Fergus County argus., 1903-04-08
NEED FOR A
GREAT NAVY
President Roosevelt Talks Of the Mon.
roe Doctrine and Need Of a
Navy to Support It.
FIRST GREAT SPEECH IN TOUR
Chicago Auditorium Packed to the
Doors to Hear the Chief Em
eeutivs's Address.


Chicago. April 2.-President Roose.
welt tonight delivered one OF the most
important of the addresses to be
made by him on his entire western
tour. His theme was "The Monroe
Doctrine" and his presentation OF the
subject was listened to by a dlstin-
gished audience with profound atten-
tion.
President RooseveIt's Address.
President Roosevelt spoke as fol-
lows:
"Mr. Chairman, ladies and gentle.
men: Today wish to speak to you,
not merely about the Monroe doctrine,
but about our entire position in the
western hemisphere-a position so pc
culiar and predominant that out of it
has grown the acceptance Of the Mon
roe doctrine as cardinal feature of
our foreign policy; and in particular
| 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 pol.
icy.
Ever since the time when we def.
nitely extended our boundaries
westward to the Pacific and southwark
to the gulf, since the time when the
old Spanish and Portuguese colonies
to the south of us asserted their in.
dependence, our nation has insisted
that because of its primacy in strength
among the nations of the western
hemisphere 1t has certain duties and
responsibilities which obilge It to take
a leading part. We hold that our in.
terests in this hemisphere are great.
er than those of any European pow.
er possibly can be. and that our duty
to ourselves and to the weaker repub.
lies who are our neighbors requires
us to see that none of the great mill
tary powers from across the seas
shall encroach upon the territory OF
the American republics or acquire
control thereover.
The Isthmian Canal.
This policy. therefore, not only for
bids us to acquiesce in such territor
ial acquisition. but also causes us to
object to the requirement of a control
which would in its effect be equal tC
territorial aggrandizement. This is
why the United States has steadily
believed that the construction of the
great Isthmian canal, the building oi
which Is to stand as the greatest ma
terial feat of the twentieth century
greater than any similar feat in any
preceding century-should be done by
no foreign nation. but by ourselves
The canal must of necessity &c
through the territory of one of ouI
smaller sister republics. We have
been scrupulously careful to abstain
from perpetrating any wrong upon
any of these republics In this matter
We do not wish to interfere with
their rights in the least; but, while
carefully safeguarding them, to bullt
the canal ourselves under provisions
which will enable us, II necessary, t.
police and protect it. and to guarante,
its neutrality. we being the sol,
guarantor. Our intention was stead
fast; We desired action taken SO tha
the canal could always be used by NJ
in time of peace and war alike. and il
time OF war could never be used I;
our detriment by any nation which
was hostile to us. Such action, b,
the circumstances surrounding II. wa
necessary for the benefit and not tn,
detriment of the adjacent American
republics.
The Work of Two Years.
After considerably more than hal
century these objects haye beel
exactly fulfilled by the legislation an,
treaties of the last two years. Tw,
years ago we were no further advan
ced toward the construction of tn
Isthmian canal on our terms than w
had been during the preceding eight
years. BY the Hay-Pauncefot
treaty. ratified in December. 1901, Al
old treaty with Great Britain, whicl
had been held 70 stand in the way
was abrogated and il was agreed tina
the canal should be constructed uI
der the auspices Of the government O
the United States, and that this go,
ernment should have the exclusiv
right to regulate and manage II. bs
coming the sole guarantor OF it's net
trality.
1T was expressly stipulated, furtt
ermore, that this guaranty Of neutra
ity should not prevent the Unite
States from taking any measure
which il found necessary in order [
secure by its own forces the defens
of the United States and the mair
tenance of public order Immediat.
ly following this treaty congress pas
ed a law under which the presider
was authorized 10 endeavor to secur
treaty for acquiring the right to fl
ish the construction Of. and TO ope
ate. the Panama canal, which had a
ready been begun in the territory {
Colombia by French company. TIL
rights of this company were accor,
ingly obtained and a treaty negotia
ed with the republic OF ColombiI
This treaty has just been ratified b
the senate. Il reserves all OF Colon
bias rights, while guaranteeing all {
our own and those OF neutral nation
and specifically permits us to TAX
any and all measures for the defens
of the canal. and for the preservatio
of our interests, whenever In our jud
ment an exigency may arise whic
calls for action on our part.
The Venezuelan Affair.
About the same time trouble arc,