The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1910-12-06
sbo,t,, pe expedited as h1teA as posi-.
philippine Islands.

BILE. ,tu'. -
philippine Islands.
During the idst summer at my re,
| nuest the secretary of war visited the
Philinnine 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 9merica to the
products % the Philippines anU has
opened the ,Bhilippine OlS@ket0 %
| Americas manufacturers.
RanamA Gs@sG
a. Che 01stance % Colonel 0,oe@aIs,
the @rme engineer officer O charge of
the work on the @anama canal, D Gave
lust made a visit to Ole isthmus o. in
spect ole cork done ana to consult
with elm oo che groun@ 40 % certain
problems arhich are likely to arise in
the near culture. Che progress Of Gle
b work % most @ltisfactorW. o. no un-
J expecte@ obstacle presents itself @he
Panal gill @e completes well within @lc
7 time fixed sy Colonel &oethals-G0 wit,
Jan. Q, 1915-an0 Srithl0 Che estimate
of cosS $375,OOO.O0e.
4 Among questions arising De crescent
solution 10 Che @ecisio0 @@eeher Che
! canal shall be fortified O have already
7 state@ to the congress Chat o strongly
fasor eortif1catlon, anO O cow eoi8rate
this opinion and ask your consideration
Of the subject in the light Of Ole export
already before sou O1ads D 0 COME
J tent @oard
Of IN our NscretioU @rs OelieSe Olo9
ern Notifications % DE Secessary 90 the
adequate protection and Oolicin@ Of Go
canal, then it is our duty d construct
them. We have built Che c0laa u is
q our SroperD Oy convention we have
indicated our &esire Zoo ane alSeeB un-
dertaken cts universal an0 equal Ose,
1t Is also well known Ghat one of the
chief objects in che construction Of One
canal has been % increase One mil OF?
effectiveness Of our nave
Failure - fortify che canal 3ould
leave the attainmer@ % both these
aims In the position % rights end oh
legations which we shouts be powerIess
| to enforce and which couI0 Reyer in
any other way be absolutely safeguard
ed against desperate and irrespOn5i
/ bic enemy.
In determining what the coils in the
canal should be we certainly ought not
to insist that for a good many years
| to come they should amount to enough
| to pay the interest on the investment
of $400,O000O0 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 net ton. On
Jan. 1, 1911, the tolls in the Suez canal
are to be francs and % centimes fol
one net ton by Suez canal measure
| ment. which Is q modification Of
| Danube measurement. A dollar a ton
will secure under the figures above a
gross annual income from the Panam"
canal of nearly 100000. The cost
of maintenance and operation is esti-
mated to exceed 100000.
The next question that arises is as
| to the maintenance, management and
general control of the canal after its
| completion. It should be promised
| that it is an essential part of our navy
| establishment to have the coal, oil and
other ship supplies, drydOck and
repair shops conveniently located witt
reference to naval vessels passing
| through the canal. Now, IL the govern
ment for naval purposes Is to under
| take to furnish these conveniences TO
| the navy, and they are conveniences
equally required by commercial YES
sells, there would seem to be strong
reasons why the government should
take over and include in it's manage
ment the furnishing not only to the
navy, but to the public, drydock and
| repair shop facilities and the sale of
| coal. oil and other ship supplies.
The maintenance of lock canal OF
this enormous size in sparsely popu
lated country and In the tropics, where
| the danger from disease Is always
present, requires large and complete
and we'll trained organization with
full police mowers, exercising the Mt
most care.
/ cannot close this reference to the
canal without suggesting as ii wise
amendment to the interstate commerce
law a provision prohibiting interstate
commerce railroads from owning or
controlling fhips engaged in the trade
through the Panama canal. I believe
such a provision may be needed to
save to the people of the United States
the benefits of the competition in trade
between the eastern and western sea
boards which this canal was construct
ed to secure
Department of Justice.
| am glad to say that under the ap'
i preparations made for the department
of justice tie attorney general has 81
improved its organization that vast
amount Of litigation of civil and