The Paducah evening sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1906-1929, 1906-12-24
AMERICAS EXTERNAL
INTERESTS.

iuent hooseNei greeting 10 MS
countrymen on his arrival from his
swing through the American Medit-
erranean. The president may or may
not have gained much naval knowl-
edge of value by hts trip. but he
probably learned something of eonse-
quence about Panama and Porto RI
Eco. The things which he has learned
on all those points he viii soon COM
municate to the country Mr.. Roose-
welt has Just spent more time on the
battle ship Louisiana than any other
president ever did on any naval YES
sci. Other warshps were also in his
dotilla. AS he aims to pick up knowl-
edge wherever he can get II, and as
he is in the habit of looking for 1t in
places where very few other men
would think of seeking it he may
have gained some new ideas about
naval construction. management or
distribution. There is chance that
he may. too, have spied out some
good spots for new naval stations
down on the Spanish main. II so, he
will tell us about them. either in his
annual message to congress or in
some future special communication
Anyhow, the president is likely to
tell us something about Panama and
Porto Rico which we will want to
hear. He promises to deal with, Pan
anna in a special message. This means
that he intends to go into that sub
jeet at considerable length. As the
president grasps points quickly,
thinks clearly and talks compactly.
he will say things in the Panama mes
sage which everybody will read. For
He trayersed the few dozen miles of
land at that place which separates
the Atlantic from the Pacific. Posi-
bly,. when crossing the ridge which
divides the watershed OF one ocean
from that of the other, he may have
felt
Like stout Cortez when with eagle
eyes
He stared at the Pacific, and all
his men
Looked a each other with a wild sur
mise,
Silent, upon peak in Darien.
Possibly. too. he may have stood
on the spot where. four centuries
ago, all this toolGplace. Mr.. Roose-
welt, who is scholar. knows that IL
was Balboa: and !. not Cortez who
stood on that peak in Darien at that
time. But he likewise knows that
Keats. the author OF those lines, was
writing poetry and not history. and
poetry is privileged to disregard all
such details as names and dates. No
tosser ptesldeHt haNrvr-seen oN
Baiboa's or any lotper peak in Da
Irleh. He Is the only Aone ofsthem who
ever looked out upon the South sea
from the place which gave It that
name Alone among presidents he
knows. as first hand. what made
that designation graphic to the men
who invented II.
The country expects something of
interest from the president about
Porto Rico as well as Panama. He
conversed with representative men
from all parts Of Porto Rico. saw
something OF the resources and the
capabilities of the island, and has
learned a little, from direct inter-
course. about the needs and the sen
timents of the islanders. One of the
things he will tell US about is the
iesirability' of comforting United
States citizenship on the people OF
the island, Ever since the conquest
of 1898 the Porto Rican has been
man without a country, and in the
past year or two he may have be-
come almost as hopeless as ever Phil
| lp Nolan was about Altering that
status. His connection with Spain
was cut by Gen.. Miles. and the Span
lsh and American commissioners In
The treaty OF Paris few months la
.er ratified that proceeding But the
change OF allegiance which General
Miles and the Paris plenlpotentiaries
imposed on the Porto Rieans did not
al. WIN ~ a u dHSA'i 4A pOlAbANdi
lights. The Porto Rican ceased to be
Spaniard but he did not become
IN American. President Roosevelt |
promised 10 remedy this omission. |
rhe rudments of home rule have
)een established in Porto Rico. and |
The island has a resident commits |
sioner in Washington who is privi-
legged to talk for her in the house of
representatives. but, like the dele
gates from the territories, he can
not vote. When President Roosevelt
wins American citizenship for the
Porto Ricans, as he probably will in
he approachin session. a long-de-
layed act of justice will be performed
and the island will get a good start
on the road toward complete ter
rltorial status. Within the next few
days or weeks President Roosevelt
will doubtless tell many things which
L q -. IL |