Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-12-05


Dot now repeat those recommendations, ous
1 shall lay all my stress upon the one rec
ommendation OF giving to Alaska some one
authorized to speak for 1t. | should prefer
that the delegate was made elective, but II
this Is not deemed wise then make him ap-
pointive At any rate, give Alaska some
person whose business II shall ne 10 speah
with authority on her behalf TO the Con
gress The natural resources of Alaska are
great. Some of the chief needs of the Pc
cullarly energetic, self-reliant and typicaiiy
American white population OF ALASKA were
set forth in my last message. L also ear
nestly ask your attention to the needs OF
the Alaskan Indians. All Indians who are
Competent should receive the full rights OF
American citizenship. 1t is, for instance.
q gross and indefensible wrong TO DENY 10
such hard working decent-iving Indians as
the Metlakahtlas the right TO obtain II
censes captains, pilots and engineers me
right to enter mining claims and TO proht
BY the homestead law. These particular
indians are civilized and are competent and
entitled TO be put on the same basis with
the white men round about them.
Admission to Statehood.
I recommend that Indian Territory and
Oklahoma be admitted as state and
that New Mexico and Arizona be admitted
as one state. There is no obligation upon
us to treat territorial subdivisions, which
are matters of convenience only. as bind
ing us on the question of admission to
statehood. Nothing has taken up more time
in the Congress during the past few years
than the question az to the statehood to De
granted to the four territories above mem
toned. and after careful consideration OF
all that has been developed in the discus
sions of the question l recommend that
they be immedia tely admitted as two states.
There Is no Justification for further delay,
and the advisabilty of making the four ter
ritories into two states has been clearly
established.
In some of the territories the Legislative
assemblies issue licenses for gambling. Inc
Congress should by law forbid this practice
the harmful results of which are obvious
at q glance.
The Panama Canal.
The treaty between the United States and
the republic of Panama, under which the
construction of the Panama canal was made
possible went into effect with Its ratif1ca-
ton by the United States Senate on Febru-
ary %, 1904 The canal properties OF the
French Canal Company were transferred to
the United States on April %, 1904. on pay
ment of S4O.00O,00o to that company. On
April l. 1905, the commission was reorgan-
ICED and il now consists of Theodore +.
Shonts, chairman; Charles E. Masoon. Ben
jamin NJ. Harrod. Rear Admiral Mordecai
T. Endicott, Brig. Gen. Peter c. Hams and
Col Oswald H. Ernst John F. Stevens was
appointed chief engineer on July last. Ac-
tive work IN canal construction, mainly
preparatory, has been in progress for less
than a year and a half During that Pc
Rod two points about the canal have ceased
to be open to debate First the question OF
route; the canal will be built on the 1sthmus
of Panama. Second, the question of FEAST
bilityi there are no physical obstacles on
this route that American engineering skill
will not be able to overcome without seri-
Gus difficulty or that will prevent the COM
pletion of the canal within a reasonable
time and at reasonable cost. This is viz
fiIal 1l 1if,1nr t,1onn n NJ
gineers who have Investigated the matter
for the government.
The point which remains unsettled Is the
question of type. whether the canal shall
be one of several locks above sea Level or
at sea level with single tide lock- On this
point | hope to lay before the Congress at
an early day the findings of the advisory
board OF American and European engineers,
that at my invitation have been considering
the subject. together with the report of the
commission thereon, and such comments
thereon or recommendations in reference
thereto may seem necessary.
The American people is pledged to the
speediest possible construction of a canal
adequate to meet the demands which the
commerce of the world will make upon it, and
1 appeal most earnestly to the Congress to
aid in the fulfillment of the pledge. Craft
flying progress has been made during the
past year and especially during the past
four months. The greater part of the nee
essary preliminary work has been done. Ac-
tual work of excavation could be begun
only on limited scale till the canal zone
was made q healthful place to live In and
to work in. The isthmus had to be sani-
tated first. This task has been SO thor
oughly accomplished that yellow: fever has
been virtually extirpated from the isthmus
and general health conditions vastly i'm
proved The same methods which convert
ed the Island of Cuba from a pesthole
which menaced the health of the world into
a healthful place of abode have been ap-
piled on the isthmus with satisfactory re-
suits. There il no reason to doubt that
when the plans for water supply, paving
and sewerage of Panama and Colon and
the large labor camps have been fully car
ried out the isthmus will be. for the tropics,
an unusually healthy place of abode. The
work Is so far advanced now that the health
of all those employed in canal work Is as
well guarded as It Is on similar work in
this country and elsewhere.
In addition to sanitating the isthmus, sat-
istactory quarters are being provided for
employees and an adequate system of sup
plying them with wholesome food at rea-
sonable prices has been created. Hospitals
have been established and equipped that
are without superiors of their kind any
where. The country has thus been made
fit to work in. and provision has been made
for the welfare and comfort of those who
are to do the work. During the past year
a large portion of the plant with which the
work is to be done has been ordered It is
confidently believed that by the middle of
the approaching year a sufficient proportion
of this plant will have been installed to en-
able US to resume the work of excavation
on large scale.
What is needed now and without delay is
an appropriation by the Congress to meet
the current and accrung expenses of the
commission. The first appropriation of S10,-
100000 out of the S135. 10000 authorized by
the Spooner act was made three years ago
1t is nearly exhausted. There Is barely
enough OF It remaining to carry the COM
mission TO the end of the year. Unless the
Congress shall appropriate before that time
all work must cease. To arrest progress for
any length of time now. when matters are
advancing so satisfactorily, would be de-
plorable. There will be no money with which
to meet pay roll obligations and none with
which to meet bills coming due for materials
and supplies and there Will be Generalization
OF the forces here and on the isthmus, now
working so tremendously and effectively, ir
there is delay in granting an emergency ap-
preparation. Estimates of the amount nee
essary will be found In the accompanying
reports OF the Secretary OF War and the
commission.
The Department Of State:
recommend more adequate provision
than has been made heretofore for the work
of the Department of State. Within a few
years there has been very great increase
in the amount and Importance OF the work
TO be done by that department. both In
Washington and abroad. This has been
caused by the great increase Of our foreign