Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1910-09-07
World Tour Of Battleship Fleet
and Digging of Canal.
DISCUSSED BY Mr.. ROOSEVELT
Speaking at Omaha, He Urges the
Necessity Of Efficient Navy and
Of FortifyinQ the Panama
Waterway.

crowd was on hand, and so was the
reception committee -. under whose
care Colonel Roosevelt spent the day.
The address which the ex-president
delivered was heard by a great throng
of people. It was as 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 tho battle fleet 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 a nation claim
ing to be 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-
pect to be treated as weight in either
the Atlantic or the Pacific, or to have its
SoANo eho ~ tHC 4NON1Oc uOCIIAuc, VI lIAS
management Of the Panama Canal, heed
ed. unless it has a strong and thoroughly
efficient navy. Within the last decade
the American navy has been about
trebled in strength. and much more than
trebled in efficiency. due to its extraordi-
nary progress in craftsmanship and ma
neuvering. So far from this increase in
naval strength representing on our part
either a menace Of aggression to weaker
nations If n
nations, it has told most powerfully for
peace. Everywhere IN Europe the cruise
of the battle fleet 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 fraught
with any menace of hostility to itself;
and yet every nation accepted it as a.
proof that we were not only DESTROYS
ourselves to keep the peace, but able to
prevent the peace being broken at our
expense. No cruise in any way approach
ing 1t 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 is, that no such
cruise as that we actually made could be
undertaken by fleet Of such size with
out lnnumerable breakdowns and acct
dents. The success of the cruise, per-
formed as it was without q single acci-
dent. 1mmeasurably raised the prestige,
not only Of our fleet. but of our Nation:
and was distinct help to the cause OF
international peace.
AS regards the Panama Canal. I really
think that outside nations have a juster
idea than our own people of the magni-
tude and success Of the work. I wish
our people realized what is being done on
the 1sthmus. If a man Of intelligence
who had never left this country asked me
whether I would advise him to make a
short trip to Europe, or a trip to the
Panama Canal, I would, without hesita-
ton, advise him to go 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 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 lsthmus.
Six years ago last spring the Ameri-
can 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,
and providing quarters, food, and water
supplies. In all these points the success
was extraordinary. From one OF the
plague-spots Of the globe, one of the
most unhealthy regions IN the entire
world, the 1sthmus has been turned into
si7gu1arly healthy place of abode,
where the death-rate is small and where
hundreds of children are now being
raised under as favorable conditions as
in most parts of the United States The
quarters, food, and water supply are ex-
cred for such a purpose. Active excava-
ton on a large scale did not begin until
January, 1907. Three years and a half
have gone by since then, and three-f1fths
OF the total excavation has already been
accomplished. The amount taken out has
passed anything which previous expert
ence warranted us In believing to be pos
sible. In 1908 and 1909 the monthly aver
age Of rock and earth removed was three
million cubic yards, Notwithstanding the
fact that nine months Of each year con-
stituted a season of very heavy rainfall
There remains to be excavated only about
sixty million cubic yards If we could
keep up the past average of excavation,
this should be done in twenty months:
but 1t Is impossible TO maintain such a
ratio as the depth increases; for the out
put necessarily diminishes as the field Of
operation narrows. Still, it is certain that
such rate can be maintained as will
enable the workers to finish the excava-
ton considerably in advance of the date
fixed for opening the canal, January /,
1915. Indeed, I shall be surprised II the
canal cannot be opened six months, or
even year in advance Of the time set
The work has two great features: The
Culebra Cut, which have been consider
ing, and the great dam at Gatun The
latter is to imprison the waters of the
Chcgres and other streams into lake
with an area of 1874 square miles. This
work is advancing steadily, and Just as
successfully as the work on the Culebra
Cut. The water which Is ultimately to
fill the lock is now flowing through the
concrete spillway in the center Of the
dam, the Chagres having been diverted
from its bed and placed under complete
control The construction Of the dam has
advanced sufficiently to convince the en-
gtneers In charge Of the work of it's alb
sc1ute stability and imperviousness. The
concrete work on the lock is advancing
so rapidly that the first double-set at
Gatun will be completed this coming No.
vember, and the engineer in charge has
announced that all the concrete in all the
locks will be in place two years hence
The date Of final completion and formal
opening Of the canal to the commerce Of
Tho Cost Of Soul.
A recent query sent out as to the
cost Of saving q soul in Chicago
BROUGHT some Interesting answers. II