Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1911-01-28
MUSTFORTIFYCANAL'
PRESIDENT TAFT In HTS new
YORK SPEECH DECLARED
1T ONLY SOLUTION.
His Speech Outlines Treaty Situation
and Necessity for Protection-United
Estates Has Full Right to Do SO, and
Defense Is Needed-Asks Congress to
Act-Refutation of Objections

Declaring that the world will be not
yet far enough advanced in civiliza-
ton for the United States to depend
upon international treaty for the protec
tion of SO important a project as the
Panama canal, President Taft, in a
speech to the Pennsylvania Society of
New York, made strong appeal for the
canal fertilization program for which he
is fighting before congress.
81 yield to no one in my love of
peace" said the president. Gin my
hatred for war, and in my earnest de-
sire to avoid war. But L can not per-
NIT myself in the enthusiastic desire
to secure universal peace to blind my
self to the possibilities of war"
This is the first of a series of blows
which it is understood the president
will deliver to arouse support for his
canal fertilization bill. Congress is said
to be about divided on this question and
he hopes to convert a sufficient number
to create majority in support for a
$5,O00,OO0 appropriation at this session
Two Speeches Made.
The president was in New York city
from 6:15 until midnight, and spoke at
the Pennsylvania society banquet at the
Hotel Aston and to members of the New
York Press club at the Hotel Mar
Unique.
In his fertilization speech he gave
a detailed diplomatic history of the
canal project to demonstrate that by
treaty and sovereign power the United
States had the right to fortify the
canal.
"We built the canal to help us de-
fend the country" he continued, "not
to help an enemy attack it. After ex-
pending five hundred million dollars
to make our national defense easier
are we to surrender half the military
value of the canal by giving the bene
fit of it to a nation seeking to destroy
us7 1t seems to me that the very state
ment of the proposition carries its
refutation.
cit is said that the Notifications are
going to cost $5,00O,0O0 This is al
error. The estimated cost is $4,000,
600. That, 1 submit, constitutes a frs
premium for insuring the canal safely
That is not excessive. The war depart
ment advises me that the cost of main
tenance of the military establishment
and Notifications would not exceed q
half million dollars a year, an annua
insurance rate after the first cost of ;
tenth of one per cent.
"'The canal is on American soil anC
it needs Notifications for national de
tense Just as much as the city of New
York needs defense. War is still pos
sibility, and the president, senator o.
congressman who ignores it as some
thing against which proper precaution
should be taken subjects himself il
time of peace to the criticism of rea
sonable men and when war comes anC
finds the nation unprepared, to tn
unanimous condemnation of his indig
nant fellow countrymen.
Arbitration Favored.
ono one that 1 know of goes farthe
in favor of settling international con
troversies by arbitration than do, ant
if have my way and am able to Sc
cure the assent of other powers, l shall
5 submit to the senate arbitration treat
! les broader in their terms than an,
5 that that body has heretofore ratified
a and broader than any that now exis
= between the nations.
D "But we have not reached the tim
3 when we can count on the settlemen
e of all international controversies b,
= the arbitrament of tribunal
, Scribes Are Twitted.
At the Press club dinner, Presiden
Taft was in his happiest mood. Afte
referring to his last previous visit t
the club year since, he observed;
"Things have changed since ther
The Lord has tempered the winds t
the shorn lambs and made thicker tn
hides of those in public Office, so tina
may speak with greater freedom
! Any man who has held Office two year
and withstood the newspapers can hol
out for two years more"
Here the president was interrupte
by the diners shouting: "Four year
more" and eight years more"
He crushed the incipient boom by re
marking that his hosts would probabl
utter the same sentiment if the speake
were Judson Harmon, Champ Clark o
Woodrow Wilson.
"You say he never quarrels with hi