Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1910-09-08
THO GREAT FEATS
Of UNITED STATES
World Tour Of BattIeship Fleet
and Digging Of Canal.
DISCUSSED BY Mr.. ROOSEVELT
Speaking at Omaha, He Urges the
Necessity Of EAIcIent Navy and
~ Of FortIfyIns the Panama 4. a
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Roosevelt arrived in Omaha from Kan
Bas City at Gas o'clock this morning
and early o. was the hour, large
crowd was on hand, and so was the
reception committee under whose
care Colonel Roosevelt spent the day.
The address which the eK-president
delivered was heard by q great throne
Of people. It was % follows:
In travelling in Europe last spring one
thing which especially struck me was the
| fact that the two feats which made the
deepest impression abroad were the cruise
| OF the battle feet around the world. and
the digging Of the Panama Canal. These
were the two feats to be credited to the
American people during the past decade
which had most profoundly and favorably
affected foreign judgment of America
during that time. Such judgment depends
not in the least upon what people say
they can do, but what, they actually do;
upon their willingness to meet response
bilities, and the success Of their efforts to
meet them.
Must Have Efficient Navy.
Now, there is no use of nation claim
ing to be a great nation unless It is pre-
pared to play great part. A nation
such as ours cannot possibly play great
part In international affairs, cannot ex-
poet to be treated as a weight in either
the Atlantic or the Pacific, or to have Its
voice as to the Monroe doctrfse, or the
management Of the Panama Canal, heed
ed, unless 1t has strong and thoroughly
efficient navy. Within the last decade
the American navy has been about
trebled in strength, ADD much more than
trebled In efficiency. due to its extraordi-
nary progress In Workmanship and ma
neuvering, SO far from this increase in
naval strength representing on our part
either a menace Of aggression to weaker
nations q menace Of war to stronger
nations, II has told most powerfully for
peace. Everywhere in Europe the cruise
Of the battle feet around the world was
accepted, not only as an extraordinary
feat, rejecting the highest honor upon
our navy, but as one Of the movements
which tended markedly to promote peace
full stability in international relations. No
nation regarded the cruise as fraugAt
with any menace Of hostility to itself;
and yet every nation accepted It as q
proof that we were not only DESTROYS
OukoGiNGb " hCSP AAS PSoSSt OaN e-SAS "
prevent the peace being broken at our
expense. No cruise in any way approach
ing II has ever been made by any fleet Of
any other power and the best naval
opinion abroad had been that no such
feat was possible that Ia, that no such
cruise as that we actually made could be
undertaken by a fleet Of such size with
out innumerable breahdowns i, and acci-
dents. The success of the cruise, per-
formed as II was without single acci-
dent, immeasurably raised the prestige,
not only Of our Seet, but Of our Nation;
and was q distinct help to the cause Of
international peace. F
As regards the Panama Canal, really |
think that outside nations have juster
idea than our own people of the magni- |
tude and success Of the work. wish |
our people realized what is being done on
the 1sthmus. II man Of intelligence |
who had never left this country asked me |
whether I would advise him to mako |
short trip to Europe, or trip to the
Panama Canal, would, without heSita-
ton, advise him to 40 to the Panama
Canal. He would there see in operation
the completing Of one Of the great feats
Of modern times. Colonel Goethals and
the men working under him are render
Ing a service to this country which can
only be paralleled in our past history by
some Of the services rendered in certain
wars.
Wonderful Work on the Isthmus.
Six years ago last spring the Ameri-
.an government took possession Of the
Isthmus The first two years were de-
voted to the sanitation Of the Isthmus, to
assembling the plant and working force,
Ind providing quarters, food and water
InDplies. In all these points the success