The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1910-12-14

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 q 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. If no un-
expected obstacle presents itself the
canal will be completed we'll within
the time fixed by Colonel Cocktails
to wit. Jan. /, 1915-and within the
estimate of cost, 1915, O00, 900.
Among questions arising for present
solution is the decision whether the
canal shall be fortified. l have al
ready stated to the congress that l
strongly favor fertilization, and I now
reiterate this opinion and ask your
consideration of the subject in the
light of the report already before you
made by a competent board.
If in our discretion we believe mod.
ern Notifications to be necessary to
the adequate protection and policing
of the canal, then 1t is our duty to
construct them. We have built the
canal. 1t is our property. BY conven-
ton we have indicated our desire for
and indeed undertaken it's universal
and equal use. It is also we'll known
that one 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 power
less to enforce and which could never
in any other way be absolutely safe
guarded against a desperate and IRE.
sponsible enemy.
IN determining what the tolls 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 in
vestment of $400, 900, 900 which the
United States has made in the con-
struction Of the canal. We ought not
to do this, first, because the benefits
to be derived by the United States
from this expenditure 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. I, 1911, the tolls in the Suez
canal are to be Z francs and 20 GEN.
times for n net ton by Suez canal
measurement, which is a modification
of Danube measurement. A dollar a
ton will secure under the figures above
a gross annual income from the Pan
ANA canal of nearly $1,000 200. The
cost of maintenance and operation is
estimated to exceed $4,000, 900.
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, a drydock and re-
pair shops conveniently located with
reference to naval vessels passing
through the canal. Now. if the gov.
eminent for naval purposes is to un-
to the navy, and they are convent
ences equally required by commercial
vessels, 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 a lock canal of
this enormous size in a sparsely pop.
ulated country and in the tropics,
where the danger from disease is al
ways present, requires a large and
complete and we'll trained organiza.
ton with full police powers, eXercis-
ing the utmost care.
I cannot close this reference to the
canal without suggesting as a wise
amendment to the interstate com
merce law a provision prohibiting in
terstate commerce railroads from own
ing or controlling ships engaged in
the trade through the Panama canal.
l believe such a provision may be
needed to ave to the people of the
United States the benefits of the com
petition in trade between the Eastern
and Western seaboards which this
canal was constructed to secure
Department Of Justice.
| am glad to say that under the ap-
preparations made for the department
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