The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1910-09-03
FOrtify Panama Canal,
Says Roosevelt, in Omaha

OMAHA. Neb., Sept. 3.-The urgent
necessity for strongly forufying The
Panama canal was set forth by CO..
Roosevelt in his speech here yester-
day. He also repeated his declaration
that q big navy insures peace.
Those who heard the colonel speak
about the Panama canal before an
audience of 5000 persons in the audi
forum of Omaha, construed his re-
marks to be directed at President
Taft, and who does not share THIS
opinion. Mr.. Roosevelt was mighty
emphatic in his speech. He said:
here il no use OF O nation claim
ing to be a great nation unless It Is
prepared to play a great part. ma
ton such as ours cannot possiply play
q great part In international aHairs,
cannot expect TO be treated as weight
in either the Atlantic or the Pacific. or
TO have It's voice as to the Monroe
doctrine. or the management OF the
Panama canal. needed. unless 1t has
Within the last decade the American
navy has been about trebied In
strength, and much more than trepled
in effciency. due TO It's extraofdina ar
neuvering. So Tar from this increase
in naval strength representing on our
part eitheg . menAce 81 sgsression 10
stronger Nations. II hss told most pow
erfuliy for peace. Eyerywhere In Eu-
rope the cruise of The battle fleet
around the world was accepted, not
ing the highest honor upon our navy,
but as one Of the movements which
tended markedly to promote peaceful
stability in international relations. No
nation regarded the cruise as fraught
with any menace of hostility to itself;
and yet every nation accepted 1t as o
proof that we were not only desirous
ourselves to keep the peace. but able
to prevent the peace being broken at
our expense.
As regards the Panama canal, I real
ly think that outside nations nave q
5uster idea than our own people OF the
magnitude and success OF the work.
SIX years ago last spring the Amer.
lean government took possession OF
devoted to the sanitation of the 18th
mus, to assembling the plant and
working force. and providing quarters.
food and water supplies. In all these
From one of the plague-spots of the
Regions in the entire world. the 18TH
mus has been turned into singuia ,hy
death-rate Is small. and where hun
dreds Of children are now being raised
under as favorable conditions as In
quarters, food. and water supply are
excellent. and the plant the best ever
gathered for such q purpose. Active
excavation on q large scale did not be-
gin until January, 1907. Three years
and a half have gone by since then.
and three-nfths OF the total excava-
ton has already been accomplished
The amount taken out has passed any
thing which previous experience war
ranted us in believing to ue possible.
In 1908 and 1909 the monthly average
of rock and earth removed was three
million cubic yards. Notwithstanding
the fact that nine months of each year
constituted a season of very heavy
rainfall There remains to be exca-
waited only about sixty million cubic
yards. IL we could keep UP the past
average OF excavation, this should be
done In twenty months; but 1t Is i'm
possible to. maintain such ratio as
the depth increases; for the output
unnecessarily dfminishes as the field of
operation narrows. Still, IL Is certain
that such a rate can be maintained as
will enable the workers to finish the
excavation considerably In advance Of
the date fixed for opening the canal.
Jan. I, 1918. Indeed. I shall be sur
prised IL the canal cannot be opened
six months or even year In advance
of the time set.
We now have a further duty to per-
(Couttnucd IN PaRe Ten.l