Evening journal., 1912-12-06

land. But Il should be remembered
minds Of most Porto Ricans Is. entire
~ disasseciated from any thought OF
statehood.
The Philippines.
A bin Is pending I'm congress which
revoluuonizes the carefully worked out
scheme of government under which the
Philippine Islands are now governed
and which proposes 10 render them vir-
tually autonomous at once and ahso-
lutely independent in eight years. Such
a proposal can only be founded on the
assumption that we have new discharg
ed our trusteeship TO the Filipino PEG
pie and our responsibility for them to
the world and that they are now pre-
pared for self government as well as
national sovereignty. A thorough and
unbiased knowledge OF the facts clear
~ shows that these assumptions are
absolutely without justification.
AS TO this J believe that there Is no
substantial difference Of opinion among
any OF those who have had the respon-
sibillty OF facing Philippine problems
In the administration OF the islands,
and I believe that no one TO whom the
future OF this people Is n responsible
concern can cOuntenance policy
fraught with the direst consequences
70 those ON whose behalf It Is osten.
sibly urged.
Our duty to the Filiplnos Is far from
discharged over half n million FIJI
plno students are now IA the Philip.
pine schools helping TO mold the men
OF the future into a homogeneous peo-
pie, but there still remain more than
a million Filipino children OF school
age vet to be reached. Freed from
American control the integrating forces
Of common education and n common
language will cease and the education
al system now well started viii sir
back into inefliclency and. disorder.
An enormous increase I'm the com
merclal development OF the Islands has
been nade since they were virtually
granted full access 10 our markets
three years ago. with every prospect
} OF increasing development and diversl
fed Industries Freed from American
} control such development is bound e
decline.
II the task we have undertaken Is
higher than that assumed by other ma
tons. It's accomplishment must de
mand even more patience. We mus
not forget that we found the Filipinoi
wholly unframed. In government. III
TO our advent vi other experience
sought to repress rather than encour
, age political power IL takes long tim
and much experience TO ingram pc
lltical habits Of steadiness and eff
1 cheney. Popular self government ult
A mately must rest upon common habit
A Of thought and upon a reasonably de
. veloped public opinion.
: A present declaration even Of futur
! Independence would retard progress b
q the dissension and disorder II woul
q arouse. ON our part 1t would be dis
4 H. euuous attempt. under the guise O
comforting a benefit on them. to relev
ourselves from the heavy and Difficult
burden which thus far we have bee
Il bravely and consistently sustaining
r 1t would be disguised policy Of scui
;. tie. It would make the helpless Fill
: Pine the football of oriental politics
n under the protection OF guaranty @
/ their independence, which we woul
d be powerless TO enforce.
u Regulation Of Water Power.
There are pending before congress
! large number OF bills proposing
= grant privileges Of erecting dams 70
. the purpose Of creating water powe
y In our navigable rivers The pendeI
u cy of these bills has brought out a
l. important defect in the existing gel
e eral dam act That act does not.
i my opinion. grant sufficient power
the federal government In dealin
II with the construction of such dams
exact protective conditions In the II
d terest of navigation. II does not pc
le init the federal government as a col
IL dltion OF its permit. 10 require that
+ part Of the value thus created shall
u applied TO the further general in
IS provement and protection Of Il
b stream. I believe this 10 be one of n
H. most important matters of internal IN
n provement now confronting the go
ar ernment
lie In my opinion constructive state
N manship requires that legislatic
)f should be enacted which will perm
T. the development Of navigation in thei
" great rivers to 20 hand in hand wit
H. the utilization of this byproduct
le water power. created In the course
lie the same improvement. and that Il
general dam act should be so amen
W ed as to make this possible.
O. deem it highly important that Il
of nation should adopt a consistent ar
in harmonious treatment OF these wat
" power projects, which will preser'
r. for this purpose their value to the go
to eminent. whose right Il is to grant Il
as permit Any other policy is equiv
re lent to throwing away a most valu
20 bic national asset
The Panama Canal.
During the past year the work
IL construction upon the canal has pl
crossed most satisfactorily. About
per cent Of the excavation work h
:. been completed. and more than % p
:, cent Of the concrete for al the locks
" in place In view Of the great intert
" which has been manifested as TO sol
slides in the Culebra cut am glad
" say that the report Of Colonel Goeth'
~ should sllay any apprehension on Il
- point II is gratifying TO note III
!, none Of the slides which occurred dl