vested In TN
United States a substantial property righ
carved out OF the rights or sovereignt
and property which New Granada then ha
and possessed over the said territory. Tn
name OF New Granada has passed ava
and its territory has been divided. II
successor, the government OF Colombo
has ceased 10 own any property tn IN
isthmus
A new republic. that OF Panama, whic
was at one time "A sovereign state, and y
, ! another time n mere department OF IN
successive considerations known ss Me-
Granada and Colombia, has now succeed
ed to the rights which first ono and the
tho other formerly exercised over the istl
mus But as long as the isthmus ~
dures. the mere geographical fact OF II
existence. and the peculiar interest there
} In which is required by our position, pei
petuate tho solemn contract which bind
the holders OF the territory 60 respect OF
right 90 freedom Of transit across II. an
binds us I'm return 10 safeguard for IN
sthmus and the world the exercise OF tbs
fnestinable privilege. The true intcrpr'
tation OF the obligations upon which th
!, United states entered Ia this treaty Of ls
: has been given repeatedly in tho uttel
ances OF presidents and secretaries
. ZpprNfarN Ass in 1Nlk OffiCinll