Arizona republican., 1905-12-06

terest of their own people an error has been made in refusing to. grant suffic-
 ently liberal terms to induce invest ment of American capital in the Phil ippines and in Porto Rico. Elsewhere in this message l have spoken strong ly against the jealously of mere wealth and especially of corporate wealth as such. But t is particularly regreta- bic to allow any such jealously to be developed when we are dealing either with our insular or with foreign af- fairs. The big corporation has achiev ed it's present position in the business world simply because it is the most effective instrument in business com petition. In foreign affairs we can not afford to put our people at a disad vantage with their competitors by in any way discriminating against the ef- ficiency of OUT business organizations. In the same way we can not afford to allow our insular possessions to lag behind in industrial development from any twisted jealously of business sue cess. 1t is, of course, mere truism to say that the business interests of the islands will only be developed if it be- comes the financial interest of some ! body 10 develop them. Yet this devel- opment is one of the things most earn /. .estly to he wished for in the interest 1 Of the islands themselves. We have been paying all possible heed to the | political and educational interests Of the islands, but, important though these objects are. it is not less impor- tant that we should favor their indus | trial development. The government can in certain ways help this directly, as by building good roads; but the fundamental and vital help must be given through the development of the i industries of big American corporations to start industries in them and this means to make it advantageous for ! them to do so. To limit the owner ship of mining claims as has been done in the Philippines is absurd. In both the Philippines and Porto Rico the largely raised.
 ALASKA.
 I earnestly ask that Alaska be given
 an elective delegate. Some person should be chosen who can speak with
 authority of the needs of the territory.
 The government should aid in the con- struction of a railroad from the Gulf | Of Alaska to the Yukon river in Amer | iCdn terTlIOry. m my last two mes
 sages I advocated certain additional
 action on behalf of Alaska. I shall now
 repeat those recommendations, but i l shall lay all my stress upon the one recommendation of giving to Alaska
 some one authorized to speak for it. l l should prefer that the delegate was
 made elective, but if this is not deem ed wise. then make him appointive. 1 At any rate, give Alaska some person
 whose business it shall be to speak with authority on her behalf to the l congress. The natural resources of | Alaska are great. Some of the chief
 needs of the peculiarly energetic, self reliant, and typically American white l population of Alaska were set forth ! in my last message. I also earnestly
 ask your attention to the needs of the
 Alaskan Indians. All Indians who are ] competent should receive the full
 rights of American citizenship. It is
 for instance, a gross and indefensible
 wrong to deny to such hard-workinS | decent-l living Indians as the Metlak- | ahtlas the right to obtain licenses as 1 captains, pilots, and engineers, the i right to enter mining claims, and to l profit by the homestead law. These