Waterbury evening Democrat., 1908-12-08
SOUTHERN NEIGHbORS.
Cordial Relations With Latin Amer
 ica Much to Be Desired.

The commercial and material prog ress of the twenty Latin American re- publics is worthy of the careful atten- ton Of the congress. No other section of the world has shown a greater pro- portionate development of its foreign trade during the last ten years, and none other has more special claims on the interest of the United States. It offers today probably larger opportuni- ties for the legitimate expansion of our commerce than any other group O.. countries. These countries will want our products in greatly increased quan- titles and we shall correspondingly need theirs. The international bureau of the American republics is doing a useful work in making these nations and their resources better known to ns and in acQuaintlng them not only with us as a people and with our pur- poses toward them, but with what we have to exchange for their goods. It is an international institution support ed by all the governments of the two Americas
 Panama Canal.
 The work on the Panama canal Is being done with a speed. efficiency and entire devotion to duty which make it model for all work of the kind No task of such magnitude has ever before been undertaken by any nation, and no task of the kind has ever been better performed The men on the isthmus. from Colonel Goethals and his fellow commissioners through the entire list of employees who are faithfully doing their duty, have won their right to the ungrudging respect and gratitude of the American people.
 Ocean Mail Lines.
 l again recommend the extension of the ocean mau act of 1891 so that sat lsfactory American ocean mail lines to South America, Asta, the Philip pines and Australasia may be estab- Hshed. The creation of such steam ship lines should be the natural corol- |. It should precede the opening of the Panama canal. Even under favorable conditions several years must elapse before such lines can be put into oper- stion. Accordingly l urge that the congress act promptly where foresight already shows that action sooner or later will be inevitable.
 Hawaii.
 I call particular attention to the territory of Hawaii. The importance of those islands Is apparent, and the need of improving their condition and developing their resources Is urgent In recent years industrial conditions upon the islands have radically chang ed The importation of cooly labor has practically ceased. and there Is now developing such a diversity h agricultural products as to make possi- ble a change Tn the land conditions of the territory so that an opportunity similar to that on the mainland To aid these changes the national govern ment must provide the necessary har bor improvements on each island so that the agricultural products can be carried to the markets of the world The coastwIse shipping laws should be amended to meet the special needs of the islands, and the alien contract la bor law should be so modified in its application to Hawaii as to enable American and European labor to be brought thther.
 We have begun to improve Pearl harbor for a naval base and to pro vide the necessary military fortifca tions for the protection of the islands, hut I cannot too strongly emphasize the need of appropriations for these purposes of such an amount as will within the shortest possible time make those islands practically impregnsble. l. is useless to develop the industrial conditions of the islands and estab-