The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-10-04
President Ardenuy Supports Project for National
 Waterways
MUST BE ENTIRELY FREE
 FROM FAINT OF JOBBERY
Cairo Accords Roosevelt Splendid Ovation and the Whole Party Re- ceives Great Attention
 From 5o,ooo.

Cairo. Ill. October 3.-(special )-Be- fore beginning his prepared speech at Cairo, the President indulged in some ex- temporaneous remarks, which on this occasion consisted of the outlining of his position on the deep waterways projecs
 "I have" he said, long felt that tho nation must undertake the improvement of the great highway of the Mississippi, but since then my observations of this trip have the effect of making me much more ardent than I was.'
 He did not fail to point out again me fact that before undertaking such huge proposition now is the time to emphasize the necessity of keeping the work free from "all tant of jobbery, folly or ex- travagance.'
 He reiterated hls conviction that there should be a Hoop of the seacoast from tho gulf to the great lakes" and he added the conviction that there must be an inlet from Cairo to Pittsburg.
 He said that he found no difficulty in indorsing the plan giving national aid to thls work because of It's interstate char acter He considered the equalization of the Mississippi and its affIuents Of ,m- portance in every section.
 The. Presideat also look Advantage of the opportunity to refer to the fact that his mother had been southern woman.
 My ancestry Is therefore half northern and half southern, and I should be I q i much the President of the southern the northern states" he said, adding, as if aside, and l also want you to know I consider myself a middling good west ern man" The President also added con- siderably to his prepared speech on the necessity for strong navy, dwelling es- peclally upon the unwlsdom of boasting without being prepared for the emergency that boasting may prove
 "The stronger the navy" he said, lacon- ically the kinder the feeling of other nations towards us. A strong navy is provocative of peace"
 President Gets Rest.
 When President Roosevelt stepped ashore here at o'clock this morning he manifested every evidence of having spent a comfor table night on the steampoat Mississippi, and his spoken word con firmed the impression. He retired about midnight, and there was little to disturb his rest except two or three demonstra- tions on the shore, which though violent while they lasted, were of necessarily brief duration.
 Quite as was the after half of the night for the nations chief magistrate. the first portion of 1t was fully occupied. He was the guest at dinner on the steamer Alton of the Business Mems league of St. Louis. and with that entertainment and the speech -inakIng ahd conversation that followed the dinner, his time until almost 12 o'clock was fully taken up. The dln- ner was regarded by all as an event of rare occurrence, and when the President had said his final farewell not few were heard to remark that It would become history.
 The important feature was the fact that the scheme of ship channel from the gulf to the lakes received an impetus which all believe will do much towards lnsuring the earnest pressing of that en- terprise. The occasion was also notable in that in addition to the President 1t was attended by no fewer than 15 gover- nors and members of the inland water ways commission and several representa-
 
 The governors attending were: Conner of Alabama, Broward of Florida. Cummins of Iowa. Hoch of Kansas. Deneen of Illinois, Blanchard of Louisiana, Folk of Missouri. Sheldon of Nebraska. Curry of New Mexico Burke of North Dakota. Frantz of Oklahoma, Chamberlain of Oregon Crawford of South Dakota. Davidson of Wisconsin. Brooks of Wyo- ming and Governor Elect Noel of Mis- sissippi.
 Big Dinner On Boat.
 The dinner was presided over by Pres idenf Smith of the Business Mems league. and President Roosevelt was the principal speaker He requested that his speech be not reported. but consented that the statei ment might be made that he had an- nounced unequivocally his indorsement of the general principle involved in the scheme for the construction of ship channel up the river and to the Great lakes. As he stated that he would have a loop in the Gulf of Mexico that would practically create an arm of that body of water to the lakes, at the same time he was most careful to say that he would not give his assent to any par ticuar scheme of improvement. He also pointed out many of the obstacles of carrying into effect any plan of such vast proportions and involving so much expense, and while promising all the as- sstance he could give. he told his hear CTS that the only way to make success certain was to so thoroughly prepare themselves as to render their agreements unanswerable.
 The speech was greeted with prolonged applause and this indorsement took the shape of words when Governors Folk Deneen and Blanchard spoke. All of them pledged their utmost efforts in furtherance of the enterprise. While tho dinner was in progress the President was presented with an oil painting of a sec ton of the Mississippi river under pres ent conditions and the companion piece to represent conditions after the conn