Warren sheaf., 1908-12-10

ness Of interstate commerce. IN this
case the machinery for scientific inves-
tigation and for control already exists In.
the United States bureau Of fisheries. In
this as in similar problems the obvious
and simple rule should be followed OF
having those matters which no particular
state can manage taken In hand by the
RUnited States; problems. which In the
seesaw Of conflicting state legislatures
are absolutely unsolvable, are easy
enough for the congress to control
Fisheries and Fur Seals.
The federal statute regulating inter
state traffic In game should beextend-
ed to include fish. New federal fish
hatcheries should be established. The
administration of the Alaskan fur-seal
service should be vested In the bureau
OF fisheries.
Foreign Affairs.
This nations foreign policy 10 based
on the theory that right must be done.
between nations precisely as between
individuals. and In our actions for the
last ten years we have In this matter
proven our faith by our deeds. We
have behaved and are behaving, to-,
wards other nations. as in private life
an honorable man would behave to-
wards his fellows. s
Latin-Amerlcan Republics.
The commercial and material prog
resS Of the 20 Latin-American republics
10 worthy Of the careful attention OF
the congress. No other section Of the
world has shown a greater proportion
ate development of Its foreign trade
during the last ten years and none oth-s
er has more special claims on the In
terest Of the United States. It offers
to-day probably larger opportunities
a. 4N vAn{<NN NR INOl
commerce than any other group OF
countries. These countries will want
our products IN greatly increased guam.
titles, and we shall correspondingly
need theirs. The International Bureau
Of the Rmerican Republics is doing Q
useful work in making these nations
and their resources better known to
sus, and in acquainting them not only
with us as people and with our pur-s
poses towards them, but with what we
have to exchange for their goods. 1t
is an international institution support
ed by all the governments of the two
Americas. Ii
Panama Canal.
The work on the Panama canal ID boz
entire devotion to duty, which make Il
a 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 bet
ter performed. The men on the 18TH
mus, from Col. Goethals and his fellow
commissioners through the entire list
of employees who are faithfully doing
their duty, have won their right to the
5ungrudging respect and gratitude Of
the American people.
Ocean Mail Lines.
again recommend the extension Of
: the ocean mail act Of 1891 so that satis-
factory American ocean mail lines to
South America, Asia, the Philippines.
and Australasia may be established.
The creation of such steamship lines
voyage Of the battle fleet. It should
precede the opening Of the Panama
j canal. Even under favorable conditions
several years must elapse before such
lines can be put into operation. Ac-
cordingly urge that the congress act
promptly where foresight already
shows that action sooner or later will
be inevitable.
2 Hawaii. :< -
II call particular attention to the Ter
ritory Of Hawaii. The Importance Of
those islands is apparent, and the need
OF improving their condition and de-
2veloping their resources Is urgent. In
recent years industrial conditions upon
the islands have radically changed. The
importation of coolie labor has practi-:
cally ceased, and there is now devel-,
oping such diversity IN agricultural
products as to make possible change
in the land conditions of the territory,
SO that an opportunity may be given
to the small land owner similar to that
on the mainland. To aid these changes
the national government must provide
the necessary harbor 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 labor law should be 80
modified in its application to Hawaii as
to enable American and European Ia
Dor to be brought thither.
We have begun to improve Pearl Har-
Dor for q naval base and to provide the
necessary military fortiacations for the
protection of the islands, but can not
+ too strongly emphasize the need Of ap-
propriations for these purposes OF such
an amount as will within the shortest
possible time make those Islands prac-
tically impregnable. It is useless to de-
yelop the Industrial conditions Of the is
lands and establish there bases Of sup-
ply for our naval and merchant fleets
unless we insure, as far as human inge-
nuity can, their safety from foreign seiz-
ure.
One thing to be remembered with al
our Notifications is that it Is almost use
less to make them impregnable from the
sea il they are left open to land attack.
This is true even Of our own coast, but
it Is doubly true Of our insular possess
sions. In Hawaii, for instance, it is
worse than useless to establish a naval
station unless we establish it behind for
tifcations so strong that no landing
force can take them save by regular and
long continued siege operations
The Philippines.
Real progress toward self government
is being made in the Philippine islands.
The gathering OF Philippine legislative
body and Philippine assembly marks e
process absolutely new in Asia, not only
as regards Asiatic possessions Of Euro-
pean powers but as regards Asiat-
ic possessions Of It other Asiatic
powers; and, indeed, always ex-
cepting the striking and wonderful ex-
ample afforded by the great empire Of
Japan, 1t opens an entirely new depart
ure when compared with anything which
has happened among Asiatic powers
which are their own masters. Hitherto
this Philippine legislature has acted with
moderation and self-restraint, and has
seemed IN practical fashion to realize the
y Il ~