The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1910-12-28

WAOIllANO YIN OSCSulpSI L. AS-
sident Tatt, addressing the closing
banquet tonight of the American So
ciety for Judicial settlement of Inter-
national Disputes, allayed the SOCIAL
ed war scare" which has furnished God
for newspapers in the last few days.
He said: There is not the slightest
reason TOR such a sensation because
we are at peace with all the nations
of the world and are quite likely to
remain So"
He said his purpose in outlining the
preparedness of the United States for
war Eat peace meetinb was to show
be contrast the great worthiness of
the movement for a permanent court
of arbitral justice and universal peace.
The President summarized the condi-
ton of the national defenses and urg.
ed that a policy of wise military pre-
paratiOns" be pursued. He emphasiz-
er the fact that the American people
never wauld consent to the mainten-
ance of a standing Army sufficient to
cope with that of the greater powers.
He urged the retention of the pres
ent regular Army, the improvement
of the national militia, the passage of
the pending volunteer bill to go into
operation should war be declared, and
the passage of bill now before Con-
gress providing for a force of addi-
tional officers who will "be able in
times of peace to render efficient SER
vice in drilling the militia of the
states" and finally, the accumulation
of guns and ammunition ito equip and
arm the force we could collect under
the colors in an emergency"
FAVORS INTERNATIONAL COURT.
President Taft asserted that the best
method of ultimately securing dis
armament among nations was the es-
adjustment Of an international court
and the development of code of In
ternational equity. Declaring that the
country has not reached a point
where war is impossible, he cited the
Panama canal question.
He said: "Take Une question of the
Panama canal. We have a property
which, when completed, will be worth
100000, 000-at least it will have cost
us that. 1t has been built not alone to
further the cause of the worlds COM
merce, but also to bring our eastern
and western seaboards closer together,
and to secure us the military benefit
enabling our naval feet to pass quick
ly from one location to the other.
Now, the works of the canal are of
such a character that a war ship
might easily put the canal out of COM
mission.
eve are authorized to police the
canal and protect it, and we have the
treaty right to erect Notifications
there. Fortifications are the best and
most secure method of protecting the
canal against the attack of some ir-
responsible nation or armed force.
at is said that we could neutraIize
the canal and by inducing all nations
to agree not to attach the canal, Sc
cure it's immunity from injury. But
the trouble is that nations are quite as
likely as men to violate their obliga-
tions under great stress, like that of
war
DEFENSE OF THE CANAL.
st seems to me that we ought to
put ourselves in a position with refer
ence to this very valuable and delicate
piece of property so that should any
nation forget its obligation we will be
in a position to prevent unlawful in
jury to this instrument of commerce
so valuable to the world and so indis-
pensable to us.
1.-THE fact that we fortify the canal
will not prevent us from discharging
all international obligations that we
may have in respect 20 it, but it will
enable us to defend ourselves in its
| possession against the act Of a very
irresponsible force or nation. 1t will
not prevent our maintaining its neu-
trality If that is wise and right"
The President said the United States
had excellent coast defenses for
every important karbor that an enemy
would enter. He summarized the pre-