Putnam patriot., 1908-12-11
Stasshoos.

'er II IooS
 Ssssehoes.
 advocate the immediate admission of New Mcxiee and Arizona as states This should he done at the present Ses- sion If the cvngreSs. The pc,ple of the two territories have made It cvi. dent hy thctr votes that they viii not ecnle in as one state. The only alter native Is 10 admit them as two. and trust that thss Will he done without delay.
 Foreign Affairs
 This nations foreign policy Is based on the theory that right must be done between nations precisely as between individuals. and in eur actions for the last tea years we have in this matter nFeved our faith by cur deedS4 We have behaved and are behaving to- ward other nations as in private life an heaorahle man would behave toward his fellows.
 Latin American Rep0biies.
 The commercial and material prog ress of fbe twenty Latin American re. pahlics k worthy If the careful atten- tioa of the congress. No other section ef the world has shown greater pre-. poFiionate development ef It's foreign trade during the last len years. and nene other has more special claims on the interest ef the United States.
 Panama Canal.
 The work on tho Panama canal Is be- lng done with speed. efficiency and entire devotion to duty which make 1t model for all work af the kind No task of such magnitude has ever hefore been undertaken hy any nation. and no task af tae kind has ever been hettcr performed The men eu the isthmus, from Colonel Geethas and his fellow commissioners through the entire list of eniniayesss who are faithfully doing their duty, have won their right 10 the ungridssag respect and gratitude of the American people
 Ocean Mail Lines.
 again recemnead the extension of the ocean mall act of isai So that sat. isfactory American ocean mail lines to South America. Asla. the Philippines and Australasia may be established The creation of such steamship lines should he the natural eorollary ef the voyage af the battle fleet It should ereeede the opening of the Panama fanal
 The Philippines.
 Real progress toward self govern Hent Is being made in the Philippine Islands. The gathering of Philippine legislative body and Philippine assem- bly marks a process absolutely new In Asia. not only as regards Asiatie colo nies of European powers. but ns re- gards Asiatic possessions of other Asi- atlc powers. and Indeed. always cx. cepting the striking and wonderful ex- ample afforded by the great empire of Japan. 1t opens an entirely new de- parturs when compared with anything which has happened among Asiatic powers which are their own masters. We have given the Filipinos constitu- tional government, a government based upon justice. and we have shown that We have governed them fer thels good and not for our aggrandizemeut
 At the present time, as during the past ten years. the lnexorable logic of facts shows that this government i... It..1 hx 1 Inv them We must be wise and gener- GUS. We must help the Filipinos to master the difficult art Of self ecn- trol, which is simply another name for self government But We cannot give them self government save in the sense of governing them so that grad- ually they may. If they are able, learn to govern themselves. No one can prophecy the exact date when 1t will be wise to consider independence as a fixed and definite policy.
 Porto Rico.
 1 again recommend that American citizenship be conferred upon the peo- pie of Porto Rico.
 
 In Cuba our occupancy will cease in about two mouths time. The Cubans have in orderly manner elected their own governmental authorities. and the island will be turned over to them. Our occupation on this occasion has tasted little over two years. and Cuba has thriven and prospered under 1t. Our earnest hope and one desire Is that the people of the island shall now govern themselves with justice. so that peace and order may be SC cure.
 The Fleets Reception.
 l take this opportunity publicly to state my appreciation of the way in which in Japan. h Australia. in New Zealand and fiji ali the states of Sautli America the battle fleet has been res ceived OH It's pryciiee voyage around the world The American government cannot too strongly express it's appre- eiatiou of inc abouuding and generous hospitality shown ouf ships In every port they visited.
 The Army.
 As regards the army. call attention to the fact that, while our junior offi- cers and enlisted men stand very high the present system of promotion by seniority results in bringing into the higher grades many men of mediocre capacity who have but . short time to serve. No man should regard 1t as his vested right to rise to the hi-hest rank iu the army any moro than in any other prosesaton.
 The scops of retiring boards shouid be extended 70 that they c0uid con. stdss general uantness e command for any cause in order to secure far