The San Francisco call., 1909-10-02
TAFT DECLARES
CANAL WILL BE
READY IN 1915
President Promises to Attend
Panama Exposition, Answer
ing San Diego Invitation
0utspOken Opposition to Self
Government for Alaska
Causes Sensation

Two Gays IN ana ABOUT SeaIIle RreSl-
dent Taft came 10 Tacoma tonight
and received from an audience that
thronged the big armory one OF the
most cordial greetings Of his trip. The
president was entertained at dinner at
the Union club. after making the trip
1rom Seattle on board the yacht El
Primero owned by Chester Thorne.
The torpedo boat destroyer Perry
escorted the yacht.
Before leaving Seattle the president
paid last visit TO the exposition 10
view the big livestock exhibit Taft
apparently found great interest in the
exhibit and spent more than twice the
length Of time originally allotted to
5lt From the judges stand he made
a brief speech complimenting the ex-
2. libitors on their fine showing and the
progress that had been made in this
country in the last Is years in the
way OF scientific breeding and farming
: AFTERNOON ON GOLF LINKS
From the exposition grounds the
= president mOtored 70 the Seattle coun-
try club. where he had luncheon and
spent the early afternoon on the golf
links.
Taft promised today TO attend an
other exposition 10 be held on the
.. Pacific coast in 1915 in celebration OF
.-the completion Of the Panama canal
. He said that the date was beyond his
: Ierm Of office. but that his interest in
the Panama canal and in the extension
OF trade on the Pacific had been SO
great for so many years that he read
ily gave MS promise 10 attend The
n.
: C. Collier. director general Of the
= Panama California exposition, which is
10 be held in san Diego. Cal, the near
est western coast city TO the Pacific
= entrance Of the canal, and George
Burnham, q director OF the exposition
company. These men assured Taft
q. that he would md a most cordial
welcome at San Diego ana expressed
in behalf OF the people OF san Diego
their regret that Taft had found IL
: impossible 20 include san Diego in the
itinerary Of his present trip.
CANAL TO BE READY
Tafts unqualified statement IN his
speeches delivered here that the Pana-
ma canal would be completed IN 1918
aroused great enthusiasm All the
South and Central American countries,
especially those OF the west coast, are
70 be invited 70 take part in the Pan
+ ana exposition. The extension Of trade
between the United States and South
America, the president said, was q
feature Of the exposition in which he
was deeply interested
When the president left here at
midnight and headed 10 the south he
mad completed 5. 900 miles Of his 1900
mile journey In mater OF elapsed
time. however, his journey was less
than one-third completed
During the tine he has been on the
road" the president has made eight
. speeches OF hrst Importance which have
set forth his views on nearly every
question of interest. and he an
-naunced tonight that he had completed
the list Of set addresses which he had
planned before leaving Beverly
The presidents speeches during the
remainder Of his trip viii be entirely
. extenlporaneous and viii consist
'rlargeiy OF references 10 and amphhca-
tions OF those he already has made.
ALASKA PROMISED VISIT
=. The presidents outspoken opposition
10 government for Alaska unques-
: :tfonably created something Of q sensa-
ton in this section and came right on
the heels OF the dispatch OF monster
F. petftfon from Alaska asking his sup
port in favor Of home rule for the ter
rftory. The speech has been widely
discussed and has attracted greater in
would visit Alaska next year TO see
conditions for himself
The president has taken particular
e pains TO let il be known that he has
q deep interest in Alaska and that he
feels the people there have been SOM
what neglected. His position in favor
. Of government help in building rail-
. roads 10 open up the territory has been
received with enthusiasm.
The president VIII arrive in Portland
at o'clock tomorrow morning, and
after spending two days there VIII
continue his journey 70 the southwark
GRATEFUL TO BALLINGER
Taft spoke al dinner last night in
the Washington state building al the
worlds fair. attended BY 500 guests
He referred 10 Secretary Ballinger.
who had made a brief address earlier
in the evening. The president said
Il am grateful TO him for coming
into nv cabinet. I wish TO testify in
the presence Of his friends and neigh
bors 70 the sincere and high esteem in
which I hold his services TO the gov
ernment"
TAFT took up the criticism made that
the administration was not carrying
out the Roosevelt policies and said:
i am bound 70 admit that Mr.. Roose-
velts knowledge Of the west was
greater than 1 could have, for he had
LNeQ IN LLe west ana tONtu II DFlltI
than he did his own home in the east:
but ] was in the Roosevelt cabinet four
years and became imbued with the de-
termination TO carry out the Roosevelt
policies as ] understood them.
NO one can have a higher opinion
or feel more gratitude 10 my predeces-
sor than J.
There is a disagreement as to just
what the Roosevelt policies are. We
have heard OF Catholics of whom il was
said that they were more Catholic than
the pope OccasiOna Ily we find gentle
men so earnest in support Of the Roose-
welt policies that they are more Roose-
veltian than Roosevelt himself 1 am
doing the best 1 can to carry out the
Roosevelt policies as / understand them
and as ] was in his cabinet for four
years I had Al least a fair opportunity
10 know what they were"
Will Protect Visitors