Perth Amboy evening news., 1910-12-06
the prOprIety q the change and It's ef.


| need in this government just such an
office and that 1t can be secured by
making the tariff board already ap-
pointed a permanent tariff commission,
with such duties. powers and emolu-
ments as 1t may seem wise to congress
to give. 1t has been proposed to en-
large the board from three to FIVE. The
| present number is convenient, but !
do not know that an increase Of two
members would be Objectionable.
1 recommend that congress establish
a commission to determine as early as
practicable a comprehensive policy for
the organization, mobilization and ad-
ministration of the regular army, the
organized militia and the volunteer
forces in the event of war.
Need For Additional Officers.
One of the great difficulties in the
prompt organization and mobilization
Of militia and volunteer forces is the
absence of competent officers of the
rank Of captain to teach the new army,
by the unit of the company, the bust
ness of being soldiers and of taking
care OF themselves so as to render eff
fective service. This need of army
officers can only be supplied by pro-
visions Of law authorizing the appoint
ment Of a greater number Of army Of
Gcers than are needed to supply the
commands of regular army troops now
enlisted In the service.
In order that the militia of each
state should be properly drilled and
made more like the regular army, reg
ular army officers should be detailed.
to assist the adjutant general of each
state In the supervision Of the state
militia. But this is impossible unless
provision is made by congress for a
very considerable increase In the num-
Der OF company and field officers of
the army.
Notifications.
I have directed that the estimates
for appropriation for the improvement
Of coast defenses in the United States
should be reduced to a minimum,
while those for the completion Of the
needed Notifications at C~orregidor, in
the Philippine Islands, and at Pearl
Harbor. In the Hawaiian Islands,
should be expedited as much as posi-
BILE.
Philippine islands.
During the last summer at my re-
quest the secretary of war visited the
Philippine Islands and has described
his trip in his report. He found the
Islands In a state of tranquility and
growing prosperity, due largely to the
change in the tariff laws which has
opened the markets of America to the
products of the Philippines and has
opened the Philippine markets to
American manufactures.
Panama Canal.
At the instance Of Colonel Goethals,
the army engineer officer in charge of
the work on the Panama canal, l have
Just made a visit to the isthmus to in
spect the work done and to consult
with him on the ground as to certain
problems which are likely to arise in
the near future. The progress Of the
] work is most satisfactory. II no I'M
| expected obstacle presents itself the
canal will be completed well within the
: time fixed by Colonel Goethals-to wit,
Jan. /, 1915-and within the estimate
of cost, 1915. 100000.
Among questions arising for present
solution Is the decision whether the
canal shall be fortified. l have already
stated to the congress that / strongly
4 fo-n,, optiAdotfou and 7 naxu rnftarQtn
this opinion and ask your consideration
of the subject in the light of the report
already before you made by a compe-
tent board.
If In our discretion we believe mod
ern Notifications to be necessary to the
adequate protection and policing of the
canal, then it Is our duty to construct
them. We have built the canal. 1t Is
our property. BY convention we have
indicated our desire for and indeed I'M
dertaken its universal and equal use.
1t is also well known that n OF the
chief objects in the construction of the
canal has been to Increase the military
effectiveness Of our navy.
Failure to fortify the canal would
leave the attainment Of both these
aims in the position Of rights and OBJ
legations which we should be powerless
to enforce and which could never In
any other way be absolutely safeguard
ed against a desperate and ~irresponsi-
bic enemy.
In determining what the tolls In the
canal should be we certainly ought not
to insist that for q good many years
to come they should amount to enough
to pay the interest on the investment
of $500, 900. 900 which the United
States has made in the construction
of the canal. We ought not to do this,
first. because the benefits to be derived
by the United States from this ex'
penditure are not to be measured solely
by a return upon the Investment
My own impression is that the tolls
ought not to exceed 81 per nettton. Or
Jan. /, 1911, the tolls in the Suez canal
are to be 7 francs and % confines fol
one net ton by Suez canal measure
ment. which Is a modification Of
Danube measurement A dollar a tor
will secure under the figures above
gross annual income from the Panama
canal of nearly $T.000.000. The cos
of maintenance and operation Is est
mated to exceed $3.000,00o.
The next question that arises is a
to the maintenance, management ant
general control of the mi after 1T
completion. 1t should be premise'
that it is an essential part OF our nav.
establish ent to have the coal. oil an'
other ship supplies, a drydock an