THE NORFOLK NEWS : FRIDAY , DECEMBER 6 , 1001.
tlon nnd maintenance of the national
wealth li now more fully realized than
ever before.
WJso forest protection docs not mrnn
the withdrawn ! of forest reaourcon ,
whether of wood , water or grnsn , from
contributing their full share to the wol-
Turn of the people. , but , on the contrary ,
Rlvea the nnimrntice of larger nnil tnoro
ccrlntn supplies. The fundamental Idea
of forrotry 1 the perpetuation of forcats
tiy use. Forcitt protection In not nn end
of Itself ! It la a mrnnn to Increase nnd
uatnln the rcanurcra of our country nnil
the Industries which depend \ipon them.
! Tlie preservation of our foresta la nn Im
perative business necessity. We hav
como to see clearly that whatever do-
troy * the forest except to make way for
OCTlculturo threatona our well being.
The practical uanfulneaa of the national
forent rcaervea to the mining , grazing , Ir
rigation anil other Intereata of the region *
In which the reservea lie hna led to n
widespread demand by the people of the
weal for their protection and extension.
The forcat reaorvca will Inevitably be of
till greater uae In the future than In the
p/i.v : . Addltlona should be made to them
whenovtr practicable , nnd their useful-
HMMI ahould be Increaned by a thoroughly
bufltneanllko management
At preaent the protection of the forent
rcBcrvon resto with the general land office ,
the mapping and description of their tim
ber with the United Btnten geological aur-
vey and the preparation of plana for tholr
conitervntlvo uao with the burteau of for
estry , which la nlno charged with the gen
eral ndvancemont of practical forestry In
the United States. Theae varloua funo-
llona ahould be united In the bureau of
forestry , to which they properly belong.
The present disunion of responsibility In
bad from every standpoint It provonta
that effective co-operation between the
government nnd the men who utilize the
resources of the reserved without which
the Interests of both must Buffer. The
scientific buronua generally ahould bo put
tinder the department of agriculture The
president should have by Inw the power
of transferring lands for UBO nn forrst re
serves to the dopnrtmcnt of ngrlculturo.
llo already has such power In the CIIHO of
lands needed by the departments of war
nnd the navy.
IrrlRntlon ,
The wine administration of the forest
reserves will be not leas helpful to the In-
tcrenta which depend on water than to
those which depend on wood uml grasa.
The water mipply Itself depends upon the
forest. In the arid region It Is water , not
laud , which measures production. The
western half of the United States would
BUBtaln n population greater than that of
our whole country today If the watcrn
that now run to waato wore saved and
used for Irrigation. The forest and water
problems are perhaps the moot vital In
ternal questions of the United States.
Certain of the forest reserves should
also bo mndo preserves for the wild forest
creatures. All of the reserves should bo
better protected from flrca. Many of them
need special protection because of thn
grout Injury done by live stock , above nil
by nhcop. The Increase In doer , elk nnd
other animals In the Yellowstone park
hews what may bo expected when other
mountain forests nro properly protected
by law nnd properly guarded. Some of
these arctiB have been so denuded of sur
face vegetation by overgrazing that the
wound breeding birds. Including grouse
and quail , nnd many mammals. Including
deer , have been exterminated or driven
away. At the same tlmo the wnter stor
ing capacity of the surface has been de
creased or destroyed , tints promoting
floods In times of rain nnd diminishing the
How of streams between rains.
In cases where natural conditions have
been restored for a few 'yearn vegetation
lias ngnln carpeted the ground , birds nnd
deer nro coming back , and hundreds of
persons , especially from the Immediate
neighborhood , como each summer to en
joy the privilege of camping. Some nt
Icnst of the forest' reserves should afford
perpetual protection to the natl.vo fauna
Horn , ftnfn hnvpna of rofutro to our
rapidly diminishing wild animals of the
larger kinds nnd free camping grounds fr
the over Increasing numbers of men a.a ;
women who have learned to find rest ,
health nnd recreation In the splendid for
ests and flower clad meadows of our
mountains. The forest reserves should bo
act apart forever for the use nnd benefit
of our people ns n whole and not sacrificed
to the shortsighted greed of n few.
The forests nro natural reservoirs. By
-restraining the streams In Hood nnd re
plenishing them In drought they make
possible tlie use of waters otherwise
wasted. They prevent the soil from washIng -
Ing and BO protect the storage reservoirs
from filling up with silt , Forest conserva
tion la therefore nn essential condition of
water conservation.
Stornice Work * Neceisnry.
The forests nlono cannot , however , fully
Jitrulato nnd conserve the waters of the
arid region. CJrent storage works are noc-
< ejuary to equalize the flow of streams nnd
to save the flood waters. Their construc
tion has been conclusively shown to bo nn
undertaking too vast for private effort
14or can it be best accomplished by the In
dividual states acting alono. Fnrrcachlng
Interstate problems are Involved , and the
resources of single states would often bo
Inadequate. It Is properly a national
function , at least In Bomo of Its features.
It U aa right for the national government
to make the streams nnd rivers of the
arid region useful by engineering works
for water storage as to make useful the
xlvers and harbors of the humid region by
engineering works of another kind. The
storing of the floods In reservoirs at the
headwaters of our rivers Is but an en
largement of our preaent policy of river
control under which levees are built on
the lower reaches of the same streams.
The government should construct nnd
maintain these reservoirs as It doea other
public works. Where their purpose Is to
regulate the flow of streams the water
ehould be turned freely Into the channels
in the dry season to take the same course
under the same laws a * the natural flow.
The reclamation of the unsettled arid
public lands presents n different problem.
Here It Is not enough to regulate the flow
of streams. The object of the government
la to dispose of the land to settlers who
will build homes upon It To accomplish
this object water must be brought within
their reach.
The pioneer settlers on the arid public
domain chose their homes along streams
from which they could themselves divert
the water to reclaim their holdings. Buch
opportunities are practically gone. There
remain , however , vast areas of public
land which can ba made available for
homestead settlement , but only by rcscr-
volra and main line canals Impracticable
for private enterprise. These Irrigation
works should be built by the national
government The lands reclaimed by
them should be reserved by the govern
ment for actual settlers , and the cost of
construction should so far as possible
be repaid by the land reclaimed. The
distribution of the water , the division of
the streams among Inigators , should be
left to the settlers themselves In conform
ity with state laws and without Interfer
ence with those laws or with vested
lights. The policy of the national gov
ernment should be to aid Irrigation In the
Beveral states and territories In such man
ner as will enable the people in the local
communities to help themselves and as
will stimulate needed reforms In the state
laws and regulations governing Irrigation
Will Enrich tbe Whole Conntrjr.
The reclamation and settlement of the
arid lands will enrich every portion of
our country , just as the settlement of the
Ohio and Mississippi valleys brought
prosperity to the Atlantic states. The
Increased demand for manufactured arti
cles will stimulate Industrial production ,
while wider home markets and the trade
of Asia will consume the larger food sup
plies and effectually prevent western com
petition with eastern ngrlcullure. Indeed
the prodnctR of Irrigation will bo con-
mimed chiefly In upbuilding local centers
of mining and other ImlUNtrles which
would ulhrrwlao not comn Into existence
nt nil. Our pcoplo us n whole will profit ,
for BUceenHful Imtnomnklng la but another
name for the upbuilding of the nation ,
Tliu necessary foundation hna already
been laid for the Inauguration of thn poli
cy Just described. 11 would bo unwise to
begin by doing too much , for n grcut donl
will dotibtleni bo learned , both na to what
ran nnd wlmt cannot bu safely attnnptcd ,
by the enrly efforts , which must of neces
sity bo partly experimental In character ,
At the very beginning the government
should tnnke clear , beyond shadow of
doubt , Ita Intention to puraue this policy
on linen of the brondoat public Interest
No roncrvolr or canal ahould over bo built
to aatlHfy nclflih personal or local Inter
est ! , but only In accordance with the ad
vice of trained experts after long Investi
gation him shown the locality where all
the conditions combine to make the work
moat needed nnd fraught with the great-
tut UBofulneRH to the community nn a
whole. There ahould be no extravagance ,
and the bcllevora In the need of Irriga
tion will most benefit their cause by aee-
Ing to It that It la free from the leant
taint of oxccaiilve or rocklenu expenditure
of the public moneys.
Irrlwnttan I.mm.
Whatever the nation doea for the nxten-
nlon of Irrigation should harmonize with
and tend to Improve the condition of
those now living on Irrigated land. Wo
are not at the ntnrtlng point of thin de
velopment. Ovur two hundred mllllonn of
prlvnto capital has already been expended
In the construction of Irrigation works
nnd many million ncren of arid land re
claimed. A high degree of enterprise and
ability hail boon Known In the work Itself ,
but ns much cannot bo said In reference
to the lawn relating thereto. The securi
ty and vnluo of the tinmen created depend
largely on the stability of titles to water ,
but the majority of thcno rent on the un
certain foundation of court decisions ren
dered In ordinary Hiiltii at law. With a
few creditable ) exception ) ) , the arid stated
have failed to provide for the certain nnd
just division of ntreaniH In times of scarci
ty , l ix nnd uncertain lawn have made It
possible to establlHh rights to water In
excess of actual uses or neccHsltlos , nnd
many streams have already paused Into
prlvnto ownership or n control equivalent
to ownership.
Whoever controls a nlrenm practically
controln the land It renders productive ,
and tlio doctrlnu of prlvato ownership of
water apart from land cannot prevail
without causing enduring wrong. The rec
ognition of such ownership , which has
been permitted to grow up In the nrld
regions , should give way to a moro en
lightened and larger recognition of the
rights of the public In the control nnd
disposal of the public water supplies.
Laws founded upon conditions obtaining
In humid regions , where water Is too
abundant to Justify hoarding It , have no
proper application in a dry country.
The Only HIKht to Wnter.
In the nrld states the only right to wri
er which should bo recognized In that of
use. In Irrigation thlu right should attach
o the land reclaimed nnd bo Inseparable
horofrom. Granting perpetual water
rights to others than users without com-
> oiiBatlon to the public la open to all the
objections which apply to giving away
perpetual franchises to the public utilities
if cltlcH. A few of the western statcH
mvo already recognized this nnd have lif-
corpornted In tholr constitutions the doc-
rlno of perpetual statu ownership of wn-
cr.
cr.Tho
The bonclltn which have followed the
maided development of the past justify
the nation's aid and co-opcrntlon In the
nero dllllcult nnd Important work yet to
10 accomplished. Laws BO vitally nffoct-
ng homes as these which control the wa-
er supply will only bo effective when
hey have the sanction of the Irrigate ;
reforms can only bo llnal nnd satlafnctory
when they como through the enlighten
ment of the people most concerned. The
arger development which national nld In
sures should , however , awaken In every
irld atato the determination to make Its
rrlgatlon system equal In justice and cf-
loctlvenefla that of any country In the civ-
Hzed world. Nothing could bo moro un-
wlso than for Isolated communities to
continue to learn everything experimen
tally Instead of profiting by what Is al
ready known elsewhere. Wo nro dealing
ivlth a now nnd momentous question In
; ho pregnant years whllo Institutions are
forming , nnd what wo do will affect not
only the present hut future generations.
Our aim should bo not simply to reclaim
the largest area of land and provldo
tiomos for the largest number of people ,
Sut to create for this new Industry the
jest possible social and Industrial condi
tions , nnd this requires that wo not only
understand the existing situation , but
avail ourselves of the best experience of
the tlmo In the solution of its problems.
A careful study should bo mndo both by
the nation and the states of the Irrigation
laws and conditions hero and abroad
Ultimately It will probably bo necessary
for the nation to co-operate with the sev
eral arid states In proportion ns these
states by their legislation and administra
tion show themselves flt to receive It
Hawaii and I'orto lllco.
In Hawaii our aim must bo to develop
the territory on the traditional American
lines. Wo do not wish n region of largo
estates tilled by cheap labor. We wish a
healthy American community of men
who themselves till the farms they own.
All our legislation for the Islands should
bo shaped with this end In view. The well
being of the average homemaker must
afford the true test of the healthy devel
opment of the Islands. The land policy
should as nearly as possible be modeled
on our homestead system.
It la a pleasure to say that It la hardly
more necessary to report as to Porto lllco
than as to any state or territory within
our continental limits. The Island is
thriving as never before , nnd It Is being
administered efficiently and honestly. Ita
people are now enjoying liberty and order
under the protection of the United States ,
and upon this fact we congratulate them
and ourselves. Their material welfare
must be ns carefully and jealously consid
ered as the welfare of any other portion
of our country. Wo have given them the
great gift of free access for their products
to the markets of the United States. I ask
the attention of the congress to the need
of legislation concerning the public lands
of Porto Hlco.
Cuba nnd the Philippine ! .
In Cuba such progress has been made
toward putting the Independent govern
ment of the Island upon a firm footing
that before the present session of the
congress cloaca this will be an accompllah-
ed fact Cuba will then start as her own
mlstrcsa. and to the beautiful Queen of
the Antilles as she unfolds this new page
of her destiny we extend our hearties !
greetings and good wishes. Elsewhere j
have discussed the question of reciproci
ty. In the case or Cuba , however , there
are weighty reasons of morality and of
national Interest why the policy should be
held to have a peculiar application , and :
most earnestly ask your attention to the
wisdom , Indeed to the vital need , of pro
viding for a substantial reduction In the
tariff duties on Cuban Imports Into the
United States. Cuba has In her constltu
tlon afllrmed what wo desired , that she
ahould stand In International matters In
closer and more friendly relations with us
than with any other power , and we are
bound by every consideration of hone
and expediency to pass commercial mcas
urea In the Interest of her material wel
being.
In the Philippines our problem Is larger
They are very rich tropical Islands , Inhab
Ited by many varying tribes , representing
widely different stages of progress to
ward civilization. Our earnest effort Is t
help these people upward along the iton
ml difficult path that Icada lo self gov-
rnment. Wo hope to make our mlmln-
Rtrntlon of the iHlandn honorable to our
atlon by making It of thu highest btmetlt
n the KlllpluoH thcmsclvci , nnd an nn
arnrnt of what we Intend to do wn point
o what wo have done. Already a greater
nenfliiru of material prrmpcilty and of
ovornmontnl hontnty nnd einclcncy ban
joen attained In the Philippine * than over
cforo In their history ,
TrrnlniPttt of I'Mllplnon.
It Is no fight tank for a nation to
achieve the temperamental qualities with-
ut which the Inntltutlonn of free govern
ment nro but empty mockery. Our poole -
> lo are now successfully governing them-
elven because for moro than a thousand
earn they have bean alowly fitting them-
elves , Nomotlmea consciously , Homotlmen
nconsclouDly , toward thli end. What
ina taken us thirty generations to achieve
wo cannot expect to neo another race no-
ompllnh out of hand , especially when
argu portion * of that rnco start very far
> ohlnd the jmlnt which our ancestors had
cached even thirty generation ! ago. In
paling with the Philippine people we
mint ahow both patience and strength ,
orbenrnnco nnd steadfast rcnolutlon. Our
aim In high. Wo do not desire to do for
ho lalandcrn merely what hns elsewhere
> oen done for tropic peoples by oven tha
icst foreign governments. Wo hope to do
or them what tins never before been done
or any people of the troplcn to make
hem flt for self government after the
nnhlon of the really free nations.
History may safely bo challenged tn
how n single Instance in which a master-
ill race such ON ours , having boon forced
> y the exigencies of war to take POSHCH-
ilon of nn niton land , has bchavod to Its
nhnbltnnta with the disinterested zeal for
heir progress that our people have shown
n the Philippines. To leave the Islands nt
hla tlmo would mean that they would
all Into a welter of murderous anarchy
3uch n desertion of duty on our part
vould ho a crime against humanity. The
character of Governor Taft and of bin aa-
oclatcH and subordinates la a proof , If
uch bo needed , of the tdncorlty of our
'ffort to give the Islandcra n constantly
ncreaidiiK measure of Belt government
exactly an fawt as they show themselves
It to uxcrclna It. Slnco the civil govern-
nont WUH established not nn appointment
ins been made In the Islands with any
cferenco to considerations of political In-
luenco or to aught elno save the Illness
of the man and the needs of the service.
Pallor of I.ocnt Self Government.
In our anxiety for the welfare nnd
> regress of the Philippines It may bo that
icro and there we have gona too rapidly
n giving them local self government It
a on this sldo that our error , If any ,
ms been committed. No competent ob
server alncercly desirous of finding out
ho facts nnd Influenced only by a de-
nlro for the welfare of the natives can
assert that wo have not gone far enough.
Wo have gone to the very verge of safety
n hastening the. process. To have taken
n single atcp farther or faster In advance
would have boon folly nnd weakness and
nilght well have been crime. Wo are ex
tremely anxious that the natives shall
show the power of governing themselves.
Wo are anxious llrst for tholr Bakes and
next because It relieves us of a great bur-
len. There need not bo the slightest fonr
of our not continuing to glvo them all the
Iberty for which they nro lit.
The only fear Is lest In our ovornnxloty
wo give them n degree of Independcnco
for which they nro unlit , thereby Inviting
reaction nnd disaster. AH fast ns there Is
any reasonable hope that 'In n given dis
trict the people can govern themselves
self government hns been given In that
district. Thcro Is not n locality lit ted for
iclf government which has not received
It. Hut It may well bo that In certain
cases It will have to bo withdrawn be-
cnuao the Inhabitants show themselves
unlit to axcrclso It Such Instances have
ilrcady occurred. In other words , there
Is not the slightest chnnco of our falling
to show a Bittllclontly humanitarian spirit.
The danger comes In the opposite direc
tion.
tion.There
There nro still troubles ahead In the Is
lands. The Insurrection haa become nn
affair of local banditti nnd marauders ,
who deserve no higher regard than the
brigands of portions of the old world.
Encouragement , direct or Indirect , to
these Insurrectos stands on the same footIng -
Ing as encouragement to hostile Indians
In the days when wo still had Indian
wars. ISxactly as our aim la to glvo to
the Indian who remains peaceful the
fullest and amplest consideration , but to
have it understood that wo will show no
weakness If ho goes on the warpath , so
wo must mnko It evident , unless we are
false to our own traditions and to the de
mands of civilization nnd humanity , that
while wo will do everything In our power
for the Filipino who is peaceful wo will
take the sternest measures with the Filipino
pine who follows the path of the Insurrec-
to and the lj\drone.
The neartlcst praise Is due to largo
numbers of the natives of the Islands for
their steadfast loyalty. The Macnbebcs
have boon conspicuous for their courage
nnd devotion to the flag. I recommend
that the secretary of war bo empowered
to talto some systematic action In the
way of aiding those of these men who
nro crippled In the servlco and the fami
lies of these who are killed.
Philippine LcffUlntlon.
The tlmo has come when there should
bo additional legislation for the Philip
pines. Nothing better can be done for the
Islands than to Introduce Industrial enter
prises. Nothing would benefit them so
much aa throwing them open to Indus
trial development The connection be
tween Idleness nnd mischief Is proverbial ,
and the opportunity to do remunerative
work IB one of the surest preventives of
war. Of c9urso no business man will go
Into the Philippines unless It Is to his in
terest to do so , nnd It Is Immensely to the
Interest of the Islands that he should go
In. It Is therefore necessary that thf
congress should pass laws by which the
resources of the islands can be developed ,
so that franchises ( for limited terms of
years ) can bo granted to companies doing
business In them and every encourage
ment bo given to the incoming of business
men of every kind.
Not to permit this is to do a wrong to
the Philippines. The franchises must be
granted and the business permitted only
under regulations' which will guarantee
the Islands against any kind of Improper
exploitation. Dut the vast natural wealth
of the Islands must bo developed , and the
capital willing to develop It must bo given
the opportunity. The field must be thrown
open to Individual enterprise , which hns
been the real factor In the development of
every region over which our flag has
flown. It Is urgently necessary to enact
suitable laws dealing with general trans
portation , mining , banking , currency ,
homesteads and the use and ownership of
the lands and timber. These laws will give
free play to industrial enterprise , and the
commercial development which will surely
follow will afford to the people of the
Islands the best proofs of the sincerity of
our dealro to aid them.
I call your attention most earnestly to
the crying need of a cable to Hawaii and
the Philippines , to be continued from the
Philippines to points In Asia. We should
not defer a day longer than necessary the
construction of such a cable. It is de
manded not merely for commercial but
for political and military considerations.
Either the rongress should Immediately
provide for the construction of a govern
ment cable or else an arrangement should
be made by which llko advantages to
these accruing from a government cable
may be secured to the government by
contract with a prlvato cable company.
The Iithmlan Cnnnl.
No single great material work which re
mains to be undertaken on this continent
Is of such consequence to the American
people as the building of a canal across
the UthmuB connecting North and South
America. Its Importance to the nation la |
by no moans limited merely to Ita mate
rial effects upon our business pronpcrlty ,
snd yet with n view to thci * effects alone It
would be to the lust d nroo Important for
us Immediately to begin It While Ita ben
eficial effects would perhaps bo most
marked upon the Paclllo count nnd the I
gulf nnd south Atlantic ataton , It would
nltm greatly benefit other Bcctlona. It la '
emphatically a work which It la for the
Interest of the entire country to begin nnd
complete na noon as ponslblo ; It la one. of
these great works which only n great na
tion can undertake with prospccta of sue-
ccsn and which when done are not only
permanent nnactn In the nation's material
Intercntn , but ntnndlng monuments to Ita
constructive ability.
I am glad to bo able to announce to you
that our negotiations on thin subject with
Great lirltnln , conducted on both Bides in
a spirit of frlondllnenn nnd mutual good
will and respect , have resulted tn my
being able to lay before the senate a
treaty which If ratified will enable us to
begin preparations for an Isthmian canal
at any tlmo nnd which guarantees to this
nation every right that It has over asked.
In connection with the canal. In thin
treaty the old Clayton-Bulwcr treaty , BO
long recognized as Inadequate to supply
the base for the construction nnd mainte
nance of a necessarily American ship ca'-
nal , Is abrogated. It specifically provides
that tha United States alone shall do the
work of building nnd assume the respon
sibility of safeguarding the canal nnd
almll regulnto Its neutral use by nil na
tions on terms of equality without the
guarantee or Interference of nny outside
nation from nny quarter. The algned
treaty will nt once bo laid bcforo the sen
ate , nnd If approved the congress can then
proceed to give effect to the advantages It
secures us by providing for the building of
the canal.
The trim end of every great nnd free
people should bo self respecting peace ,
nnd this nation most earnestly deslros
sincere nnd cordial friendship with nil
others. Over the entire world of recent
yearn wars between the great civilized
powers have bccomo less and less fre
quent. Wars with barbarous or semlbar-
baroun peoples come In an entirely differ
ent category , being merely a most rcgrot-
tnblo but necessary International pollco
duty which munt bo performed for the
sake of the welfare of mankind. Peace
can only bo kept with certainty where
both Bides wish to keep It , but moro nnd
moro the civilized peoples nro realizing
the wicked folly of war nnd are attaining
that condition of just nnd Intelligent re
gard for the rights of others which will In
the end , ns wo hope nnd believe , make
worldwide pcaco possible. The pence con
ference at The Hague gave definite ex
pression to this hope nnd belief and mark
ed a strldo toward their attainment
The Monroe Doctrine.
This same pence conference acquiesced
In our statement of the Monroe doctrlno
aa compatible with the purposes and alms
of the conference.
The Monroe doctrine should be the car
dinal feature of the foreign policy of all
the nations of the two Americas as It Is of
the United States. Just seventy-eight
years have passed since President Mon
roe In his annual message announced that
"tho American continents nro henceforth
not to bo considered as subjects fqr future
colonization by any European power. " In
other words , the Monroe doctrine Is a dec
laration that there must bo no territorial
aggrandizement by any non-American
power nt the expense of nny American
power on American soil. It Is In nowlso
Intended as hostile to nny nation In the
old world. Still loss Is It Intended to give
cover to nny aggression by one new world
power nt the expense of any other. It Is
simply a step , and n long step , toward as-
Biirlng the universal pence of the world by
securing the possibility of permanent
pcaco on this hemisphere.
During the past century other influences
have established the permanence and In
dependence of the Btnallcr states of Eu
rope. Through the Monroe doctrine we
hope to bo nblo to safeguard llko Inde
pendcnco and secure like permanence for
the lesser among the now world nations.
This doctrlno has nothing to do with the
commercial relations of nny American
power save that It In truth allows each of
them to form such as It desires. In other
words , It Is really n guarantee of the com
mercial Independence of the Americas.
Wo do not nsk under this doctrine for nny
exclusive commercial dealings with any
other American state. We do not guaran
tee any state against punishment If it
misconducts Itself provided that punish
ment does not take the form of the acqui
sition of territory by any non-American
power.
Our attitude In Cuba Is n sufficient guar
antee of our own good faith. We have
not the slightest desire to secure any ter
ritory at the expense of any of our neigh
bors. Wo wish to work with them hand
in hand , so that all of us may be uplifted
together , and we rejoice over the good
fortune of any of them , wo gladly hall
their material prosperity and political sta
bility and are concerned and alarmed If
any of them fall Into Industrial or political
chaos. We do not wish to see any old
world military power grow up on this
continent or to bo compelled to become a
military power ourselves. The peoples of
the Americas con prosper best If left to
work out their own salvation In tholr own
way.
The Navy.
The work of upbuilding the navy munt
be steadily continued. No one point of
our policy , foreign or domestic. Is more
Important than this to the honor and ma
terial welfare and , above all , to the peace
of our nation In the future. Whether we
desire It or not we must henceforth recog
nise that we have International duties no
less than International rights. Eren If
our flag were hauled down In the Philip
pines and Porto Rico , even If we decided
not to build the Isthmian canal , we should
need a thoroughly trained navy of ade
quate size or else be prepared definitely
and for all tlmo to abandon the Idea that
our nation Is among those whose sons go
down to the sea In ships. Unless our com
merce Is always to be carried In foreign
bottoms wo must have war craft to pro
tect It
Inasmuch , however , aa the American
people have no thought of abandoning the
path upon which they have entered , and
especially In view of the fact that the
building of the Isthmian canal Is fast
becoming one of the matters which the
whole people nro united In demanding , It
Is Imperative that our navy should bo put
and kept In the highest state of efficiency
and should bo made to answer to our
growing needs. So far from being In nny
way a provocation to war , an adequate
and highly trained navy Is the best
guarantee against war , the cheapest and
most effective peace Insurance , The cost
of building and maintaining such a navy
represents the very lightest premium for
Insuring peace which this nation can pos
sibly pay.
Probably no other great nation In the
world IB so anxious for peace as wo are.
There Is not a single civilized power
which has anything whatever to fear
from aggressiveness on our part All we
want Is peace , and toward this end we
wish to be able to secure the same re-
pect for our rights from others which
we are eager and anxious to extend to
their rights In return , to Insure fair treat
ment to us commercially nnd to guaran
tee the safety of the American people.
Our people Intend to abide by the Mon
roe doctrlno and to Insist upon It as the
one sure means of securing the peace of
the western hemisphere. The navy offers
us the only means of making our Insist
ence upon the Monroe doctrlno anything
but a subject of derision to whatever na
tion chooses to disregard It We desire
the peace which comes as of right to the
Just man armed ; not the peace granted on
terms of Ignominy to the craven and the
weakling.
It Is not possible to Improvlis a navy
after war breaks out. The ships muat
bo built nnd the men trained long In ad
vanco. Some auxiliary vcnseln can bo
turned Into makeshifts which will do In
default of nny hotter for the minor work ,
and a proportion of raw men can bo
mixed with the highly trained , their
shortcomings being mndo good by the
Bklll of their follows , but the efficient
fighting force of the navy when pitted
ngulnat an equal opponent wilt bo found
almost exclualvely In the warships that
have been regularly built nnd In the offi
cers and men who through years of faith
ful performance of sea duty have been
trained to handle their formidable but
complex and delicate weapons with the
highest efficiency. In the late war with
Spain the ahlpa that dealt the decisive
blowa at Manila and Santiago had been
launched from two to fourteen years , nnd
they were able to do na they did because
the men In the conrilng towers , the gun
turrets nnd the engine roojng had through
long years of practice at IKa learned how
to do tholr duty.
Our present navy was begun In 1882. At
that period our navy consisted of a collec
tion of antiquated wooden ahlpa already
almost as out of place against modern
war vessels as the galleys of Alclblades
nnd Hnmllcnr , certainly as the ships of
Tromp and Itlnko. Nor at that tlmo did
wo have men flt to handle a modern man-
of-war. Under the wlso legislation of the
congress and the successful administra
tion of a succession of patriotic secreta
ries of the navy belonging to both politi
cal parties the work of upbuilding the
navy went on , nnd ahlpB equal to any In
ho world of their kind wore continually
iddcd , nnd , what was oven moro Impor-
ant , these ships were exercised nt sea
singly nnd In squadrons until the men
aboard them were nblo to get the best
> osslblo service out of them. The result
was seen In the short war with Spain ,
which was decided with such rapidity be-
cnuso of the Infinitely greater prepared
ness of our r.avy than of the Spanish
navy.
navy.The
The Pnrt I'lnyed by CotiRrenn.
Whllo awarding the fullest honor to the
men who actually commanded and mnn-
icd the Bhlps which destroyed the Span-
sh Bca forces In the Philippines and In
Cuba , wo must not forget than an equal
meed of praise belongs to these without
whom neither blow could have been
struck. The congressmen who voted for
roars In ndvnnco the money to lay down
the ships , to build the guns , to buy thr >
irmor plato , the department officials and
; ho business men and wageworkors who
'urnlahed what the congress had author-
zed , the secretaries of the navy who
iskod for nnd expended the appropria
tions and finally the officers who In fair
weather nnd foul on actual sea service
trained and disciplined the crews of the
ships when there was no war In sight all
nro entitled to a full share In the glory of
Manila nnd Santiago and the respect ac
corded by every true American to those
who wrought such signal triumph for our
country. It was forethought and prepara
tion which secured us the overwhelming
triumph of 1S98. If we fall to show fore
thought nnd preparation now , there may
como n tlmo when disaster will befall us
Instead of triumph , and should this time
como the fault will rest primarily not
upon these whom the accident of events
puts In supreme command at the moment ,
but upon these who have failed to prepare
In advance.
There should bo no cessation In the
work of completing our navy. So far In
genuity has been wholly unable to devlso
i substitute for the great war craft whose
hammering guns beat out the mastery of
the high seas. It Is uns.afo and unwlso not
to provldo this year for several additional
tmttleshlps and heavy armored cruisers ,
with auxiliary nnd lighter craft In pro
portion. For the exact numbers nnd char
acter I refer you to the report of the secre
tary of the navy , nut there Is something
wo need even more than additional ships ,
and this Is additional officers nnd men. To
nrovldo battleshlns and cruisers nnd then
lay them up , with the expectation of leav
ing them unmanned until they are needed
In actual war , would bo worse than folly.
It would be a crlmo against the nation.
More Men Required.
To send nny warship against a compe
tent enemy unless these aboard It have
been trained by years of actual sea serv
lco. Including Incessant gunnery practice ,
would be to Invite not merely disaster ,
but the bitterest shame and humiliation.
Four thousand additional seamen and a
thousand additional marines should bo
provided , and nn Increase In the officers
should be provided by making a large ad
dition to the classes at Annapolis. There
Is one small matter which should be men
tioned In connection with Annapolis. The
pretentious nnd unmeaning title of "naval
cadet" should bo abolished ; the title of
"midshipman , " full of historic associa
tion , should ho restored.
Even In tlmo of peace a warship should
bo used until It wears out , for only so can
It bo kept flt to respond to any emergen
cy. The officers and men alike should be
kept as much as possible on blue water ,
for It Is there only they can learn their
duties as they should be learned. The big
vessels should bo maneuvered In squad
rons containing not merely battleships ,
but the necessary proportion of cruisers
nnd scouts. The torpedo boats should be
handled by the younger officers In such
manner as will beat flt the latter to take
responsibility and meet the emergencies
of actual warfare.
Every detail ashore which can be per
formed by a civilian should be BO per
formed , the officer being kept for his spe
cial duty In the sea service. Above all ,
gunnery practice should bo unceasing. It
Is Important to have our navy of ade
quate size , but It Is even more Impor
tant that , ship for ship. It should equal
In efficiency any navy In the world.
This Is possible only with highly drilled
crows and officers , and this in turn Im
peratively demands continuous and pro
gressive Instruction In target practice ,
ship handling , squadron tactics and gen
eral discipline. Our ships must be assem
bled In squadrons actively cruising away
from harbors and never long nt anchor.
The resulting wear upon engines and
hulls must be endured. A battleship worn
out In long training of officers and men Is
well paid for by the results , whllo , on the
other hand , no matter In how excellent
condition It Is useless If the crow be not
expert
Tbe Neccaaltr of Drill.
Wo now have seventeen battleships ap
propriated for , of which nine are complet
ed and have been commissioned for actual
service. The remaining eight will be ready
in from two to four years , but It will
take at least that time to recruit and
train the men to flght them. It Is of vast
concern that we have trained crews ready
for the vessels by the tlmo they are com
missioned. Good ships and good guns are
simply good weapons , and the best weap
ons are useless save In the hands of men
who know how to flght with them. The
men must bo trained and drilled under a
thorough and well planned system of pro
gressive instruction , whllo the recruiting
must be carried on with still greater vig
or. Every effort must be made to exalt
the main function of the officer the com
mand of men. The leading graduates of
the Naval academy should be assigned to
the combatant branches , the line and ma
rines.
Many of the essentials of success are al
ready recognized by the general board ,
which , as the central office of a growing
staff , Is moving steadily toward a proper
war efficiency and a proper efficiency of
the whole navy under the secretary. This
general board , by fostering the creation of
a general staff , Is providing for the offi
cial and then the general recognition ol
our altered conditions as a nation and of
the true meaning of a great war fleet ,
which meaning Is , first , the beat men , and ,
second , the best ship * .
The naval mllltla forces are atato or
ganization * nnd are trained for coast eerv-
co , and In event of war they will conntl-
ute the Inner line of defense. They
should receive hearty encouragement from
he general government i
Hut , In addition , wo should at once pro
vldo for n national naval reserve organ-
zed and trained under the direction of
the navy department nnd subject to the
call of the chief executive whenever war
jecomea Imminent. It should bo a real
auxiliary to the naval seagoing peace es
tablishment and offer material to be
drawn on at once for manning our ships -s ,
n tlmo of war. It should bo composed of
graduates of the Naval academy , gradu
ates of the naval mllltla , officers nnd
crews of coast line stcamora , longshore
schooner * , fishing vessels and steam
rachta , together with the coast populn * , „ *
tlon about such centers aa life saving . " * S
atatlons nnd lighthouses.
The American people must either build
and maintain on adequate navy or else
make up their minds definitely to accept
a secondary position In International af-
fnlra , not merely In political but In com
mercial matters. It has been well Raid
that there Is no surer way of courting na
tional disaster than to be "opulent , ag
gressive and unarmed. "
The Army.
It Is not necessary to Increase our army
beyond Its present size at this time , but
It Is necessary to keep It nt the highest
point of efficiency. The Individual units
who as officers nnd enlisted mon compose
this army ore , we have good reason to bo-
lleve , at least as efficient aa those of any
other army In the entire world. It la our
duty to sco that their training Is of n kind
to Insure the highest possible expression
of power to these units when acting In
combination.
The conditions of modern war are such
as to make an Infinitely heavier demand
than ever before upon the Individual char
acter and capacity of the officer and the
enlisted man and to make It far more dif
ficult for men to act together with effect.
At present the fighting- must bo done In
extended order , which means that each
man must act for himself and at the same
time act In combination with others with
whom ho Is no longer In the old fashioned
elbow to elbow touch. Under such condi
tions n few men of the highest excellence
are worth moro than many men without ( -
the special skill which Is only found as W
the result of special training applied to '
men of exceptional physlquo and morale ,
but nowadays the most valuable fighting
man nnd the most difficult to perfect Is
the rifleman who Is also a skillful and
daring rider.
The proportion of our cavalry rcglmenta
has wisely been Increased. The American
cavalryman , trained to maneuver and
flght with equal facility on foot and on
horseback. Is the best type of soldier for
general purposes now to bo found In the
world. The Ideal cavalryman of the pres
ent day Is a man who can flght on foot
ns effectively aa the best Infantryman and
who Is In addition unsurpassed In the
cnro and management of his horse nnd In
his ability to flght on horseback.
Would Create n Gcncrnl Staff.
A general staff should bo created. 'As
for the present staff and supply depart
ments , they should bo filled by details
from the line , the men BO detailed returnIng -
Ing after awhile to their line duties. It is
very undesirable to have the senior grades
of the army composed of men who have
como to flll the positions by the mere fact
of seniority. A system should be adopted
by which there shall bo an elimination
grade by gride of these who seem unfit
to render the best servlco In the next
grndo. Justice to the veterans of the
civil war who are still In the army would
seem to requlro that In the matter of re
tirements they bo given by law the same
privileges accorded to their comrades in
the navy.
The process of elimination of the least
flt should bo conducted in a manner that
would Tender It practically Impossible to
apply political or social pressure on behalf -
half of any candidate , so that each man
may be judged purely on his own merits.
Pressure for the promotion of civil offi-
clals for political reasons Is bad enough ,
but It Is tenfold worse where applied on
behalf of officers of the army or navy.
Every promotion and every detail under
the war department must bo made solely
with regard to the good of the service
and to the capacity nnd merit of the man
himself. No pressure , political , social or
personal , of any kind will be permitted
to cxcrclso the least effect In any ques
tion of promotion or detail , and If there
Is reason to believe that such pressure Is
exercised at the Instigation of the officer
concerned it will be held to militate
against him. In our army wo cannot af
ford to have rewards or duties distributed
save on the simple ground that those who
by their own merits are entitled to the rewards - ,
wards get them and that those who are
peculiarly flt to do the duties are chosen
to perform them.
Every effort should bo made to brine
the army to a constantly Increasing state
of efficiency. When on actual servlco , no
work save that directly In the line of such
service should bo required. The paper
work In the army , as In the navy , should
bo greatly reduced. What Is needed Is
proved power of command and capacity
to work well In the field. Constant care
Is necessary to prevent dry rot In the
transportation and commissary depart
ments.
Field Bzerclaei Advocated.
Our army Is so small and so much scat
tered that it is very difficult to give the
higher officers ( as well an the lower offi
cers and the enlisted men ) a chance to
practice maneuvers In mass and on a com
paratively largo scale. In time of need
no amount of Individual excellence would
avail against the paralysis which would
follow Inability to work as a coherent
whole under skillful and daring leadership.
The congress should provide means
whereby it will bo possible to have field
exercises by at least a division of regu
lars and , If possible , also a division of na
tional guardsmen once a year. These ex
ercises might take the form of field ma
neuvers , or If on the gulf coast or the Pa-
clflc or Atlantic seaboard or In the region
of the great lakes the army corps when
assembled could be marched from some
Inland point to some point on the water ,
there embarked , disembarked after a cou
ple of days' Journey at some other point
and again marched Inland. Only by actual
handling and providing for men In masses
while they are marching , camping , em
barking and disembarking will it be possi
ble to train the higher officers to perform
their duties well and smoothly.
A Ereat debt is owing from the publlo
to the men of the army nnd navy. They
should bo so treated as to enable thorn to
fvarli.the nshest | point of efficiency so-
that they may be able to respond Instant
ly to any demand made upon them to sus
tain the Interests of the nation and the
honor of the flog. The Individual Amer
ican enlisted man Is probably on the
whole a moro formidable fighting man
than the regular of any other army. Ev
ery consideration should bo shown him
and In return the highest standard of.
usefulness should be exacted from him.
It is well worth while for the congress to
consider whether the pay of enlisted men
upon second and subsequent enlistments
should not bo Increased to correspond
with the increased value of the veteran
soldier.
Army neorannliatlon.
Much good has already come from the
act reorganizing the army passed early In
the present year. The three prime re
forms , all of them of literally Inestimable
value , are. first , the substitution of four
year details from the line for permanent
appointments In the so called staff divi
sions ; second , the establishment of a
corps of artillery with a chief at the
head ; third , the establishment of a maxi
mum and minimum limit for the army. It
would be difficult to overestimate the Im
provement In the efficiency of our army