The Washington herald., 1907-01-17

actly in line with Secretary Roots Kansas
City speech. and with the recommenda-
tions contained ia the reports of the
Postmaster General and the Secretary Of
Commerce and Labor. 1t is not an expert
mental bill. It Is modelled almost exactly
on the recent Cunard contract with the
British government. It covers commun-
cation with South America and the
Orient In South America the chief aim
is to provide better American lines 10 the
commercial countries of South America
better lines than the present foreign lines
Of steamships that go there.
AT the present day the only big ships
carrying the American flag which those
carrying the American flag which those re-
publiCs see are our war ships / want them
to see some peace ships as well. ! want
the republics of South America to be con-
vinced not only of oar political friend
ship but of our trade friendship also
/ This bin is an absolute necessity if We
are 10 meet foreign competition. Amer
/ lean shipmasters are at a disadvantage
! in competition with those Of other cOun-
tries. because we demand better treatment
( in the shape Of wages, food. and accom-
mOdauOns for our seamen.
We cannot affort to do otherwise. and
/ therefore we must meet foreign competi-
tiOn in some other way than at the ex-
/ pelsc Of the seamen on our ships. This
/ bill provides for sixteen-knot ships In
/ the worlds foreign trade at present there
are 1876 ocean steamships of sixteen knots
/ or more, and of those fully 150 now draw
subsidies, postal admiralty or both from
/ foreign governments. Again, we need
shipyards in this country as we'll as battle
ships They must be kept fairly well en-
ployed on large projects of construction
1 or they cannot be thoroughly efficient.
THE British Dreadnought was built at
/ a speed three times as great as We can
show here In building similar ships, be
I cause they have shipyards that are kept
fully employed, and they have therefore
an advantage in proficiency that we can
not have under present conditions This
bill would for some years supply just
! the incentive that is needed in that direc-
ton.
Other Things Involved.
Besides the considerations Of trade in
voIved I'm this bill. do not forget that
there is not In all the world a doctrine
advanced by any civilized power which
is more emphaucally in the interest OF
the peace Of the world than ths Monroe
doctrine
The Monroe doctrine is. Of course, es-
sentiaIly one that has reference to South
and Central America, This bill devotes
annually a little over 100000 TO building
twenty fast steamers for the South
American liners. In the next place 0uI
interests in the Pacific are properly cared
for under this bin, for We devote nearly
$l.SCJ.H00 TO sixteen steamers which are O
traverse the Pacific Ocean, 10 take IN oui
Pacific possessions-HawaH and the Phil
Iippines-aud the trade with the great
countries Of Asia. and with the great
/ English-speaking commonwealths Of Au
stralia and New Zealand The bill is wei
balanced geographically.
"On the Atlantic fourteen steamers, or
the Pacific. taking in the trade of the Pa.
cihc with South America. with Asia. an,
Australia, twenty-five steamers That j.
as IT should be- The Pacific is a littl,
larger than the Atlantic, and anyhow, al
good Americans are good Westerners
During the century that is now OPENING
the development Of the Pacific and If TIM
lands around il viii be the great phenOme
non in the development Of the human
p race. Not only is America, and. l an
happy 10 say now. South America as Wei
as North America. certain. as Q whole. Il
feniov a phenomenal development like tha
which our own country has shown an,
. will continue 10 show. but We shall ais
see a similar development in Australia
while Asia's growth Is no less certain
! Surely our people viii not be content q
2 lag behind others in the peaceful ant
. friendly contest ID see which nation ca
best do its full share Of the commercial
r work Of the Pacific.
= Provides Naval Reserve.
"The bill does another thing. It pro
vides for a naval reserve. such a reserv
as we need for our navy. 1t is a matte
for honest pride to every American tina
, we now have a navy respectable in size
q and good deal more than respectable ii
the character of the ships and the char
b acter Of the men aboard them.
our aim must be 10 provide a nava
Z reserve from which we can in the even
! Of war draw a certain number Of nae
+ IaIready trained for their work. A moder
. battle ship is one of the most delicat
and complicated Of all bits Of mechanism
I. and a raw man aboard it is worse tha
useless You cannot train q man 10 b
of any use aboard q battle ship afte
D war has once begun. in the event q
g war the usefulness Of our ships will de
Z pend mainly upon the quality Of the me
T. already aboard them and upon the mum
4 Der. which. under no circumstances, ca
= be more than a small number, Of me
= who can be put aboard them able at one
= to do as good work as those alread
i aboard.
T. Remember. gentlemen, that the prim
s use of the United States navy is [
d / the cheapest insurance Uncle Sam ha.
o It is the surest guaranty against our eve
J being drawn into war. ard the gUarant
n is effective just In proportion as the nav
8 is efficient.
e in our foreign policy our aim must h
= TO treat with scrupuIous fairness and jus
tice every foreign power, European c
s AsiatiC large or small TO treat ever
d foreign power upon the basis of askin
S nothing from any one Of them that W
y do not gladly do in return. The attitud
r. that we are willing to have them TAX
: toward us we have right TO expeC
l. that they shall not object to our tallin
i toward them; but no other. Let us tres
i every power with justice, every powt
@ with courtesy.
n Courtesy Is Valuable.
: Courtesy is not an expensive con
modify. but it is a mighty valuable on
,- and I trust that not merely our pUbl
d men, but our publicists and our privat
y men who address public meetings. will II
, member that while il is purely our ow
- affair as to the standard of manners "
= observe in dealing with one another, th
q Is not so when we deal with outsiders.
d behooves US al invariably to use a tor
IS of courtesy and consideration in dealin
10 with any foreign nation. That is one sid
-e Of il. but there is another. Let us n,
l. give any other nation any cause III o