The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1903-12-08

plish satisfac tory results. The good eff
feet of these upon the ma
tional guard is marked, and ample APP
preparation should be made to enable
the guardsmen of the several states to
share in the benefit. The government
should as soon as possible secure suit
able permanent camp sites for military
maneuvers in the various sections of
the country.
l heartily congratulate the congress
upon the steady progress in building
up the American avy We cannot
afford a let-up in this great work. To
stand still means to go back. There
should be no cessation in adding to the
effective units of the fighting strength
of the fleet. Meanwhile the navy de-
partment and the officers of the navy
are doing we'll their part by providing
constant service at sea under condi-
tons akin to those of actual warfare.
Our officers and enlisted men are learn
ing to handle the battleships. cruisers
and torpedo boats with high efficiency
in feet and squadron formations. and
the standard of craftsmanship is being
steadily raised. The best work ashore
is Indispensable. but the highest duty
Of a naval officer is to exercise COM
mand at sea. 1t is eminently desirable
that a naval general staff should be
established.
Isthmian Canal.
By the act of June %. 1902, the con-
gress authorized the president to enter
into treaty with Colombia for the
building of the canal across the 18TH
mus of Panama, it being provided that
in the event of failure to secure such
treaty after the lapse of a reasonable
time recours should be had to build
ing a canal through Nicaragua. 1t has
not been necessary to consider this al
tentative, as l am enabled to lay be-
o the senate a treaty providing for
the building Of the canal across the
isthmus of Panama. This was the
route which commended itself to the
deliberate judgment of the congress.
and we can now acquire by treaty the
right to construct the canal over this
route. The question now, therefore. is
not by which route the isthmian canal
shall be built, for that question has
been definitely and %irrevocably decid-
ed. The question is simply whether or
not we shall have an isthmian canal.
When the congress directed that we
should take the Panama route under
treaty with Colombia the essence of
the condition. of course, referred not
to the government which controlled
that route. but to the route itself: to the
territory across which the route lay,
not to the name which for the moment
the territory bore on the map. The
purpose of the law was to authorize
the president to make a treaty with the
power in actual control of the isthmus
Of Panama. This purpose has been
fulfilled.
For 400 years, ever since shortly after
the discovery Of this hemisphere, the
canal across the isthmus has been
planned. For twoscore years it has
been worked at. When made it is to
last for the ages. 1t is to alter the
geography of a continent and the trade
routes of the world. We have shown
by every treaty we have negotiated or
attempted to negotiate with the peo-
pies in control Of the isthmus and with
foreign nations in reference thereto our
consistent good faith in observing our
obligations, on the one hand to the peo-
pies of the isthmus and on the other
hand to the civilized world, whose com
mercial. rights we are safeguarding and
guaranteeing by our action. We have
done Il duty to others in letter and in
spirit, and we have shown the utmost
forbearance in exacting our own rights.
Reputation of Treaty by Colombia.
Last spring a treaty concluded be-
tween the representatives of the re-
public of Colombia and of our govern