The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-10-22
President Spends Busy Day il
 Two Cities
FLOWERS ARE SHOWfRtO
Tells of the Immense Importance of the Panama Canal to the Gulf states-Spends Sunday
 In St. Augustine.

ception to Prasldent Roosevelt today was A hearty one. Thousands thronged the streets on his line of march, and the President showed in his manner his ap- preciation of the good will that was man. ifested on every side.
 So far as comfort was concerned. the day was ideal. A cool north wind had begun to blow during the night before his arrival. and It gave a temperature that no one could call too hot or too cool.
 After driving through the principal streets the President was taken to the Seminole club where he made brief address on good citizenship. He was then driven to the Jacksonville board of trade auditorium, and luncheon was served After luncheon the President spoke as follows:
 The President Speaks.
 Here in Florida, the first of the gulf states which 1 have visited upon this trip, I wish to say special word about the Panama canal. l believe that the canal will be of great benefit to all our people, but most of all to the states of the South Atlantic. the gulf and the Pacific slope. When completed the canal will stand as a monument to this nation, for 1t will be the greatest engineering feat ever yet accomplished in the world. It will be a good thing for the world as a whole and for the people of the isth- mus and of the northern portions of South America in particular. Because of our especial interest in 1t. and because of the position we occupy on this hemisphere 1t is a matter of special pride to us that our nation, the American nation. should have undertaken the performance of this world duty body of the most eminent engineers in the world both Americans and foreigners. sias been sum moned to advise as to the exact type of canal which should be built. At no dis tant date I hope to be able to announce what their advice is, and also the action taken upon their advice. Meanwhile the work Is already we'll under way, and has advanced sufficiently far to enable ma to announce with certainty that 1t can surely be accomplished, and probably at rather less expense than was anticipated. But upon the last point. as well as up- on the question of time, no positive state ment can be made until the report of the commission of engineers as to the ex- act type of canal has been received. The work Is as difficult as 1t Is important: and 1t is of course inevitable that from time to time difficulties will occur and checks be encountered. Whenever such is the case the men of little faith at home will lose that little faith, and the critics who confound hysteria with emphasis will act after their kind. But our people as q whole possess not only faith. but resolu- tlon, and are of too vrie fiber to be swept one way or the other by mere sen- satonalism. No check that may come will be of more than trivial and passing conse- quence. will nnict any permanent dam age. or cause any serious delay. The work can be done. Is being done. and will be done. What has already been accom- plished is a guaranty as to the future
 Adventurers Flock to Scene.
 When any such work is undertaken there are always many mere adventurers who flock to where 1t Is going on and many men who think they are adventur- CTS, but who are in reality either weak or tlmid, follow in their footsteps. Some of the first class will now and then cause trouble in one way or another. But every care will be taken to detect any misdeed on their part and to punish them as soon as the misdeed is detected. As for the second class they will cause trouble chiefly by losing heart, returning home, or writing home, and raising a cry that they are not happy and that the condi- tions of life are not easy, or that the work is not being done as they think 1t ought to be done. Now these men stand just as the stragglers and laggards stand who ever to be found in the rear of even victorious army. The veterans of the civil war who are here present will tell you that the very rear of an army, even when 1t Is victorious Is apt to look and behave as if the victory were de- feat And just the same thing is true in any great enterprise in civil life: there are always weddings who get trampled down or lose heart, and there are all ways people who listen to their com plaints They amount to nothing one way nr ba Ot qO far Is concerned; and their complaints and outories need never detaln us.
 "f call your attention specifically to ths matter of health on the isthmus The climate was supposed to be deadly and yellow fever, in especial, was supposed to be epidemic. Yet since we have as- sumed control there has been far less yellow fever than in our own country. The administration Is steadily becoming better and more effective, from the hy- gienc as well as from every other stand point. The work of building the canal is a great American work. in which the whole American people are interested It has nothing to do with parties or parti- sanship, and Is being carried on with absolute disregard to all merely political considerations with regard only to ef- hciency, honesty. and economy.
 Increase Caribbean Trade.
 The digging of the canal will, of
  course. greatly increase our interest in the Caribbean sea. It will be our duty to police the canal. both In the interest of other nations and in our own interest To do this 1t Is, of course. indispensable to have an efficient navy (and l am happy to say that we are we'll on our way to- ward having one). and also to possess. as we already possess, certain strategic points to control the approach to the canal. Tn addition 1t is urgently neces- sary that the insular and continental countries within or bordering upon the Caribbean sea should be able to secure fair dealing and orderly liberty within their own borders. I need not say that the United States not only has no pur- pose of aggression upon any republic. continental Or insular to the south of us, but has the friendliest feeling to- ward them. and desires nothing save their progress and prosperity We do not wish another foot of territory: and think our conduct toward Cuba Is a guaranty that