Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1907-12-05
Fur IMPROVEMENT OF
RIVERS AND HARBORs
The National Waterways Congress
Has First Session In
Washington.
WHAT The CONVENTION aims FOR
Oesire of the Delegates is to Impress
Upon the National Congress the
Necessity Of haklna Liberal APP.
preparation For the 1etterment Of
Waterways,
WHAT The CONVENTION aims FOR
tny Associated Pressl

NHStii.Nb iO.N, -. u, DEC. -
Prominent officials of the Federal
sovcrnmcnr, governors of states. ron
rescntatives uf foreign countries. mem.
hers of the senate ana House of Rcp.
reH"ntatires and leaders in all walks
OF civi! life In America participated
today In The opening Of ghe convention
o. thc National Rivers and IIarbors
Congress Nearly 1900 delegated,
representing every State In the uulon
were present
II IL not oSpccicd that any definite
concerted action in promotion OF the
projects advanced by the Congress
viii be takcn,bu, It Is proposed tina;
Tho work o: the convention will so
Impress the National Congress now
In session. ~ TO Induce +. TO make
aoeluate appropriations for the I'M.
prorcinent OF the rivers and harbors
OF the country.
IL is the desire OF the Delegates 10
secure such action by tho Congress
OF the United States rs will promote
tho trade and commerce OF America.
IL Is not n special project that the
convention has In view but the adop-
ton OF policy by the government
looking to the extension OF the trans
poriation facilities OF the United
States.
On behalf OF the national admins.
tratlon. Dir. Elihu Root. Secretary OF
state. extended TO the Congress thu
hearty sympathy In the work which
1t had undertaken, and gave assur.
ance OF tho support of tho admins
tration In the conclusions arrived at
by tho delegatea.
The Congress will be In session for
three days and the body will bo All.
dressed by aomo OF, tho most prom.
incnt publicists ana economists OF tue
United States.
Tho convention was formally omen.
cd at ten O'clock this morning. Rep.
resentattvo Ransdall. OF Louisiana,
presided. The services began with
prayer by Bishop Crpnston, of the
Methodist Episcopal church.
President Ransdoll In opening the
Congress referred 10 tho work of the
national administration IN promoting
the relations between, America and
foreign countries. particularly those
countries lying to the south of Tho
United States. and referred In con-.
plimentary terms to the achievements
of Secretary Root OF tue state depart.
ment in promoting those relations.
who was then presented TO the Con.
gress.
Secretary Root was received with
great applause Tho Secretary said
that the river and harbors policy OF
the United States must be considered
truly n policy and not a project.
iia referred to tho construction OF the
Panama Canal and to the improve
ment OF the ERIC Canal as Instances
showing that American people stand
squarely behind the Improvement Of
waterways aud he expressed the hopo
that they would assert that policy In
the future
Value of Waterways.
There is no greater achievement, .
no said, than tho transportation or
articles which arc valucless at one
poiht 10 announcer point where they are
valuable. The railroads of tho coun.
try are no longer able TO carry the
traffic OF America. and the ono avenue
open to such traffic Is water transpor-
tation."
Secretary Root made an appeal for
facilities to get products to the Ameri
can seaboard and for the upbulIdIng
Of such an American merchant marine
as would be able to carry American
products TO tho nttermost parts Of the
earth. AT the conclusion OF Secretary
Ro1t's address John Ransdall. pres!-
dent of the Congress. presented In an
address a report Of tho work OF the
Congress during the past few months
He then introduced NJ. .Jusserand. the
ambassador of France. to the United
States, who spoke in part az follows:
we hold tho record. fer the present"
said ne. you will hold 1t In your turn
when the great Panama Canal IL fin.
ished; wo turned the first sod. yol