The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-12-06

a supply station. while the fortifiea-
tons In the Philippines are to be
largely confined to Corregidor Island
and the adjacent islands which COM
mand entrance to Manila Bay ana
which are being rendered impresnable
from land and sea attack. fne Pa
cifc naval base has been transferred
TO Pearl Hartor in the Hawaiian ISL
nds. This f1ecessitates the heavy for
tification Of the harbor and the estab-
lishnent of an important military
station near Honolulu. | urge that
all the estimates made by the War
Department for these purposes be
approved by congressional appropria-
ton.
Philippine Islands.
During tile last summer, at my re
quest, the secretary OF war visited tn,
Philippine Islands and has described
his "Trip In his report. He found The
islands In state of tranquility ana
growing property. due largely to the
change In the tariff laws. which haA
opened the markets of America to tn.
products OF the Philippines. and has
opened the Philippine markets to
American manufacturers.
Porto Rico.
The year has Teen me of prosperity
and progress in Porto Rico. Certain.
political changes are embodied in thu
bill ITO provide civil government
for Porto Rico and for other pur.
posee." which passed the house OF
representatives. on June 15. 1910. al
the last session of congress, and IL
Rivers and Harbors.
have already expressed my opinion
to congress in respect to the char
acter OF the river. and harbor bills
which should be enacted into law: and
have exercised as much power as
have under the law in directing the
chief of engineers TO make his reports
to congress conform to the needs OF
the committee framing such a bill In
determining which of the proposed
improvements is the more important
and ought to be completed .rst, and
promptly.
Panama Canal
AT the instance of Colonel Goethals
the army engineer officer in charge
of the work on the Panama canal, /
have just made visit TO the isthmus
to inspect the work done and to con
suit with him on the ground as to
certain problems which are likely to
arise in the near future. The progress
Of the work IL most satisfactory. If
no unexpected obstacle presents itself.
the canal will be completed well
| within the time fixed by Colonel Goe-
thals. to wit, January ]. 1915, and
within the estimate OF cost. 1915, 0O0,-
900.
. Among questions arising for present
, solution Ii the decision whether the
) canal shall be fortified. l have already
, stated to the congress that l strongly
favor fertilization and 1 now reit-
crate this opinion and ask your con-
sideration OF the subject in the light
of the report already before you
made by q competent board.
!. II. In our discretion. we believe
modern Qualifications to he necessary
, to the adequate protection and pole
. Ing OF the canal. then it is our duty
, to construct them. We have built the
canal. 1t Is our property. BY con-
ventton we have indicated our desire
. for. and indeed undertaken, ns uni
. versal and equal use, 1t is also well
:. known that one OF the chief objects
In the construction of the canal has
been to increase the military effective
ness of our navy
Failure to fortify the canal would
leave the attainment of both these
aims In the poeition of rights and OBJ
legations which we should be power
less to enforce and which could never
in any other way be absolutely safe
guarded against a desperate and irre-
sponsible enemy.
Canal Tolls.
Another question which arises for
consideration and possible legislation
is the question Of tolls in the canal
Ihis questions Is necessarily affected
by the probable tonnage which will
go through the canal II Is all a mat
ter OF estimate, but ono or the nov.
ernInAnt n Atnn i'm
tigated the question and made re-
port. lie concluded that the total
tonnage of the vessels employed In
commerce that could use the 18th
milan canal in 1914 would amount to
6,s43,s05 tons net register, and that
this traffic would increase 251 per
cent. decade; that II was not proba BILE
that all the commerce included in the
totals would at once abandon the
routes at present followed and make
use or the new canal, and that it
might take some time. perhaps two
years. to readjust trade with reference
to the new conditions which the canal
would establish He did not include,
moreover, the tonnage OF war vessels.
although 1t is to be inferred that such
vessels would max. ronsiderable use
OF the canal. In the matter OF tolls
he reached the conclusion thar a dol.
ANAs - aiSt WI "pui0 uOt uTIhc DuSln GSo
away form the canal, but that higher
rate would Go 80.
In determining what the tolls
should be We certainly ought not to
insist that for good many wears
4 to come they should amount 70
enough to pay the interest on the
investment of S400. 900. 900 which the
unied States has made In the con-
sruction Of the canal. We ought not
to do this first because the benefits
to be derived by the United States
from this expenditure Is not to be
measured s".e'y ~ resurn upon
the In tytsneu Ii II were, ;hen tn,
ao.s.rtl,t /. t.sai wei. have h,en
,ef' n aEterpr q II M.
he aase n { ret IN npsn ;..
m Hey II ., lid n@s &c etoecf.
sra'lesia' ely, or in the near future
.ud because there were pc uiiar DO.
.i!icai advantages to be derived from
the construction OF the canal that IL
necessarily fell to the Government to
advance the money and perform the
/ work.
In addition to the benefit TO our