The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-05-14
Roosevelt Makes Optimistic
 Speechin San Francisco
INSISTS ON LARGER NAVY
He Says Amerlca's Geographical Posi- ton on the Pacific Is Such as to Insure Peaceful Domlna-
 tion of Its Waters.

San Francisco, May 1S - President Roosevelt tonight addressed an immense crowd in Mechanics pavilion. His recep- ton was enthusiastic. The President said;
 Before I saw the Pacific slope l was an expansionist, and after having seen 1t I fail to understand how any man who is confident of his country's greatness and glad this country should challenge with proud confidence our mighty future can be anything but an expansionist. In the century that is opening the commerce and progress of the Pacific will be factors of inealculable moment in the history of the world Now in our day, the greatest of all the oceans, bids fair to become in its turn the first in point of importance. Our mighty republic has stretched across the Pacific and now in California, Oregon and Washington, in Alaska, Hawaii and the Philippines, holds an extent of coast line which makes 1t of necessity a power of the first class on the Pacific. The exter sion in the area of our domain has been immense, the extension in the area of our influence even greater.
 Peaceful Domination.
 "America's geographical position on the Pacific is such as to insure our peaceful domination of its waters in the future, if only we grasp with sufficient resolution the advantages of this position. We are taking long strides n this direction; wit ness the cables we are laying and the great steamship lines we are starting. We have taken the first steps towards digging an isthmian canal to be under our own control, a canal which will make our Atlantic and Pacific coast lines to all in- tent and purpose continuous, and will add immensely alike to our commercial and our military and naval strength, The in- evitable march of events gave us the con- trol of the Philippines at a time so oppor- tune that 1t may without irreyerence be held providential. Unless we show our selves weak; unless we show ourselves degenerate sons of the sires from whose loins we sprang( we must go on with the work that we have begun. I earnestly hope that this work will always be peace full in character. We infinitely desire peace and the surest way to obtain it is to show that we are not afraid of war. We should deal in spirit of fairness and
 
 show to the strongest that we are able to maintain our rights.
 Must Increase the Navy.
 We must keep on building and main- taining a thoroughly efficient navy with plenty of the best and most formidable ships, and with an ample supply of off cers and men. Only thus can we assure our position in the world at large, and in particular our position on the Pacific. It behooves all men of loyal souls who are proud to belong to a mighty nation to see to it that we fit ourselves to take and keep a great position in the world, for our proper place Is with the expand ing nations and the nations that are to be great, that we accept with confidence a place of leadership in the world. All our people should take this position, but especially you of California. for much of our expansion must go through the Golden Gate, and the states of the Pa cific slope must inevitably be those which would be most benefited by the growth of American influence along the coasts and islands of that mighty ocean, where east and west finally become one"