The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-12-05


 end. l take this opportunity of ex- pressing 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 preserving justice and keeping order in the island. The United States wishes nothing of Cuba except that it shall prosper morally and mate rially and wishes nothing of the Cub ans save that they shall be able to preserve order among themselves and therefore to preserve their independ- enee. If the elections become farce and if the insurrectionary habit be- comes confirmed in the island it is ab- solutely out of the question that the island should continue independents; and the United States, which has as- suIned the sponsorship before the civ ilized world for Cuba's career as a nation, would again have to intervene and to see that the government was managed in such orderly fashion as to secure the safety of life and prop erty. The path to be trodden by those who exercise self government is all ways hard. and we should have every charity and patience with the Cubans as they tread this difficult path. I have the utmost sympathy with, and regard for, them; but I most earnest 1y adjure them solemnly to weigh their responsibilities and to see that when their new government is started it shall run smoothly and with free dom from fragrant denial of right on the one hand and from insurreetionary disturbances on the other.
 The Rio confernce.
 The second international conference of American republics, held in Mexico in the years 190l-2, provided for the hold ing of the third conference within five years, and committed the fixing of the time and place and the arrangements for the conference to the governing board of the bureau of American republics composed of the representatives of all the American nations in Washington. That board discharged the duty imposed upon it with marked fidelity and painstaking care, and upon the courteous invitation of the United States of Brazil, the confer ence was held at Rio de Janero, contin- uing from the 23d of July to the 29th of August last. Many subjects of common interest to all the American nations were discussed by the conference, and the con- clusions reached embodied in series Of resolutions and proposed conventions will be laid before you upon the coming in of the final report of the American del- egates. They contain many matters of im- portance relating to the extension Of trade, the increase of communication, the smoothing away of barriers to free in- tercourse, and the promotion of a better knowledge and good understanding be- tween the different countries represented. The meetings of the conference were har- 1nonious and the conclusions were reached with substantial unanimity. It is interest," ins to observe that in the successive con ferences which have been held the rep resentatives of the different American na- items have been learning to work together effectively, for, while the first confer cree in Washington in 1889, and the sec ond conference in Mexico in 190l-2, oc- cupied many months, with much time wasted in an unregulated and fruitless discussion, the third conference at Rio exhibited much of the facility in the prac- tical dispatch of business which char acterizes permanent deliberative bodies, and completed it's labors within the pe- riod of six weeks originally allotted for its sessions.
 Quite apart from the specific value of the conclusions reached by the confer ence, the example of the representatives of all the American nations engaging in harmonious and kindly consideration and discussion of subjects of common inter est is itself of great and substantial value for the promotion of reasonable and con- siderate treatment of all international questions. The thanks of this country due to the government of Brazil and to the people of Rio de Janeiro for the generous hospitality with which our del- egates, in common with the others, were received, entertained, and facilitated in their work.
 Incidentally to the meeting of the con- ference, the Secretary of State visited the city of Rio de Janerio and was cor dially received by the conference, of which he was made an honorary presi- dent. The announcement of his intention to make this visit was followed by most courteous and urgent invitations from nearly all the countries of South America to visit them as the guest of their gov ernments. It was deemed that by the ac- nf a nipbt appropriately express the real respect and friendship in which we hold our sister republics of the southern continent, and the secretary, accordingly, visited Bra gil, Uruguay, Argentina, Chile, Peru, Pan- anna and Colombia. He refrained from visiting Paraguay, Bolivia and Ecuador only because the distance of their capitals from the seaboard made 1t impracticable with the time at his disposal. He carried with him message of peace and friend ship, and of strong desire for good under standing and>mutual helpf1lness; and he was everywhere received in the spirit of 1lis message. The members of govern Tnent the press the learned professions, the men of business, and the great masses os the people united everywhere in em- phatic response to his friendly express sicns and in doing honor to the country and cause which he represented.
 In many parts of South America there has been much misunderstanding of the attitude and purposes of the United States toward the other American re- publcs. An idea had become prevalent that our assertion of the Monroe doc Urine implied, or carried with 1t. an as- assumption of superiority, and of t right to exercise some kind of proteetorate over the countries to whose territory that doctrine applies. Nothing could be far ther from the truth. Yet that impress sion continued to be a serious barrier to To f,.;o course, to the introduction of American capital and the extension of A American trade. The impression was so widespread that apparently it could not be reached by any ordinary means.
 It was part of Secretary Roots mission to dispel this unfounded impression and there is just cause to believe that he has succeeded. In address to the third conference at Rio on the 31st of July an address of such note that i send U in, together with this mcssage-he said: ''We wish for victories but those Of peace; for no territory except our own; for no sovereignty except th= sovereignty over ourselves. We deem the indepenG- ence and equal rights of the smallest and weakest member of the family of nations entitled to as much respect as those of the greatest empire, and we deem the observance of that respect the chief guaranty of the weak against the oppression of the strong. We neither cl1im nor desire any rights or privileges or powers that we do not freely concede to every American republic. We wish 10