The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-01-22
TAFT INSISTS ON
FORT|FY|NC CANAL
President Says 1t Will Only Re-
quire $12,OOO,0O Instead
of S40,0O0,O0O.
Continued From Page One.

lNt tnlteu iNlaleo Iui WV s''''
and the use Of the canal in time of wal
as in instrument of defense. Inc
guaranty OF neutrality in the tern
tory is subject, and necessarily subject
to this construction.
"Thc purpose and the assertion o1
the United States to fortify the cana
are shown again in the passage OF the
Spooner act in 1902, directing the pres
ident to build the canal and TO- make
proper defenses. The treaty with Pan
uma reaflirms the treaty with Englanc
made in 1900 and expressly gives tt
the United States the power of fortih
cation.
''The right Of the United States tc
fortify the canal and to close IT against
the use of an enemy in time Of war be
ing established. what should be its pol
icy'
fend the country, not to help an enemy
to attack il. Even If ceratin and
practical naturalization Of the cana
by agreement Of all nations could be
secured to us, when engaged in war
an enemy could then use the canal
for transit to attack in both oceans
We propose to use il to defend our
selves.
Military Value Of Waterway.
"Aftcr cxpcnding $50O,000,00O thus
tn make our national defense easier,
are we to surrender half the military
value of the canal by giving the benefit
of il to nation seeking TO destroy us!
1t seems to me that the very statement
of the proposition carries Its refuta-
tions. But it is sn'd that we ought to
defend the canal by our navy. ] am
not a stratcgist; | am not a military
or naval expert; but it seems to me
that a navy is for the purpose cf de.
fense through offensive work; for the
protection by attack, and that If we
have to retain part of our navy IN or
der TO defend the canal on both sides,
then the canal becomes n burden and
not an instrument of defense at all.
''The canal ought to defend itself
and we ought TO have fortihcations
there which would be powerful enough
to keep of the navies of any nation
that might possibly attack US.
again under our treaty with Eng.
land and other countries, it is we who
guarantee the neutrality of the canal.
IL is not the other countries that gnar
antee 1T to us and we are bound, If we
conform to the treaty with England,
TO put ourselves in such n condition that
we can perform our guarantee.
- But 1t is said that we could induce
all the powers to come in and consent
W tHe neutrality OF tne canal as
treaty obligation. ! should be glad to
do this. if possible, but even if we do
this, can we feel entirely safe by rea.
son of that agreement from pos
sIble injury to the canal by some ire.
sponsible beligerent at least under con
ditlons as they now are7
To Cost s12,ooO,ooo.
Again 1t is said that the fortifi-
cations are going to cost $50,O00,oO0
This is an error, The estimated cost
of the Notifications for the canal is
S12,000,000. That | submit, consti.
tutes hardly more than . per cent Of
the cost Of the canal-a first premium
for insuring its safety that is not ex.
cessive
''It also is said ii will cost 81 900 600
a year to maintain it. This also is an
error. have consulted the war de.
partment and they advise me that the
additional annual government cost OF
maintenance of Notifications and mill
tary establishments in time of peace,
due to the fortification of the canal.
would not exceed half a million dol
larS-an annual insurance rate after
first cost of a tenth Of one per cent.
yield to no one in my love of
peace, in my hatred of war and in nv
earnest desire to avoid war. / believe
that we have made great strides to.
ward peace within the last decade. No
one that / know of goes further in ia
vor of settling international controver
sizes by arbitration than J. do, and if I
have my way and am able to secure the
assent Of other powers ! shall submit
TO the senate arbitration treaties broad.
er IN their terms than any that BODY
has heretofore ratified, and broader
than any that now exist between the
nations.
'In laying down NV office T can
leave no greater claim TO the gratitude of
my country than TO have secured such
treaties, but / cannot permit myself.
in the enthusiastic desire to secure uni |
versal peace, to blind myself to the
of war. We have not
reached the time when we can count on
the settlement Of all international con.
troversies by the arbitration of a tr. |
bunal' -
Give Medal to Carnegie.
The Pennsylvania dinner was also |
notable for the presentation to An
drew Carnegie of the society's gold
medal, awarded annually for. "distin-
gulshed achievement. - Tn ACKNOWLEDGE. |
ment Mr.. Carnegie said in part:
History records that the constiiu.
ton of the United States was born ON
soil, a great deal de- |
pends upon where you are born. 1t is |
said some men are born great, some
achieve greatness, some have greatness
thrust upon them and some arc born i'm
Onio.n
Other speakers were Joseph Choate.
former ambassador to Great Britain.
and Governor Dix. Among those at tbe
president IS table were Captain Robert
+. Pcary, Attorney General Wicker.
sham and Secretary Knox.
At the Martinique the president spoke
With n frank optimism, commented upon
oy all who remembered his appearance
1T the Press club not long before the
November election.
~ talked tonight at Pennsylvania
society dinner he snid, Sin an at
nosphere brcathed into by Andrew
Iarnegie and Joseph Choate, advocates
If distilled peace At my either hand
we're the chairs Of two handsome gov.
,rnors-the governor of New York and
he governor of Pennsylvania. There
,ame into my soul feeling of sympa-
hy for both.
''The Lord tempers the wind to the
horn lamb and thickens the hida ~