The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-01-27
ROOsevelt's Philadelphia
 Speech On Subject Causes Favorable Comment
SHOULD STRENGTHEN
 POINTS IN INTERIOR
1 Secretary Herbert Also Has Spoken Strongly in Favor of Ade- quate Preparedness Programme
By HOLLAND

1 New York January 6.-(Special. )-PoS-
 sibly the few words which were spoken 1 by Colonel Roosevelt to the vast body of l hearers whom he addressed in Philadel- i phia few nights ago. which have oc- ca stoned the chief comment in this city ! were those in which he referred to the ! necessity, from the point of view of pre- pal 1edness, for stimulating and encour- aging wise and thorough expansion of the great iron manufacturing plants in | that part of the south of which Birmlng- | ham is the center.
 The occasion was the first of which Colonel Roosevelt has taken advantage to l justify in plainly spoken words the coop eration which was established when the United States Steel corporation purchased the controlling interest in the great plant at Birmingham and it's vicinity. When Colonel Roosevelt as President, gave a sort of qualified consent to this purchase, those to whom that assent was informally given were persuaded that he was of the opinion that this combination would De justified because it was reasonable ana would prove in no way to be an unjust restraint of trade.
 At that time Colonel Roosevelt was al- ways considering the question of prepara- ton, although in a general way. He had not had the experience based upon the European war on which to formulate
 well-perfected judgment. Therefore, those
 who then saw President Roosevelt and
 who. after he became a private citizen,
 talked with him, were persuaded that he
 a SI-
 ness, industrial and economic point of view. They have held that opinion ever
 since It has always been the view or George w. Perkins. In this Philadelphia address-while aluding incidentally to the economic advantage of this combination
 he also spoke of it's value to the United States as a factor of preparedness. This confirms the view which has been agl- tated for sometime by Richard Ii. Ed monds in the Manufacturers Record or Baltimore. Colonel Roosevelts state ment commanded instant attention in thls city, and has been generally commented upon, some thinking it perhaps the cmet feature of the Philadelphia address.
 Ir line with the view that there should be interior industries which would facii-
 tate the work of preparation, as well as increase the industrial activity In the
 south, there comes from an authorlta-
 tive report that in northeast Texas an
 iron and steel manufacturing plant IS speedily to be established. The plant VIII
 have easy access to navigable waters upon the Mississippi river There is what is thought in that city to be a sound, economic policy behind this organization. For it is possible to establish there plant which can take advantage of the enormous iron ore deposits in that Vl- cinty, and which will be able to secure coke at a very low price. When this en- terprise is in full operation it will iden- tify one of the rapid changes now in pro- gress in Texas which make it certain that the time is not distant when this empire of the southwest will be, relatively speak, ing, as great an industrial community as il is q aCriCultural.