The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-12-05
DENT ROOSEVELTS MESSAGE FULL OF VALUABLE SUGGESTIONS

ferred on the citizens of Porto Rico. The harbor of San Juan in Porto Rico shoul1 be dredged and improved. The expenses of the federal court of Porto Rico should be met from the federal treasury. The administration of the affairs Of Porto Rico, together with those of the Philip pines, Hawaii and our other insular pos- sessions, should ell be directed under one executive department, by preference the department of state or the department of war.
 Hawaii.
 The needs of Hawaii are peculiar; every aid should be given the islands; and orr efforts should be unceasing to develop them along the lines Of a community os small freeholders, not of great planters with eoolie-tilled estates. Situated as this territory is, in the middle Of the Pacific. there are duties imposed upon thls small community which do not fall In like de- gree or manner upon any other Amerl- can community. This warrants our treat ing it differently from the way in which we treat territories contiguous to or sur rounded by sister territories or other states, and justifies the setting aside of a portion of our revenues to be expended for educational and internal Improvements therein Hawaii is now making an effort to secure immigration fit in the end to 
 American citizenship, and whenever the leaders In the various industries of those islands finally adopt our ideals and heart fly join our administration in endeav- bring to develop a middle class of sub stantial citizens, a way will then be found to deal with the commercial and industrial problems which now appear to them go serious. The best Amerlcanism is that which aims for stability and permancney of prosperous citizenship, rather than in- mediate returns on large masses of eapi- tai.
 Alaska.
 Alaska's needs have been partially met, but there must be a complete reorgan- ization of the governmental system, as I have before indicated to you. l ask your especial attention to this. Our fellow citizens who dwell on the shores of Put get sound with characteristic energy are arranging to hold in Seattle the Alaska Yukon Pacific exposition It's special aims include the upbuilding of Alaska and the development of American commerce on the Pacific icean. This exposition, in it's purposes and scope, should appeal not only to the people of the Pacific slope, but to the people of the United States at large. Alaska since it was bought has yielded to the government Sl10O0,0O0 of revenue, and has produced nearly sSoo o000, 009 in gold furs and fish. When prop erly developed it will become in large degree a land of homes. The countries bordering the Pacific ocean have a pop ulation more numerous than that of all the countries of Europe; their annual foreign commerce amounts to over $S,- eco, ,0O0.000, of which the share of the Uni ted States in some S700, 100000. If this trade were thoroughly understood and pushed by our manufacturer sand pro- ducers, the industries not only of the -1N hut .RF. T particularly of our cotton growing states, would be greatly benefited. Of course in order to get these benefits, we must treat fairly the countries with which we trade.
 International Morality.
 It is mistake and it betrays a spirit of foolish cynicism, to maintain that all international government action is, and must ever be, based upon mere selfish ness, and that to advance ethical reasons for such action is always a sign of hypo- crisy. This is no more necessarily true of the action of governments than of the action of individuals. It is sure sign of a base nature always to ascribe base motives for the actions of others. Un- qrestionably no nation can afford to dis regard proper considerations of self-in- terest, any more than a private individ- ual can so do. But 1t is equally true that the average private individual in any really decent community does many ac- tions with reference to other men in which he is guided, not by self-interest, but by public spirit, by regard for the rights of others, by disinterested pur- pose to do good to others. and to raise the tone of the community as a whole. Similarly, a really great nation 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 lea- sons; and as the centuries go by this dlsinterestedness Is interna tional action, this tendency of the individuals compris- inG a nation to require that nation to act with justice toward It's neighbors, stead fly grows and strengthens. It is neither wise nor right for a nation to disregard it's own needs, and 1t is foolsh-and may be wicked-to think that other nations will disregard theirs. But it Is wicked for a nation to regard its own interest. and foolish to believe that such is the sole motive that actuates any other nation It should be our steady aim to raise the ethical standard of national action just as we strive to raise the ethical standard oe individual action.
 Not only must we treat all nations fair lv. 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 the right to question Is the mans conduct. If he is honest and up- right in his dealings with his neighbor and with the state, then he is entitled to respect and good treatment. Especially do we need to remember our duty to the stranger within our gates, It is the sure mark of low civilization, a low morality, to abuse or discriminate against or in any way humiliate such stranger who has come here lawfully and who is conduct ing himself properly. To remember this is incumbent on every American citizen, and |. is of course peculiarly incumbent on every government official. whether of the nation or of the several states.
 I am prompted to say this by the at titude of hostility here and there as- sumed toward the Japanese in this coun- try. This hostility Is sporadic and is limited to a very few places Neve- as a people, and 1t may be fraught with the gravest consequences to the nation The friendship between the United States and Japan has been continuous since the , time, over half a century ago, when Commodore Perry. by his expedition 10 Japan. first opened the islands to west ern civilization. Since then the growth of Japan has been literally astounding There is not only nothing to parallel 1t. but nothing to approach it in the history , of civilized mankind. Japan has glo- rious 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 chiefly sprung But fifty years ago Japans development was still that of