The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1906-12-15

wish, as we ought to wish, for great
ings with Asia; and it is out of the
question that we should permanently
have such development unless we free
the same measure of justice and good
treatment which we expect to receive
in return. It is only very small body
OF our citizens that act badly. Where
the federal government has power 1t
will deal summarily with any such.
Where the several states have power
I earnestly ask that they also deal
duct or else this small body of wrong
doors may bring shame upon the great
mass Of their INNOCENT and right
nation as a whole. Good manners
should be an international no less than
an Individual attribute. ask fair
ask fair treatment for Germans or
Englishmen, Frenchmen. Russians OF
Italians. I ask 1t as due to humanity
and civilization. [ ask 1t due to
ourselves because we must act up-
rightly toward all men.
I recommend to the congress- that
the naturalization of Japanese who come
here intending to become American cit
liens. One of the great enbarrassments
attending the performance of our in
ternational obligations is the fact that
the statutes of the United States gov
eminent are entirely inadequate. They
fail to give to the national government
sufficiently ample power, through United
States courts and by the use of the
army and navy, to protect aliens in the
rights secured to them under solemn
treaties which are the law of the land.
I therefore earnestly recommend that
the criminal and civil statutes of the
United States be SO amended and added
to as to enable the president, acting for
the United States government, which Is
responsible in our International rela-
lions, to enforce the rights of aliens un-
der treaties. Even as the law now is
something can be done by, the federal
matter now before me affecting the Jap
anese, everything that It is in my power
to do will be done, and all Of the forces
military and civil, of the United States
which I may lawfully employ viii be
so employed. There should. however, be
rso particle of doubt as to the power of
perform and enforce its own obligations
to other nations. The mob of a single
city may at any time perform acts Of
lawless violence against some class. of
foreigners which would plunge US into
war. The city by itself would be power
less to make defense against the for
pendent of this government it would
never venture to perform OF permit the
performance of the acts complained Of
The entire power and the whole duty to
protect the offending city or the offend
ing community lies in the hands of the
United States government. It is un-
ttlinkable that we should continue pol
icy under which a given locality may be
allowed to commit crime against a
friendly nation. and the United States
government limited, not to preventing
the commission of the crime, but. in the
last resort, to defending the people who
have committed it against the conse-
quences of their own Wrongdoing.
Cuban Intervention.
The rebellion in Cuba. and the Incl
dents leading up to the establishment Of
the provisional government is reviewed,
and the president says:
When the election has been held and
the new government inaugurated in
peaceful and orderly fashion of the provi-
sionaI government viii come to an end.
I take this opportunity Of expressing
upon behalf Of the American people.
with all possible solemnity, our most
earnest hope that the people of Cuba
will realize the Imperative need of pre-
serving Justice and keeping order in the
island. The United States wishes moth
ing of Cuba except that it shall prosper
morally and materially, and wishes moth
ing of the Cubans save that they shall
be able to preserve order among them
selves and therefore to preserve their
independence. II the elections become
farce. and # the ins sur s habit 70,
selutely out of the question that the
island should continue Independent; and
the United States, which has assumed
the sponsorship before the civilized world
for Cuba's career as "a nation, would
again have to intervene and to see that
orderly fashion as to secure the safety
of life and property. The path to be
trodden by those who exercise self-gov-
eminent is always hard, and we should
have every charity and patience with the
Cubans as they tread this difficult parth.
I have the utmost sympathy with, and
regard for, them; but I most earnestly
ad5ure them solemnly to weigh their re-
sponsibilities and to see that when their
new government is started It shall run
smoothly, and with freedom from na-
grant denial of right on the one hand,
and from insurrectionary disturbances on
the other"
Considerable space is devoted to the
International conference of American re-
publics and the visit of Secretary Root
to South America, and points to the fact
that our efforts in behalf of the nations
of that country are appreciated by them
On the subject of the Panama canal he
promises a special message in the near
future.
Second Hague Conference.
In my last message I advised you that
the emperor of Russia had taken the ini-
tiative in bringing about a second peace
conference at The Hague. Under the
guidance of Russia the arrangement of
has been progressing during the past
year. Progress has necessarily been
slow, owing to the great number Of coun-
tries to be consulted upon every question
that has arisen. It is a matter of sat
isfaetion that all of the American re-
publics have now, for the first time, been
ence.
The close connection between the SUBJ
jects to be taken up by the Red Cross
conference held at Geneva last summer,
and the subjects which naturally would
come before The Hague conference, made
it apparent that it was desirable to have
the work of the Red Cross conference
completed and considered by the different
powers before the meeting at The Hague.
The Red Cross conference ended its La
bors on the 9Th day of July, and the re-
vised and amended convention, which was
signed by the American delegates, will
be promptly laid before the senate
By the special and highly appreciated
courtesy of the governments OF RUSSIA
and the Netherlands, proposal to cali
The Hague conference together at a time
which would conflict with the conference
of the American republics at Rio de
Janeiro in August was laid aside. Ne
other date has yet been suggested.
been proposed by the government OF
Russia, and the subjects which it enumer-
ates are undergoing careful examination
and consideration in preparation for the
conference.
The Army and Navy.
The message closes with plea for
the maintenance of the navy at its pres
ent standard, to do which he says would
mean the building of one battleship each
year OF the present efficiency of the
army and navy he says:
THE readiness and efficiency of both tha
army and navy in dealing with the re-
afresh their value to the nation. This
readiness and efficiency would have been
very much less had it not been for the
existence of the general staff in the army
and the general board In the navy; both
are essential to the proper development
and use of our military forces afloat and
ashore. The troops that were sent to
Cuba were handled faWiessly. It was
troops over sea ever accomplished by
our government. The expedition landed