The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1906-12-05
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE
TO CONGRESS
CONTINUED from Tenth Page.)

OF lue racine slope, DuL 10 Inc people
of the United States at large. Alaska
since it was bought has yielded to the
Government eleven millions of dollars
of revenue, and has produced nearly
three hundred millions Of dollars in
gold, furs and fish When properly
developed it will become in large de-
gree a land of homes. The countries
bordering the Pacific Ocean have a
population more numerous than that
of all the countries of Europe; their
annual foreign commerce amounts to
over three billions of dollars, of which
the share of the United States is some
seven hundred millions of dollars If
this trade We're thoroly understood
and pushed by our manufacturers and
producers, the industries not only Of
the Pacific slope, but of all our coun-
try, and particularly of our cotton
growing States, would be greatly bene-
fitted. Of course, in order to get these
benefits, we must treat fairly the
countries with which we trade.
International Morality
Tt Is a mistake, and itbetrays aspirit
of foolish cynicism, to maintain that
all International governmental action
is, and must ever be, based upon mere
selfshness, and that to advance
ethical reasons for such actin is al
ways a sign of hypocrisy. This is no
more necessarily true of the action Of
governments. than of the action of in
diyiduals. 1t is a sure sign of a base
nature always to ascribe base motives
for the actions of others. Unquestion-
ably no nation can afford to disregard
proper considerations of self-interest
any more than a private individual
can So do. But it is equally true that
the average private individual in any
really decent community does many
actions with reference to other men
in which he is guided not by self-in-
terest, but by public spirit, by regard
for the rights of others, by disinter-
ested purpose to do to others, and to
raise the tone of the community as q
whole. Similarity, a really great ma
ton must often act, and as a matter
of fact often does act, toward other
nations in a spirit not in the least of
mere self-interest, but paying heed
chiefly to ethical reasons; and ais the
centuries go by this disinerestedness
in International action, this tendency
of the individuals comprizing a nation
10 require that nation to act with JUS
tice toward it's nelghbors, steadily
grows and strengthens 1t is neither
wise nor right for nation to dis
regard it's own needs, and it is foolish
and may be wicked-to think that
other nations will disregard theirs.
But it is wicked for nation only to
regard its own interest, and foolish to
believe that such lis the sole motive
that actuates any other nation. 1t
should be our steady aim to raise the
ethical standard of national action
just as we strive to raise the ethical
standard of individual action.
Not only must we treat all nations
fairly but we must treat with justice
and good will all immigrants who
come here under the law. Whether
they are Catholic or Protestant, Jew
or Gentle; whether they come from
England or Germany, Russia Japan,
or Italy. matters nothing. All we
have right to question is the mans
conduct. If he is honest and upright
in his dealings with his neighbors and
with the State then he is entitled to
respect and good treatment. Espec-
Tally do we not remember our duty to
the stranger within our gates. 1t is
the sure mark Of low civzation, a
low morality, to abuse 0r discriminate
against or in any way humiliate such
stranger who has come here lawfully
and who is conducting himlelf proper
ly. To remember this is incumbent on
tevery American citizen, and it is of
course peculiarly incumbent on every
Government official, whether of the
nation or of the several States.
am prompted to say this by the at
titude of hostility here and there as
sumed toward the Japanese in this
country. This hostility is sporadic and
is limited to a very few places. New
ertheless, 1t is most discreditable to us
as a people, and it may be fraught
with the gravest consequences to the
nation. The friendship between the
United States and Japan has been CON
tinuous since the time, over half a CEN
fury ago, when Commodore Perry by
his expedition to Japan, first opened
the islands to western civilization
Since then the growth of Japan has
been literally astounding. There is not
only nothing to parallel it, but nothing
to approach it in the history of civiiz-
ed mankind. Japan has a glorious and
ancient past Her civilization is older
than that of the nations of northern
Europe-the nations from whom the
people of the United States have chief
ly sprung. But fifty years ago Japan's
development was still that of the Mid
die Ages. During that fifty years the
progress of the country in every walk
in life has been a marvel to mankind,
and she now stands as one of the great
est of civilized nations; great in the
arts of war and in the arts of peace;
great in military, in industrial, in ar
tistic development and achievement.
Japanese soldiers and sailors have
shown themselves equal in combat to
any of whom history makes note. She
has produced great generals and
mighty admirals; her fighting men,
afioat and ashore, show all the heroic
courage, the unquestioning, unfaltering
loyalty, the splendid indifference to
hardship and death, which marked the
Loyal Ronins and they show also that
they possess the highest ideal of patri-
otism. Japanese artists of every kind