Weekly Arizona journal-miner., 1907-10-09

and. ,hrongcd the streets uerc, today. to honor Prevalent Roosevelt and iho other distinguished men who we're herr to attend the second annual convention of th. Lakes Co Gulf Waterways com mission al Auditorium Rink. There va. the most lavi.h display in this ciiy's history of flags and bunting. 1 The day began with downpour of rain. which ceased ai noon. SiStc' state governors were present. besides many senators and statesmen. i'rcsi den, kavsnaugh of St. Louis called inc convention to order at lO.3O Q clock this morning. His addrc.' was followed by Judge Cooley of Chicago. Then came Joseph Regdal, president Of the National Rivers and Harbors con grcss. who spoke of the necessity of united action by nil friends of river improvement.
 Tho Roosevelt party arrived in ;hc hafbor at i2:50 r. m. amid whistles and cheers, and a parade was in me- dlately formed. headed by the polic" and militia, which marched to the Auditorium. The people along thc line os march cnc,.cd and waved flag.
 It was 2:3O clock when the Pres. dent E party arrived ai the convent ro hall. where they were welcomed by Governor Patterson of Tcnnessc". who, lafter a short address. introduced he President.
 After speaking of the necessity for rcstoring the Mississippi river to Is former place as one of the great trans portotion highways of the country, and developing all the natural re-
 sources of the United states. the Pres
 ident said:
 "As have said elsewhere, the con scrvation of natural resources is the fundamental problem. Unless we solve that problem it will avail us lit tie to solve all others. To solve it, the whole nation must undertake the task through their organizations and associations, through the men whom they have made specially responsible
 for the welfare of the several states, and finally through Congress and the executive. As preliminary step, the Inland Waterways commission has d"- cidcd, with my full approval. to cail a conference on the conservation of
 natural resources. including, of course, the streams. to meet in Washington during th, coming winter. This con ference ought to be one of the most ' important gatherings in our history,
 for none have had a more vital qucs' } ton to consider.
 "Thcrc is n great national project
 already unjcr way which renders tho improvement of the Mississippi rive. ? and its tributaries specially necdful. } mean the Panama Canal. The digging
 of that canal will be of benefit to the
 whole country, but most of all to the
 states of the Pacific slope and the
 Gulf; and if the Mississippi Is prop
 erly improved. to the states through
 which it flows. The digging of the
 Panama Canal is the greatest engineer
 ing feat which has yet been attempted
 on this globe, The work has been go . ing on most successfully and with e fewer drawbacks and difficulties thar f I had dared hope.
 "In the month of August ove' s twelve hundred thousand cubic yard, | of material were removed, chiefly iron
 the Culebra cut-thc record removal -- l and if this rate can he kept up, ant ' l believe it will be kept uP, the worl $ of digging will be through in half [ . dozen years. The finishing of the lock- Q of the great dam may take a littl, $ longer; but it begins to look as thoug' c the work will be completed even soon n CT than we had estimated.
 y Remember, gentlemen, that any
 work like this entails grave responsi I' bilitics. The one in,olerable position for self'respeeting nation, as for n self-respecting man. IS to bluff an' } then not he able To make good. WI P. have accepted the Monroe doctrine a < a cardinal feature of our foreign pol t icy. We have undertaken not only [, z build but to police and guard the Pan
 anna Canal. This means, unless we ar !. willing to aceep, the humiliation O r, being treated some time ny som ?, strong nation as a vain and veal lbrsggar,, that we must build and main