The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, December 8, 1903, Page 6

T HE SAN FRANCISCO CALL, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 8. 1903 | | porations | | | HE salient features of the President’s message may be summarized as fol- lows: Panama——President Roosevelt defends the course of the administra- tion in isthmian affairs and the recognition of the republic of Pamama. Capital and labor—W ork of the Department of Commerce and Labor had been conditioned upon the theory of securing fair treatment alike for labor and capital. Legislation has been moderate and characterized throughout by the idea of not attacking cor- but endeavoring to do away with any evil in them. National finances— Economy must be practiced, because expenditures for the current fiscal year are exceeding receipts. Frauds—Attention is called to frauds, forgeries, perjurers and briberies, and Congress is asked to provide money for prosecution of all of- fenders. Chief Executive|%s, i ol winsia i Transmits His |i i o o o s cause to dread it is the cor. ehrinks from the light, and | of such corporations we | jtive. The work of the | merce and Labor has been d upon this theory, of securing fair Message. alike for labor and for capital. | . neistent policy of the National Govern- | , ear IS Frult ul so far as it has the power, is to | 4'in check the unscrupulous man, whether | emg employe; but to refuse to weaken | tndiv initiative_or to hamper or cramp 1 development of the country. We | of Notable K Results. is an era of federation n, in which great capitalistic and labor unions have become f tremendous importance in all indus- Hearty recognition is given the ng, beneficent work which has been shed through both corporations and and the line as between different cor- as between different unions, is drawn that this Commerce Makes : Encouraging Strides. Senate and is between different individuals; that is, { wn on conduct, the effort being to treat | organ capital and organized labor alike; aeking nothing save that the interest of | | each ‘shall be brought into harmony with the | interest of the gemeral public, and that the t of each shall conform to the funda- rules of cbedience to law, of individ- eedom, and of justice and fair dealing ‘Whenever either corporation, la- or individual disregards the law a spirit of arbitrary any tyrannous e with the rights of others, whether corporations or individuals, then swhere the Federal Government has Jjurisdiction it will | see to 1t that the misconduct is stopped, pay- ing not the slightest heed to the position or | power of the corporation, the union or the ividual, but only t@ one vital fact—that is, House of Repre- The country is to be con- amount of sub- achievement which past year both as regards regards our dc - question w r or not the conduct of the ith & man | indiviaual or ate of individuals is in a o the ) dance with law of the land. Every household try is espe- | man must be guaranteed his liberty and his right” to he likes with his property or ong as he does not infringe the =. No man is above the law ¢ it; mor do we ask any when ' we require him to clally to be congre accomplished §: the exercise porations and what has been | roviding for f supervision over the great @dr- | Fawed 1n ot bey it dience to the law is demanded as s . ent | ® TiEBt: not asked as a favor. SR v the Department | ® ("), ve cquse as @ nation to be thankful of Commerce ar ing the Bureau the stevs that have been 80 successfully of Corpo s, first time au- to put these principles into effect. The thority of such pro- | n ld_- GI\’U]ul]OH, l’ll)ld by revo- ceedt o st & radical has been done; the S s ¢ o both moderate and resolute. DR s B mpsiti o S T ELTE work will stand. Thére shall backward step. If in the working of s it proves desirable that they shall at | t be expanded or amplified, the amend- | be made as its desirability is shown. they are being administered judgment, but with insistence upon obe- | ¢ to them; and their need has been em- | phasized in elgnal fashion by the events of the past year. forcement of the Fed partment | | Economy Required creating [ in Appropriations cxanie j Fiscal Revenue System Must | Be Watched to Prevent E Unnecessary Reduction of | Income of Government + * From all sources, exclusive of the postal ser- vice, the receipts of the Government for the last’ fiscal year aggregated $560,396,674. The expenditures for the same period were $506,- control ess the action 007, the surplus for the fiscal year being 54.297.667. The indications are that the sur- | Plus for the present fiscal year will be very small, if_indeed there be any surplus. From July to November the receipts from customs were, approximately, nine million dollars less than the receipts from the same source for a | correeponding portion of last year, Should this decrease continue at the same ratio through- out the fiscal year, tbe eurplus would be re- duced by, approximately, thirty millions dol- devartment the Publicity in corporate | ) away with ignorance | has shown ntellige Eimtematic intellicens | lars. Should the revenue {rom customs euf- investige developing fa the | fer much further decrease during the fiscal knowledge T taa” rigne | ¥ear, the' surplus would vanish. A large sur- pius’ is certainly undesirable. Two years ago the war taxes were taken off with the express intention of equalizing the governmental re- understanding of the jes of ‘the | The corporat which is organized, fatrly whose man- conbuet’ o b B ceipte and expenditures, and though the first Thelr obiiacion 1h el ety i e | year thereafter still showed a surplus, it now Tockholers. Thelr competiiom oad ths pibeis | seems iikely that a substantial equality of rev- e ot e T o "R | enue and expenditure will be attained, P e e S uch supervision ¢ | “Such being the case it is of great moment both to exercise care and economy in appro- priations, and to scan sharply any change in our fiscal revenue system which may reduce our income. The need of strict economy in our expenditures is emphasized by the fact that we cannot afford to be parsimonious in pro- viding for what is essential to our national well-being. Careful economy wherever possi- ble will alone prevent our income from falling below the point required in order to meet our genuine needs. The integrity of our currency is beyond present conditions it aseat] Jegitimat business, but to aid in bring- er industrial condition—a con- oh there shall be obedience to on of public obligation by all | mall, nt of Commerce and Labor will yt clearing-house for information regarding the business transactions of the na- tion, but the executive arm of the Government to mid in strengthening our domestic and for- eign markets_ in perfecting our transportation cilities, in bullding up our merchant marine, question, and under preventing the entrance of undesirable im- | would be unwise and unnecessary to attempt migrants, in improving commercial and indus- | 5 reconstruction of our emtire monetary sys- trial_conditions and in bringing together on | yom ‘The same liberty should be granted the common ground those neceseary partners in | gecretary of the Treasury to deposit customs industrisl progress—capital and labor. receipts as is granted him in the deposit of 4+ o | receipts from other sources. In my message of December 2, 1902, I called attention to cer- tain needs of the financial situation, and I again sek the consideration of the Congress for these questions. j Rivalry in Trade | G ord During the last session of the Congress, at Demands Dlgtla"ce | the suggestiog of a joint note from the repub- s lic of Mexico hnd the imperial Government of China, and in harmomy with an act of the Congress appropriating §25,000 to pay the ex- penses thereof, & commission was appointed to Department of Commerce confer with the principal European countries and Labor Is Relied on to Secure Us Great Advan- tages Over Other Nations s Commerce between the nations is steadily growing in volume, and the tendency of the ‘limes is toward closer trade relations. Con- stant watchfulness is needed 1o secure 1o the er standard countries. This commis- sion has filed its preliminary report, which has been made public. I deem it important that the commission be continued and that a sum of money be appropriated sufficient to pay the expenses of its further labors. was passed in 1891. In 1805 our 20-kmot Trane-Atiantic mail line was equal to any for- cign_lfne. Since then the Germans have put on 23-knot steamers and the British have con- tracted for 24-knot steamers. Our service should equal the best. It it does not the com- mercial public will sbandon it. If we are to | stay in the businees it ought to be with a full understanding of the advantages to the coun- try on one hand and on the other with exact knowledge of the cost and proper methods of carrying it on. Moreover, lines of cargo ships are of even more importance than fast mail iines, save S0 far &s the latter can be de pended upon to furnish swift auxiliary cruis- ers in time of war. The establishment of new | lines of cargo ships to South America, to Asla | and elsewhere would be much in the interest of our commercial expansion. e Immigration Laws Need Improvement System Must Be Devised by Which Undesirable For- 8 eigners May Be Kept Out and Others Protected. g T 5 We cannot have too much immigration of the right kind, and we should have,none at all of the wrong kind. The need is to devisq some system by which undesirable immigrants shall be kept out entirely, while desirable immi- grants are proverly distributed throughout the country. At present some districts which need immigrants have none, and in others, where the population is already congested, im- migrants come in such numbers as to depress the conditions of life for those already there. During the last two years the Immigration service at New York has been greatly improved and the corruption and inefficiency which for- merly obtained there have been eradicated. This service has just been investigated by a committee of New York - citizens of high standing, Messrs. Arthur von Briesen, Lee K. Frankel, Eugene A. Philbin, Thomas W. Hynes and Raiph Trautman. Their report deals with the whole situation at length and concludes ™ with certain recommendations for administrative and legislative action. It is now jreceiving the uttention of the Secretary of Commerce and Labor. The special investigation of the subject of naturalization under the direction of the At- torney General and the consequent prosecu- tions reveal a condition of affairs calling for the immediate attentlon of the Congress. For- geries and perjuries of shameless and flagrant character bave been perpetrated, not only in the dense centers of population, but through- out the country, and it is established beyond doubt that very many so-called citizens of the United States have no title whatever to that right and are asserting and enjoying the ben- efits of the same through the grossest frauds. It Is never to be forgotten that citizenship o quote the words recently used by the S prems Court of the United States, an ‘‘inesti- mable heritage,” whether it proceeds from birth within the country or is obtained by naturalization; and we poison the sources of our national character and strength at the fountain, if the privilege is claimed and exer- cised without right and by means of fraud and corruption. The bedy politic cannot be sound and healthy {f many of its constituent mem- bere claim their standing through the prosti- tution of the high right and calling of citizen- ship. It should mean something to become a citizen of the United States, and in the process no loophole whatever should be left open to fraud. The methods by which these fraudg—now ur- der full investigation with a view to meting out punishment and providing adequate remedies— are perpetrated include many vesiations of pro- cedure by which false certificates of citizenship are forged in their entirety; or genuine certifi- cates fraudulently or collusively obtained in blank are filled in by the criminal conspirators; or certificates are obtained on fraudulent state- ments as to the time of arrival and residence in this country; or imposition and substitution of another party for the real petitioner occur in court; or certificates are made the subject of barter and sale and transferred from the right- ful holder to those not entitled to them; or cer- tificates are forged by erasure of the original names and the insertion of the names of other persons not entitled to the eame. 1t is not necessary for me to refer here at large to the causes leading to this state of af- fairs. The desire for naturalization s heartily 1o be commended where it springs from a sin- cere and permanent intention to become citizens and a real appreciation of the privilege, But it is a source of untold evil and trouble where it is traceable to selfish and dishonest motives, such as the effort by ‘artificlal and improper means, in wholesale fashion to create voters who are ready-made tools of corrupt politicians, or the desire to evade certain labor laws cre- ating discriminations against alien labor. All g00d cltizens, whether naturalized or native born, are equally interested in protecting our citizenship against fraud in any form, and, on the other hand, in affording every facility for naturalization to those who in good faith desire {o share ailke our privileges and our responsi- es. The Federal Grand Jury lately in session in New York City dealt with this subject and made & presentment which states the situation briefly and forcibly and contains important —_— Land Sale Fraud Calls for the Law Recovery of Dishonest Ac- quisitions a Matter of Se- rious Moment and Vigor- Americans the chance to participate to the best advantage in foreign trade; and we may confl- dently expect that the new department will Justify the expectation of its creators by the exercise of this watchfulness, as well as by our Action by the Offim{' -lke administration of such law: to the public, I Teluting o our nternal affairs s are intrusied | (he Congress direct the Sacretary of the Navy, | Infurioss 10, The b gy B 4 the Postmaster General and the Secretary of | Sl&l appropriation fgr In ‘enacting the laws above enumerated the | COMIICIOS, 804 LADoT, BeRCCISC WK e of | under the direction ed on sane and conservative | JSPTesentation b gy e A lines. Nothing revolutionary was attempted; | Representatives as the Cotiries baaw s e Judiclal but & common-sense and successful effort aas | dom may o Inseiieating S50 Tt | 38 32 Stat., Congress ap- mafle in the direction of seeing that corpo- | for the purpose of in R K g for the purpose of enforcing the Satiins ve W AR N Swwees s | o fitiatae Or Biosieaty Gor e Sowk: hm'gd‘“‘g'm"‘hw < £o0d. The legisiation sum of $500,000, e hroughout by the ides | opment of the American merchant marine and | ir “ine direction of the Aftorney et that we were mot American commerce, and incldentally of a na- | $¢ employment of special counsel and agents endea to provide for doing away with | tional ocean mall service of adequate auxillary | n the Department of Justice to comduct pro- any evil in them; that we drew the 1line | naval cruisers and naval reserves. ceedings and prosecutions under said laws' in egeinst misconduct, mot against wealth: giadly | While such a measure is desirable in any | the courts of the United States. I now recom- recognizing the great good done by the cap- | event it Is especlally desirable at this time, in muwam;mm ftalist who alone, or in conjunction vul-fl‘ n-ytnm-" thh of the Klehini River. The purpose of the legislation, | Line will expire in 1905. Our ocean mail act ) der the direction of the Attorney General, and | until used, for the due enforcement of the laws of the United States in general and especially of the civil and criminal laws relating to public | lands and the laws. relating to postal crimes and offenses and the subject of naturalization. | Recent investigations have shown a deplorable state of affairs in these three matters of vital concern. By varlous frauds and by forgeries and perjuries, thousands of acres of the public domain, embracing lands of different character and extending through various sections of the country, have been dishonestly acquired. It i hardly necessary to urge the importance of recovering these dishonest acquisitions, stolen from the people, and of promptly and duly pun- ishing the offenders. 1 speak in another part of this message of the widespread crimes by Which the sacred right of citizenship is falsely asserted and that “‘inestimable heritage'’ per- verted to base ends. By similar means—that Is. through frauds, forgeries and perjuries, and by shameless briberies—the laws relating to the proper conduct of the public service in general and to the due administration of the Postoffice Department have been notoriously violated, and many indictments have been found, and the | consequent prosecutions are in course of hear- | | Ing or on the eve thereof. For the reascns thus indicated, and so that the Government may be prepafed to enforce promptly and with the Breatest effect the due penalties for such viola- tions of law, and to this end may be furnished with sufficient instrumentalities and competent legal assistance for the investigations and trials | Which will be necessary at many different points of the country, I urge upon the Congress the necessity of making the said appropriation avatlabls for immediate use for all euch pur- se8, to be expended under the direc Attorney General. R Steps have been taken by the State Depart- ment looking to the making of bribery an ex- traditable offense with foreizn powers. The | need of more effective treaties coverthg this | crime is manifest. The exposures and prosec ll-i tions of official corruption In St Louls, Mo., and other ditles and States have resulted in a number of givers and takers of bribes heco ming fugitives In forelen lands. Bribery bhas not been Included in extradition treati>s heretofors, as the neccssity for it has not arisan, \while | there may havg been as much ofdial corrup- tion in former years, there has been more de- veloped and brought to lght in the immediate | past than in the preceding century of ovr country's history. It should be the volley of the United States to leave £o pl on earth | where a corrunt man fleeing from this country | can rest ‘n peace. There is no reason way bribery ¢hould not be instuded in all treatis as extraditable. The rocsnt amended treaty with Mexico, wherehy this crime was put in the list of extraditahle oftiases, hus estab- lished n salutary precedent in this regard. TUnder this treaty the State Department has askes d Mexico has granted, the extradition of of of the St. Louls bribe-givers. b 2 g— Bribery Strikes Law’s Foundation Exposure and Punishment of Public Corritption Is an Homnor to Nation, and Not a Disgrace,Says President % There can be no crime more serious than bribery. Other offenses violate one law, while corruption strikes at the foundation of all law. Under our form of government all authority 1§ vested In the people and by them delegated to those who represent them in official capacity. There can be no offense heavier than that of him in whom such a sacred trust has been re- poeed who sells it for his own gain and enrich- ment; and no less heavy is the offense of the bribe-giver. He is worse than the thlef, for the thief robs the Individual, wnile the corrupt officlal plunders an entire city or State. He is as wicked as the murderer, for the murderer may only take one life against the law, while the corrupt official and the man who corrupts the official alike aim at the assassination of the commonwealth it- self. Government - of the people, by the people, for the peaple will perish from the face of the earth if bribery is tolerated. The givers and takers of bribes stand on an evil pre-enilnence of Infamy. The exposure and punishment of public corruption is an honor to a nation, not a disgrace. The shame lies in toleration, not in corruption. No city o State, still less the nation, can be injured by the enforcement of law. As long as public plunderers when detected can find a haven of refuge in any foreign land and avoid punish- ment, just so long encouragement is given them to continue their practices. 1f we fail to do all that In us lies to stamp out corruption we cannot _escape our share of responsibility for the gullt. The first requisite of successtul self- government is unflinching enforcement of the law and the cutting out of corruntion. For several years past the rapld davelop- ment of Alaska and the establishment of grow- ing American interests In regions theretofore unsurveyed and imperfectly known brought into prominence the urgent necessity, cf a practical demarcation of the boundaries between the jurisdictions of the United States cnd Great Britain. Although the treaty of 1525 tutween Great Britain end Russia, the provisions of which were copnied in the treaty of 1867, ‘whereby Russia conveyed Alaska to the United States, was positive to the conmtrol, first by Russia and later by the United States, of a strip of territory along the continental ‘main- land from the western shore of Portland canal to Mount St. Ellas, following and surrounding the indentations of the coast and including the islands to the westward, its description of the landward margin of the strip was indefinite, resting on the supposed existence of & contin ous ridge or range of mountains skirting the coast, as figured in the charts of the early navigators. It had at no time been possible for either party in interest to lay down, under the authority of the treaty, a line so obviously exact according to its provisions as to com- mand the assent of the other. For nearly three-fourths of a century absence of tangible local interests demandi the exercise of positive jurisdiction on either side of the border left the question dormant. In 1878 questions of revenue administration on the Etikine River led to the establishment of a provisional demarcation, crossing the channel between two high peaks on elther side about twenty-four miles ahpve the river mouth. In 1809 similar questions growing out of the extraordinary development of mining interests in the region about the head of Lynn canal brought about a temporary modus vivendi, by which a convenlent separation was made at the watershed divides of the White and Chil- koot passes and to the north of Klukwan, on These partlal and tentative ments could not, in the very nature of attempts to reach an under- M‘ml:::n:-us??mnum conducted in an le ma(mm the for an x;mfiw a providing signed e the merchant marine. FEATURES OF THE MESSAGE THAT WAS SENT TO CONGRESS Nauy—There should be no cessation in adding to the strength of the navy, and a navy general staff should be established. Army—Until\a better sys- tem of promotion is devised we cannot hope that our officers will be of as high grade as we have a right to expect. Merchant marine—A commission should be appointed to investigate and report to Congress legislation for the development of Public lands—Revision of the public land laws is recom- mended. Insular possessions—Steady progress of the Philippines and Porto Rico has been amply assured. Private property at sea—President McKinley's recom- mendation that European nations be invited to. join with the United States in ex- empting such property from capture is renewed. * behalf of the United States were Elihu Root, Becretary of War; Henry Cabot Lodge, a Sen: tor of the United Btates,” and George Turne: ex-Senator of the United States, while Great Britain named the Right Honorable Lord Al- verstone, Lord Chief Justice of Engiand: Sir Louis Amable Jette, K. C. M. G., retired Judge of the Supreme Court of Quebéc, and A. B. Aylesworth, K. C., of Toronto. 2 + Alaska Boundary Amicably Defined Result of Deliberations of the Tribunal in London of Tremendous Advantage to People of the Northwest — This tribunal met in London on September 3, under the presidency of Lord Alverstone. The roceedings were expeditious, and marked by a riendly and consclentious spirit. The respect- ive cases, counter cases and arguments present- ed the issues clearly and fully. On the 20th of October a majority of the tribunal reached and signed an agreement on all the questions sub- mitted by the terms of the convention. By this award the right of the United States to the con- trol of a continuous strip or border of the main- land shore, skirting all the tied water inlets and sinuosities of the coast, is confirmed; the entrance to Portland canal '(concerning which legitimate doubt appeared) is defined as pass- ing_by Tongass Inlet and to the northwestward of Wiles and Pearse islands} a line is drawn from the head of Portiand canal to the fifty- sixth degree of north latitude; and the interior border line of the strip is fixed by lines con~ neeting certain mountain sumniits lying be- tween Portland canal and Mount St. Elias, and running along the crest of the divide separating the coast -slope from the inland watershed at o+ | the only part of the frontier where the drain- age ridge approaches the coast within the dis- tance of ten marine leagues stipulated by, ihe treaty as the extreme width of the strip around the heads of Lynn canal and its branches. While the line s6 traced follows the provision- al demarcation of 1878 at the crossing of the Stikine River, and that of 1599 at the summits of the White ‘and Chilkoot passes, it runs much farther inland from the Klehint than the tem- porary line of the later modus vivendi, and leaves the entire mining district of the Porcu- pine River and Clacier Creek within the juris- diction of the United States. The result is satisfactory in every way. Tt is of great material advantage to our people in the Far Northwest. It has removed from the fleld of discussion and possible danger a ques tion liable to become more acutely accentuated with each passing year. Finally, it has fur- nished a signal proof of the falrness and good will with which two friendly nations can ap- proach and determine issues involving national soverelgnty and by thelr nature fncapable of submisxion to a third power for adjudication. The award is self-executing on the vital points. 'To make it effective as regards the others It only remains for the two governments to appoint, each on its own behalf, one or more sclentific experts, who shall, with all conven- fent speed. proceed together to lay down the boundary iine in accordance with the decision of the majority of the tribunal. I recommend that the Congress make adequate provision for the appointment, compensation and expenses of the members to serve on this joint boundary commission on the part of the United States. It will be remembered that during the second session of the last Congress Great Britain, Ger- many and Italy formed an alliance for the pur- pose of blockading the ports of Venezuela and using such other means of pressure as would 8¢ cure a settlement of claims due, as they alleged, to certain of their subjects, Thelr employment of force for the collection of these claims was terminated by an agreement brought about through the offices of the diplomatic represent- atives of the United States at Caracas and the Government a: Washington, thereby ending a situation which was bound to cause increasing friction, and which jeoparded the peace of the continent. Under this agreement Venezuela agreed Lo set apart a certain percentage of the customs receipts of two of her ports to be ap- plied to the payment of whatever obligations might be ascertained by mixed commissions ap- pointed for that purpose to be due from her, not only to the three powers already mentioned, whose proceedings against her had resulted in a state of war, but also to the United States, France, Spain, Belglum, the Netherlands, Sweden and Norway, and Mexico, who had not employed force for the collection of the claims alleged to be due to certain of its citizens. A demand wds then made by the so-called blockading powers that the sums ascertained to be due to their citizens by such mixed com- missions should be accorded payment in full be- fo ything was paid upon the claims of any of the so-called peace powers. Venezuela, on the other hand, insisted that all her creditors £houla be paid ipon a bass of exact equality. During the efforts to adjust this dispute it was suggested by the powers In interest that it should be referred to me for decision, but 1 was clearly of the opinion that a far wiser course would be to submit the question to the Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague. It _seemed to me to offer an admirable oppor- tunity to advance the practice of the peaceful settiement of disputes between nations and to secure for The Hague tribunal & memorable in- crease of its practical importance. na- tions Interested In the controversy were so nu- merous and in many instances so powerful as to make it evident that beneflcent results would follow from their aopearance at the same time before the bar of that august tri- bunal of peace. } — % Arbitration Court Proves Its Dalue Hopes of the United States Amply Realized in Settle- ment Received by Powers Interested in Venezuela 5 Our hopes in that regard have Been realized. Russia and Austria are represented in the per- sons of the learned and distinguished jurists ‘who compose the tribunal, while Grea¢ Britain, Germany, Frence, Spain, Notherlands, Sweden orway, Mexico, the United States and Venezuela are represented by their fetmective agents and counsel Such sn imposing concourse of nations presenting their nts to and ing the decision of that court of int ice and inter- ‘peace can hardly to sec submission of many future controversies. nations now appearing there will find it to appear a second time, Teasenea by t.:-«-m»h sented. “This tri of ternational arbitration is g 8 o 5. i:flge?‘é a subject of There seems good ground for the bellef that there has been a real growth among the civ- ilized nations of a sentiment which Will per- mit a gradual eubstitution of other methods than the method of war in the settlement of disputes. It is not pretended that as yet we are near a position in which it will be possi- ble wholly to prevent war, or that a just re- gard for national Interest and honor will in all cases permit of the settlement of interna- tional disputes by arbitration; but by a mix- ture of prudence and firmness with wisdom we think it is possible to do away with much of the provocetion and excuse for war, and at least in many cases to substitute some other and more rational method for the settlement of disputes, The Hague court offers so good an example of what can be done in the direction of such settlement that it should be encour- aged in every way. Further steps should be taken. In President McKinley's annual message of December 5, 1808, bhe made the following recommenda- tio ‘“The experiences of the last year bring for- cibly home to us a_sense of the burdens and the waste of war. We desire, in common with most civilized nations, to reduce to the lowest possible point the damage sustained in time of war by oeaceable trade and commerce. It is true we may suffer in such cases less than other communities, but all nations are dam- aged more or less by the state of uneasiness and epprehepsion into which an outbreak of hostilities thiows the entire commercial worid. It should be our object therefore to minimize so far as practicable this inevitable loss and disturbance. This purpose can probably best be accomplisaed by an international agree- ment to regsrd all private property at sea as ‘exempt from cavture or destruction by the forces of belligerent powers. The United States Gevertment has for many years advo- cated this humane and beneficent principle and is now In a position to recommend it to other powers without the imputation of seifish motives. 1 therefore suggest for your consid- eration that the executive be authorized to correspond with the governments of the prin- cipal maritime powers with a view of incor- POrating into the permanent law of civilized nations the principle of the exempton of all private Property at sea hot contraband of war fromh capture . or. destruction by belligerent powers,”” 1 cordially renew this recommendation. The Supreme Court, speaking on December 11, 1809, through Justice Peckham, said: “It i, we think, historically accurate to say that this Government has always been in its views among the most advanced of the govern- ments of the world in favor of mitigating, as to all non-combatants, the hardships and hor- rors of war. To accomplish that object it h: always advocated those rules which would in most cases do away with the right to capture the private property of an enemy on the high seas. 1 advocate this a matter of humanity and morals. It is anachronistic when private prop- erty ls respected on land that should not be respected at sea. Moreover, it should be borne in mind that shipping. represents, internation- ally epeaking, a much more generalized spe- cles ot private property than is the case with ordinary. property on land—that is,. prop- erty found at sea is much less apt than is the case with property found on land really to belong to any one nation. Under the modern system of corporate ownership the flag of a veseel often differs from the flag which would mark the nationality .of the real ownership and money control of the vessel; and the cargo may belong to individuals of yet a dif- ferent nationality. Mueh American capital is now invested in’ forelgn ships; and among foreign nations it often happens that the cap- ital of one is largely invested in the shipping of another. Furthermore, as a practical mat- ter, it may be mentioned that while com- merce destroying may cause serious loss and great annoyance, it can never be more than a subsidiary factor in bringing to terms a res- olute foe. 'This is now well recognized by all of our naval experts. The fighting ship, not the commerce destroyer, is the vessel whose (e:.t;"ngd hrenuvlm to a nation's history, and establish her place among the great of the warld. e st year the Interparliamentary Unio Internafional Arbitration met at Vienng cin hundred members of the different legislaturs of civilized countrles attending. It was pro- vided that the next meeting should be in 1904 at St. Loufs, subject to our Congress extending an invitation. Like the Hague Tribunal, this Interparliamentary Union is one of the forces tending toward peace among the nations of the earth, and it is entitled to our support. I trust the invitation can be extended. —_——— Affair at Beirut and Need of Ships N Uncle Sam’s Relations With the Porte Are Friendly. School Treatment Claims in Course of Adjustment D S e A Early in July, having received intelligence, which happily turned out to be erroneous, of the assoclation of our Vice Consul at Befrut, 1 dispatched a small squadron to that port for such service as might be found necessary on arrival. Although the attempt 1] of our Vice Consul had not mw‘.‘:‘ alarm and disquiet; our .of cor- dially welcomed by the ody S the merchants, and_ordinary business resumed its activity. The Government of Sultan gave a considerate hearing to the o resentations of our Minister; the official as responsible for the removed. Sth of October, is a cause for satisfaction. “This act, the result of long discussion and ne- tion, places our commercial relations ‘with w‘m:omnw-mpmon-:-n-m tory footing than they Mave ever heretofore en- joyed. It provides mot only for the ordinary hts and privileges of diplomatie and con- officers, but also for an x- tension of our commerce by increased facllity of access to Chinese ports, and for the reliet PR AT e R To it St i o ?omwthmm commercial transit dues troduce zeng W in Ch | their such ‘was an Law on Disputes of Labor and Capital. Revision Needed in Immigrant System. Satisfactory End of Boundary Contention. - China, by treaty with us, has opened fo foreign commerce the cities of Mukden, the capital of the province of Manchuria, and An- tung, an important port on the Yalu River, on the road to Korea. The full measure of development which our commerce may right- fully expect can hardly be looked for until the settlement of the Dresent abnormal state of things in the empire: but the foundation for such development has at last been laid. I call your attention to the reduced cost in maintafing the consular service. for the fls- cal year ending June 30, 1908, as shown in the 7nnual report of the auditor for the Stats. and other departments, as compared with the year previous, For the year under consider- ation the excess of expenditures over receipts on account of the comsular service amounted to $26,125 12, as againet $06,972 50 for the year ending June 30, 1902, and $147,040 16 for the year ending June 30, 1901. This is the best showing in this respect for the consular service for the past fourteen years, and the reduction in the cost of the service to the Gov- ernment has been made in spite of the fact that the expenditures for the year in question were more than $20,000 greater than for the previous year. P Sy Lawmakers Urged to Aid Big Fairs Mr. Roosevelt Writes En- couragingly of Lewisiana Purchase and Lewis and Clark Expedition —_ The rural free delivery service has been steadily extended. The attention of the Con- gress is asked tq the question of the compensa- tion of the letier carriers and clerks engaged in the postal service, especially on the new rural fres deitvery routes. More routes have beem in- stalled since the lst of July last than in any like period in the department’s history. While a due regard to economy must be kept In mind in the establishment of new routes, yet the ex- tension of the rural free delivery system must be continued, for reasons of sound public poliey. No governmental movement of recent years has resuited in greater jmmediate benefit to the people of the country districts. Rural free de- livery, taken in connection with the telephone, the bicyele and the trolley, accomplishes much toward lessening the isolation of farm life and making it brighter and more attractive. In the immediate past the lack of just such facilities as thess has driven many of the more actiye and restless young men and women {rom the farms to the cities; for they rebelled at loneli- ness and lack of mental companionship. It is unhealthy and urdesirable for the cities to grow at the expense of the country: and rural free delivery is mot only & good thing in itselt, but is gocd because it is ome of the causes ‘which check this unwholesome tendency toward the urban concentration of our population at the expense of the country districts. It is for the same reason that we sympathize with and approve of the policy of bullding good roads. The movement for good roads is one fraught with the greatest bemefit to the country dis- tricts. 1 trust that the Congress will continue to fa- vor in all proper ways the Louisiana Purchase Exposition. This exposftion commemorates the Louisiana purchase, whith was the first great step in the expansion. which made us a conti- nental nation. The expedition of Lewis and Clark across the continent followed thereon and marked the beginning of the process of explora- tion and colonization which thrust our national boundaries to the Pacific. The acquisition of the Oregon country, including the present States of Oregon and Washington, was a fact of im- in cur history; first giving us our place on the Pacific seaboard and making ready the way for our in the com- nm’fllb‘flml-tn!lhm The cen- tes of our establishment upon the Western coast by the expedition of Lewis and Clark is to be celebrated at Portland, Oregon, by an expo- sition In the summer of 1905, and this event should recsive recognition and support from the national Government. I call your special attention to the Territory of Al The country Is developing rapidiy and it has an assured future. mineral as permanent as any other, and of the utmost importance to the people. The forests if prop- erly guarded will form another great source of wealth. Portions of Alaska are fitted for farn.- ing and stock raising, be adapted to peculiar country. Alaska is situated in the far ; but 0 are Norway and Sweden and Fin- sively under Governmemt eontrol, should be es- tablished. The cable should be extended from Sitka westward. Wagon and