Grand Forks daily herald., 1914-12-08
UNITED STATES awake TOTS RE-
SP0NSB|L|TY;; WILSON ON QUESTION
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ices as they have never needed them
before; and we should be ready. more
fit and ready than we have ever been.
South American Trade.
1t is Of equal consequence that the
nations whom Europe has usually
supplied with innumerable articles of
manufacture and commerce OF which
they are in constant need and without
which their economic development
halts and stands still can now get only
a small part of what they formerly
imported and eagerly look To us to
supply their all hut empty markets.
This is particularly true of our own
neighbors the states, great and small,
of Central and South America. Their
lines of trade have hitherto run chief
ly athwart the seas, not to our ports
but to the ports of Great Britain and
Of the older continent of Europe |
do not stop to inquire why, or to
make any comment on probable caus-
es. What interests MS Just now Is not
the explanation but the fact. and our
duty and opportunity in the presence
of it. Here are markets which VIC
must supply and we must find the
means of action. The United States.
this great people for whom we speak
and act, should be ready. as never be-
fore. to serve itself and to serve man
kind: ready with it's resources, its en-
ergies. its forces OF production, and
it's means of distribution.
Willing But Not Ready.
1t is a very practical matter. IL mat
ter of ways and means. We have
hc resources, but are VIC fully ready
to use them. And, If VIC can make
ready what we have. have VIC the
means at hand to distribute it? We
are not fully ready, neither have we
the means Of distributing. We are
willing. but We are not fully
able. We have the wish to serve
and to serve greatly, generously: but
we are not prepared as we should he.
We are not ready to mobilize our re-
sources at once We are not prcpar-
cd to use them Immediately and at
their best, without delay and without
waste.
Erred in Merchant Marine.
To speak plainly. we have grossly
erred in the way in which we have
stunted and hindered the development
OF our merchant marine. And now,
when We need ships. we have not got
them. We have year after year de-
hated, without end or conclusion. the
hest policy to pursue with regard to
the use nf the ores and forests and
water powers of our national domain
In the rich states of the west, when
we should have acted; and they are
still locked up. The key is still turn
ed upon them, the door shuts fast at
which thousands of vigorous men. full
of initiative. knock clamorously for
admittance. The water power of our
navigable strea ms outside the nation
al domain also, even in the eastern
states, where we have worked and
planned for generations, is still not
used as ii might be, because we will
and we won't; because the laws we
have made do not intelligently balance
announcement against restraint. We
withhold by regulation.
Wants Remedy.
have come tn ask to remedy and
correct these mistakes and omissions,
even at this short session of a con-
gress which would certainly seem to
have done all the work that could rea-
sonabiy be expected of it. The time
and the circumstances are extraorli-
nary, and so must our efforts be also.
Fortunately, two great measures,
finely conceived, the one to unlock,
with proper safeguards the resources
of the national domain the other to
encourage the use of the navigable
waters outside that domain for the
passed the house of representatives
and are ready for immediate consid-
Grafton and action by the senate With
the deepest earnestness l urge their
prompt passage. In them both we
turn our backs upon hesitation and
makeshift and formulate genuine
policy of use and conservation, in the
best sense of those words. We owe
the one measure not only to the peo-
nf hot
whose free and systematic develop
nnent, AS it seems to me, our legisla-
tlon has done SO little. but also to
the people of the nation as whole;
and we as clearly owe the other in
rulhllment of our repeated promises
that the water power of the country
should in fact as we'll as in name he
put at the disposal of great indus
tries which can make economical and
able use of it, the rights of the
public being adequately guarded the
while, and monopoly in the use pre-
vented. To have begun such meas
ures and not completed them would
indeed mar the record of this grcat
congress very seriously. hope and
confidently believe that they will be
completed.
The Philippines.
And there is another great piece of
legislation which awaits and should
receive the sanction OF the senate:
mean the bill which gives a larger
measure Of self-government to the
people of the Philippines How bet
Ter. III this time of anxious question
Ing and perplexed policy. could we
snow our confidence in the principles
"f liberty. as the source as well as the
expression of life. how better could
we demonstrate our own self-posses-
sion and steadfastness in the. courses
or Justice and disinterestedness than
ny mus going calmly forward to full
1lli our promises to a dependent peo-
pie, who will now look more anxious
~ than ever to see whether we have
indeed the liberality. the unselfish.
ness. the courage, the faith we have
boasted and professed. 1 can not be.
Ileve that the senate will let this great
measure of constructive justice avail,
the action of another congress. Its
passage would nobly crown the record
Dor. ~
But think that you will agree with
me that this does not complete the
toll OF our duty. How are we to car.
ry our goods to the empty markets
OF which I have spoken if we have
not the ships? How are we to build
up great trade if we have not the
certain and constant means of trans.
portation upon which all profitable
and useful commerce depends? And
how are we to get the ships if we wal
for the trade to develop without
them? To correct the many mistakes
by which we have discouraged ant
all but destroyed the merchant ma,
rine of the country" to retrace the
steps by which we have, 1t seems al
most deliberately, withdrawn our fae
from the seas, except where. here anG
there, ship Of war is bidden carry i
or some wandering Yacht disnlaua ~