Camas Prairie chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1901-1917, 1911-01-27
MUSTFORTIFYCANAL.
PRESIDENT TAFT In HIS new
YORK SPEECH DECLARED
1T ONLY SOLUTION.
His Speech Outlines Treaty Situation
and Necessity for Protection-United
States Has Full Right to Do So, and
Defense Is Needed-Asks Congress to
Authorization 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-
ton 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.
~ yield to no one in my love of
peace, said the president. "In my
hatred for war, and in my earnest de-
sire to avoid war. But I 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 series of blows
which it is understood the president
will deliver to arouse support for his
canal fortifcation bill. Congress is said
to be about divided ON this question and
he hopes to convert sufficient number
to create a majority in support for a
$5,000,00O 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 Astor 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
usa 1t seems to me that the very state
ment of the proposition carries its
refutation.
"It is said that the Notifications are
going to cost $5,OOO,0OO. This is an
error. The estimated cost is $4,000
600. That, 1 submit, constitutes first
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 a
half million dollars year, an annual
inc 70 oft ho HrSt of n
tenth. of one per cent.
"The canal is on American soil and
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 OF
congressman who ignores it as some,
thing against which proper precautions
should be taken subjects himself il
time of peace to the criticism of rea
sonable men and when war comes and
finds the nation unprepared, to the
unanimous condemnation of his indig
nant fellow countrymen.
Arbitration Favored.
Ono one that l know of goes farther
in favor Of settling international con
troversies by arbitration than l do, an6
if have my way and am able to Sc
cure the assent of other powers, | shall
submit to the senate arbitration treat
that that body has heretofore ratified
and broader than any that now exis
between the nations.
"But we have not reached the time
when we can count .on the settlement
of all international controversies b,
the arbitrament of a 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 haye changed since theI
The Lord has tempered the winds t
the shorn lambs and made thicker tn
hides of those in public Office, so tha
L may speak with greater freedom
Any man who has held Office two year
J and withstood the newspapers can hol
, out for two years more"
J Here the president was interrupte
i by the diners shouting: "Four yea
, more" and eight years more"
II He crushed the incipient boom by T
marking that his hosts would probab
utter the same sentiment if the speak
were Judson Harmon, Champ Clark
/ Woodrow Wilson.