Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1904-12-07

born here or born abroad. It has
proved very difficult to secure from
Russia the right for our Jewish fellow
citizen to receive passports and travel
through Russian territory. 1t Is a
wrong against which we are entitled to
protest to refuse him his passport
without regard to his conduct and char
acter, merely on racial and religious
grounds.
The Navy.
The strong arm of the government
In enforcing respect for it's just rights
In international matters Is the navy of
the United States. l most earnestly
recommend that there be no halt in the
work Of upbuilding the American navy.
We have undertaken to build the 18TH
milan canal. We have undertaken to
secure for ourselves our just share in
the trade Of the orient. We have I'M
dertaken to protect our citizens from
improper treatment in foreign lands
We continue steadily to insist on the
application of the Monroe doctrine to
the western hemisphere Unless our
attitude in these and all similar mat
tiers Is to be mere boastful sham we
cannot afford to abandon our naval
programme. Our voice Is now potent
for peace and is so potent because we
are not afraid Of war; But our prot
estations upon behalf Of peace would
neither receive nor deserve the slight
est attention If we were impotent to
make them good.
The Army.
Within the last three years the Unit
ed States has set an example in dis
armament where disarmament was
proper BY law our army is fixed at
maximum Of 100000 and a minimum
Of 10000 men. When there was insur-
rection in the Philippines we kept the
army at the maximum. Peace came in
the Philippines, and now our army
has been reduced to the minimum at
which it is possible to keep it with due
regard to its efficiency. We should be
able, In the event Of some sudden
emergency, to put into the field one
first class army corps. which should be,
as whole, at least the equal of any
body Of troops of like number belong
ing to any other nation.
Great progress has been made in pro-
tecting our coasts by adequate fortifi-
cations with sufficient guns. We
should, however, pay much more heed
than at present to the development Of
an extensive system Of floating mines
for use in all our more important har-
bors. These mines have been proved
to be most formidable safeguard
against hostile fleets.
The Philippines.
In the Philippine Islands there has
been during the past year a continual
ton Of the steady progress which has
obtained ever since our troops definite
ly got the upper hand Of the insur-
gents. The Philippine people, or, to
speak more accurately, the many
tribes and even races sundered from
one another more or less sharply who
go to make up the people of the Philip
pine Islands, contain many elements
Of good, and some elements which we
have right to hope stand for prog
ress. At present they are utterly in
capable of existing in independence at
all or of building up civilization of
their own. l firmly believe that we
can help them to rise higher and high
er in the scale of civilization and of
capacity for self government, and I
most earnestly hope that In the end
they will be able to stand, II not en-
tirely alone, yet in some such relation
to the United States as Cuba now
stands. This end is not yet in sight,
and 1t may be indefinitely postponed
II our people are foolish enough to turn
the attention of the Filipinos away
from the problems Of achieving moral
and material prosperity, Of working
for stable, orderly and just govern
ment. and toward foolish and danger
Gus intrigues for complete independ.
ence for which they are as yet totally
unfit
On the other hand, our people must
keep steadily before their minds the
fact that the justification for our stay
in the Philippines must ultimately rest
chiefly upon the good we are able to
do In the islands. I do not overlook
the fact that in the development Of our
interests in the Pacific ocean and
along its coasts the Philippines have
played and will play an important part
and that our interests have been serv-
ed In more than one way by the pos
session Of the islands. But our chief
reason for continuing to hold them
must be that we ought In good faith
to try to do our share Of the worlds
work, and this particular piece Of work
has been imposed upon us by tho re-
suits Of the war with Spain. We are
endeavoring to develop the natives
themselves so that they shall take an
ever increasing share In their own gov
eminent, and, as far as Is prudent, we
are already admitting their representa-
tives to governmental equality with
our own. There are commissioners,
judges and governors in the islands
who are Filipinos and who have exact
ly the same share In the government
Of the islands as have their colleagues
who are Americans, while in the lower
ranks of course the great ma fOritv of