The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-02-08
EXPLORE PHILIPPINES
ROOSEVELT SUGGESTS NEW IDEA
 IN MESSAGE TO CONGRESS.
President Transmits Message RecOna- mending Scientific investigation, to be Undertaken Simultane- Ously in Different Branches.


 Washington, Feb. 1.-The President Congres: To the Senate and House of Represen-
 tatiyes:
 Circumstances have placed under the control of this government the Philip pine srchipelago. The islands of that group present as many interesting and novel questions with respect to their ethnology, their fauna and flora and their geology and mineral resources as any region, of the world. At my re- quest the National Academy of Sciences appointed committee to con slider and report upon their desirabili- ty of instituting scientific explorations of the Philippine islands. The report of this committee together with the report of the board on scientific sur veys of the Philippine Islands, includ- ing drafts of a bill providing for sur veys of the Philippine islands, which board was appointed by me after re- ceiving the report of the committee appointed by the National Academy of Scfspces, with instructions to prepare such estimates and make such sug- gestions as might appear to 1t perti- nent in the circumstances, accompanies this message.
 The scientific surveys which should be undertaken go far beyond any sur veys or explorations which the govern ment of the Philippine Islands, how ever completely self-supporting, could be expected to make. The surveys, while of course beneficial to the peo- pie of the Philippines, should be under taken as the national work for the information, not merely for the peo- pie of the islands, but of the people AR 4I,s ,s1 1E -.I1
 Only preliminary explorations have yet been made in the archipelago and 1t should be a matter of pride to the government of the United States fully to investigate and to describe the en- tire region. So far as may be con- venient and practical, the work of this survey should be conducted In har- mony with that of the proper bureaus of the government of the Philippines, but it should not be under the control of the authorities in the Philippines, for it should be undertaken as a na- tional work and subject to 8 board to be appointed by Congress or the President.
 The plan transmitted recommends simultaneous surveys in different branches of research, organized on a cooperative system. This would tend to completeness, avoid duplication and render the work more economical than if the explorations were undertaken piecemeaL No such organized sur yeys have ever yet been attempted any where; but the idea is in harmony with modern scientific and industrial methods.
 recommend therefore that provision be made for the appointment of a board of survevys to superintend the national surveys and explorations to be made in the Philippine Islands, and that ap- propriations be made from time to time to meet the necessary expenses of such investigation. It is not probable that the survey would be completed in less period than that of ten years. but 1t Is well that 1t should be begun In the near future. The Philippine commission and those responsible for the Philippine government are properly anxious that this survey should not be considered as an expense of that gov ernment but should be carried on and treated as a national duty in the in terest of science.
 l- 7, Theodore Roosevelt