Norwich bulletin., 1909-03-05
PRESIDENT TAFT'S INAUGURAL ADDRESS

What has been sal0 or the army may be affirmed in even more enl- phatic way of the navy. A modern navy cannot be improyised. It must be built and in existence when the emergency arises which calls for It's use and operation. My distinguished predecessor has fn many speeches and messages set out with great force and striking language the necessity for maintaining a strong navy commensu- rate with the coast line, the govern mental resources and the foreign trade of our nation, and I wish to reiterate all the reasons which he has presented in favor of the policy of maintaining a strong navy as the best conservator of our peace with other nations and the best means of securing respect for the assertion of our rights, the defense of our interests and the exercise Of our influence in international matters.
 Must Arm as Other Nations Do.
 Our international policy is always to promote peace. We shall enter into any war with a full consciousness of the awful consequences that 1t always entails. whether successful or not, and we, of course, shall make every effort, consistent with national honor and the highest national interest, to avoid a resort to arms. We favor every tnstru- mentality, like that of The Hague tri- bunal and arbitration treaties made with a view to its use in all interna- tional controversies, in order to man. tain peace and to avoid war. But we should be blind to existing conditions and should allow ourselves to become foolish idealists if we did not realize that. with all the nations of the world armed and prepared for war, we must be ourselves in q similar condition in order to prevent other nations from taking advantage of US and of our in- ability to defend our interests and as- sert our rights with a strong hand. In the international controversies that are likely to arise in the orient, grow ing out of the question of the open door and other issues, the United States can maintain her inter ests intact and can secure respect Tor her just demands. She will not be able to do so, however, if 1t is under stood that she never intends to back up her assertion of right and her de 1 fense of her interest by anything but mere verbal protest and diplomatic | note. For these reasons the expenses of the army and navy and of coast de- { lenses should always be considered as something which the government must pay for, and they should not be cut oh ! through mere consideration of econ i omy. Our government is able to af- | ford a suitable army and suitable i navy. It may maintain them without | the slightest danger to the republic or 1 the cause of free institutions, and fear of additional taxation ought not to change a proper policy in this regard i Protection For Our Citizens Abroad.
 The policy of the United States tn the Spanish war and since has given 1t q position of influence among the 1 nations that it never had before and should be constantly exerted to secur ing to it's bona fide citizens, whether native or naturalized, respect for then as such in foreign countries. We should make every effort to prevent humuiating and degrading prohibition against any of our citizens wishing temporarily to sojourn in foreign eoun tries because of race or religion.
 The Japanese Question.
 rrr Aefa Aar 1frrfes1 rtfi who cannot be amalgamated with oul population has been made the subjec either of prohibitory clauses in oul treaties and statutes or of strict ad ministrative regulation secured by dip lomatic negotiations. I sincerely hop, that we may continue to minimize tn evils likely to arise from such immi grafton without unnecessary friction and by mutual concessions betweei self respecting governments. Mean time we must take every precaution t
 prevent or, failing that, to punish out bursts of race feeling among our pee pie against foreigners of whatever na tionality who have by our grant treaty right to pursue lawful bushes here and to be protected against law less assault or injury.
 This leads me to point out a seriou
 defect in the present federal jurisdi'
 tion which ought to be remedied a
 once. Having assured to other couI
 tries by treaty the protection of ou
 laws for such of their subjects or cit
 gems as we permit to come within ou
 jurisdiction, we now leave to a stat
 or a city not under the control of th
 federal government the duty of pc
 forming our international obligation
 in this respect. By proper legislatio we may and ought to place in tt
 hands of the federal executive Il
 means of enforcing the treaty rights (
 such aliens in the courts of the feder;
 government. It puts our goyernmel
 in a pusillanimous position to nal definite engagements to protect alleI
 and then to excuse the failure to pc form those engagements by an expl
 nation that the duty to keep them is states or cities not within our contrC If we would promise. we must pi
 ourselves fin position to perform Ol
 promise We cannot permit the pos:
 ble failure of justice due to local prej dice In any state or municipal gover ment to expose us to the risk of VI ] which might be avoided if feder r jurisdiction was asserted by suitab legislation by congress and carried o by proper proceedings instituted ! ..E thc.-