The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1907-05-19
TRIP DOWN RIVER
ROOSEVELT WILL MAKE TOUR OF
MISSISSIPPI
President Accepts Invitation of Conn
mission and Expects TO Make
Voyage from Illinois or
Iowa to Memphis.

washington, May 1s.--President
Roosevelt intends. If possible, to make
three or four days trip next fall
point in middle Illinois or Iowa to
Memphis 1t will, If made, be with
| the members of the Inland Waterways
Commission, of which Representative
Burton of Ohio Is chairman. and who,
like the President, will be the guests
of the Lakes to the Gulf Deepwater
Association. President Roosevelt will
leave his summer home at Oyster Bay
In time to be at Canton to attend the
dedication of the Mckinley monument
September 10, and the voyage down
the Mississippi River will, If nothing
prevents, Immediately follow that
event.
The President has been strongly urg-
ed to make the trip because of the
opportunity it will afford to acquaint
himself personally with the Importance
of the work of the Inland Waterways
Commission has in hand. Recently he
received an urgent invitation to do so
from a number of Governors in various
parts of the country.
Responsive to the invitations from
the State executives. the President has
sent to each one an Identical letter
promising to make the trip outlined
unless something unforeseen occurs to
cause him to alter his plans. The fol-
lowing, addressed to Governor Gum
Minis of Iowa, is a copy:
Washington, D. c., May 16.
My Dear Governor:
/ have received the invitations kind
ly sent me through the Governors or
Arkansas, Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Kan
sas, Maine. Missouri. Nebraska, North
Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon. South Da-
kota. Tennessee, Texas and Wisconsin.
asking me to accompany the Inland
Waterways Commission for a trip on
the Mississippi so that / might per-
sonally familiarize myself with certain
features of the situation, which the
commission has been appointed to con-
slider. 1 deeply appreciate the invita-
lions. Let me say a. special word of
appreciation of the invitations which
come from the Governors of Maine,
Florida and Oregon, all of whom. al
though the States of which they are
Governors are not on the Mississippi
River, show their realization of the
enormous Importance of improving this
benefit that easy and cheap transporta-
ton thereon will mean to all the
union and because they believe that
| the Improvement of the Mississippi
River and its tributaries will tend to
| bring about the Improvement of the
other navigable waters of the country,
as factors In commercial and Industrial
development and affording one of the
best possible methods of regulating
| railway rates.
Others of the Governors who have
written me dwell upon the fact that
the people of the West feel a peculiar
interest in the project of the improve
ment, not only of the Mississippi, but
of the navigable rivers fitted to be
public highways of commerce, because
| they think that such improvements
will help toward the solution of many
| of the problems attaching to railway
| transportation. The basin of the Mis-
sissippi, taken as a whole, from the
| gulf to the great lakes, from the Al
ieghenies to the Rockies, constitutes
the greatest agricultural empire that
men ever cultivated and an equally
great system of water highways is
needed to supply any inadequacy OF
| land carriage for the products of this
region.
Unless something Unforeseen occurs
to make me alter my plans, 1 intend
| to accompany the members of the In
| land Waterways Commission on q
three or four days trip at the begin
ming of next October down the Mis-
| sissippi from some point In middle IL
llnois or Iowa to Memphis. feel that
the problems before the commission
of the Mississippi Valley, but the
people of our entire country and any
thing l can do to forward the rapid
solution of these problems and the
proper utilization of our great water
ways, l am glad indeed to do.
Very truly yours,
Theodore Roosevelt.