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10 ' THE AllGUS, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 4. inor. building first used for the meeting of the conference the name of "Palacio Monroe." Our grateful ncknowledg- examples of united action by several ments are due to the governments and or many American republics In favor the people of all the countries visited of peace by urging cool and reason by the secretary of state for the conr- able instead of excited and belligerent tesy, the friendship and the honor treatment of international controver shown to our country In their generous sies caunot fail to promote the growth hospitality to him. of a general public opinion among the In my message to you on the 5th of American nations which will elevate December, 1905, I called your attention the standards of international action, to the embarrassment that might be strengthen the sense of international caused to this government by the as- duty among governments and tell in sertion by foreign nations of the right favor of the peace of mankind, to collect by force of arms contract Panama Trip. j debts dee by American republics to. T ,, int tIirnmi, f " n tHn tn citizens of the collecting nation and to tne danger that the process of com- pulsory collection might result In the oecnpation of territory tending to be come permanent. I then said: "Our own government has always re fused to enforce such contractual ob ligations on behalf of its citizens by an appeal to arms. It is mnch to be wished that all foreign governments would take the same view." South American Debts This subject was one of the topics of witu aM European countries and does consideration at the conference at Rio, not Ci,ta;i a single obligation of any and a resolution was adopted by that tin,j imon s a earnestly hope it conference recommending to the re- lnny be ppeodily ratitied. To refuse to spectlve governments represented "to rat!fy it would merely mean that we consider the advisability of asking the ( forfeited our commercial rights in Mo second peace conference at The Hague roeco and would not achieve another to examine the question of the oompul- J object of any kind. In the event of sory collection of public debts and in general means tending to diminish among nations conflicts of purely pe- cuniary origin." This resolution was supported by the representatives of the Lnlted states in accordance with the following Instruc tions: "It has long been the established pol icy of the United States uot to use its armed forces for the collection of or dinary contract debts due to its citi zens by other governments. We have not considered the use of force for such a pnriose consistent witli that re spect for the independent sovereignty of other members of the family of na tions which is the most imjtortant principle of international law and the chief protection of weak nations ajrainst the oppression of the strong. It seems to us that the practice is injurious in its general effect upon the relations of nations and upon the welfare of weak and disordered states, whose develop ment ought to !e encouraged In the Interests of civilization; that it offers frequent temptation to bullying and oppression and to unnecessary and un justifiable warfare. We regret that other powers, whose opinions and sense of justice we esteem highly, have at times taken a different view and have permitted themselves, though we believe with reluctance, to collect such debts by force. It is doubtless true that the nonpayment of public debts may be accompanied by such circum stances of fraud and wrongdoing or violation of treaties as to justify the use of force. This government would be glad to see an International consid eration of the subject which shall dis criminate between such cases and the simple nonperformance of a contract with a private persou and a resolution In favor of reliance upon peaceful means in cases of the latter class. "It Is not felt, however, that the con ference at Hio should undertake to make such a discrimination or to re solve upon such a rule. Most of the American countries are still debtor na tions, while the countries of Europe are the creditors. If the Itio conference, therefore, were to take such action it would have the appearance of a meet ing of debtors resolving how their cred itors should act, and this would uot Inspire respect. The true course is in dicated by the trms of the programme, which proposes to request the second Hague conference, where both cred itors and debtors will be assembled, to consider the subject. Central America. Last June trouble which had existed for some time between the republics of Salvador. Guatemala and Honduras culminated in war a war which threat ened to be ruinous to the countries in volved and very destructive to the com mercial interests of Americans, Mexi cans and other foreiguers who are tak ing an important part iu the develop ment of these countries. The thorough- ' ly g'XHl understanding which exists be- tweeu the United States and Mexico enable! thi irover.iment .ml thnt of M-xi.-o to imitM it. t.rwtiv i..fHiintion between the warring republics, which mediation resulted, uot without long continued and patient effort, in bring ing about a meeting of the representa tives of the hostile powers ou board a United States warship as neutral ter- ritory.and peace was there concluded- a peace which resulted in the saving or hmiKjinri. of n,i i.. ti. ,.r-on. tioa of an Incalculable amonut or mis- ery and the destruction of property and of the means of livelihood. The Iiio conference passed the following resolu tion In reference to this action: 'That the third international Amer ican conference shall address to the presidents of the United States of America and of the United States of Mexico a note in which the conference which is being held at Rio expresses Its satisfaction at the happy results of their mediation for the celebration of peace between the republics of Guate mala, Honduras and Salvador." This affords an excellent example of one way in which the influence of the United States can properly be exer cised for the benefit of the peoples of the western hemisphere that is, by action taken in concert with other American republics and therefore free from those suspicions and prejudices which might attach if the action were taken by one alone. In this way It is possible to exercise a powerful influ ence toward the substitution of consid erate action In the spirit of justice for iue iurriumurj vr imerunuouai . , i-ji. iito nuiw ""- -.i-ct.v KKiM bv i great a hindrance to the development of many of cur neighbors. Repeated raiiama n,jd sLull report to TOU at lensth jater ou lhe wuoie subject of the iauatua canal. The Algeciras Convention. The Algeciras convention, which was K?-i i- h. i-nH-nrt stnn n w.ii na hv most'nf the r.nwe nt Kn'rnn-. s..- irsedes the nrevin,,, convention nf 1SS0. which was also signed both by the United States and a majority of I the European powers. This treaty con 1 fers unon us eoual commercial riehts sm.i, refusal we would be loft for the first time in V20 years without any j commercial treaty with Morocco, and j this at a time when we are everywhere seeking new markets and outlets for . trade. PROTECTION OF SEALS. j History of This Problem and Present Status. The destruction of tho Pribilof is land fur seals by pelagic sealing still continues. The herd which, according to the surveys made in 1S74 by direc tion of the congress, numbered 4,700, 000 and which, according to the sur vey of both American and Canadian commissioners iu 1S91, amounted to 1.000.000 has now been reduced to about 1S0.000. This result has been brouchf :ihnut hv C.-iiiiiilinn nml some other sealing vessels killing the female seals while in the water during their annual pilgrimage to and from the south or in search of food. As a rule, the female seal when killed is preg nant and also has an unvfeaued pup on land, so that for each skin taken by pelagic sealing, as a rule, three lives are destroyed the mother, the unborn onspring unci me nursing pup, wnicu is left to starve to death. No damage whatever is done to the herd by the carefully regulated killing on land. The custom of pelagic sealing is solely responsible for all of the present evil and is alike indefensible from the eco nomic standpoint and from the stand point of humanity. In ISOd over 10.000 young seals were found dead from starvation on the Pribilof islands. In lSf7 it was esti mated that since pelagic sealing began upward of 400.000 adult female seals had been killed at sea and over 300.000 young seals had died of starvation ns the result. The revolting barbarity of such a practice, as well as the waste ful destruction which It involves, needs no demonstration and is its own condemnation. The Iieriug sea tribu nal, which sat In Paris in 1803 aud which decided against the claims of the United States to exclusive juris diction in the waters of Bering sea and to a property right in the fur seals when outside of the three mile limit. determined also upon certain regula tions which the tribunal considered sufficient for the proper protection and preservation of the fur seal in or habitunlly resorting to the I!ermir sea. The tribunal by ,ts regulations estab- j all killing in the waters within sixtv miles around the Pribilof islands. They also provided that the regula tions which they had determined upon. with a view to the protection and pres ervation of the seals, should be sub mitted every five 3'ears to new exami nation, so ns to enable both Interested governments to consider whether in the ,ic:ut of Past experience there was occasion for any modification thereof. The regulations have proved plainly 'njulequate to accomplish the object of 1 protection and preservation of the fur subjects which it enumerates are un seals, and for a long time this govern- dergoing carefnl examination and con- nient has been trying In vain to seenre j sideratiou in preparation for the con from Great Britain such revision and ference. moJification of the regulations ns were contPRiplated and provided for by the anl of ,he tribunal of Paris. Tue process of destruction has been acce,erated during recent years by the , aPParane of n number of Japanese j .ii.,u m peiagic sealing, as seientious conviction or of national these vessels have not been bound wel fa re. Peace Is normally a great even by the inadequate limitations pre-j g03d aml normaHy it coincides with scribed by the tribunal of Paris, they ; righteousness, but it is righteousness, have paid no attention either to the and not peaCe, which should bind the close season or to the sixty mile limit conscience of a nation as it should Imposed upon Canadians and have t bind the conscience of an Individual, prosecuted their work up to the very ; an(i neither a nation nor an Individual Islands themselves. On July 1G and 17 ' can surrender conscience to another's the crews from several Japanese ves- keeping. Neither can a nation which is sels made raids upon the island of St. 'an entity and which does not die as Paul, and before they were beaten off j individuals die refrain from taking by the very meager and insufficiently thought for the Interest of the genera armed guard they succeeded in killing ( Hons that are to come no less than for several hundred seals and carrying off the interest of the generation of today, the skins of most of them. Nearly all and no public men have a right, wheth work was done with frightful barbar ity. Many of the seals appear t have I wen skinned alive, and many were found half skinned and still alive. The ra!ds were repelled only by the use of firearms, and five of the raiders were killed, two were wounded and twelve enptured. Including the two wounded. Those captured have since beeu tried nud sentenced to imprisonment. An attacK of this kind had been wholly ' i iiiiiwkeu - ior, uui sucu provision or j .. vessels, arms and ammunition will now be made that its repetition will not be found profitable. Promise by Japan. Suitable representations regarding the incident have been made to the government of Japan, and we are as sured that all practicable measures will be taken by that country to pre vent any recurrence of the outrage. On our 'part, the guard on the island will be increased and better equipped and organized, and a bettor revenue cutter patrol service about the Islands will be established. Next season a Cnitod States war vessel will also bf SCnt there. , We have not relaxed our efforts to secure an agreement with Great Brit- ! ain for adequate protection of the seal ' herd, and negotiations with Japan for the same purpose are in progress. I The laws for the protection of tho seals within the jurisdiction of the , United States need revision and amend- . ut- n,y the Elands of St. Parti and St. George are now in terms in- eluded in the government reservation, anil tne other lsianus are aiso to ne included. The lauding of aliens as well as citizens upon the islands without a permit from the department of com merce and labor for any purpose ex cept in case of stress of weather or for water should be prohibited under ade- quate penalties. The approach of ves- cases to stand up for the rights of oth- man who sha11 be ahve everything Rels for the excepted purposes should ' ers. Nothing would more promote in- pIse a f'SMlns man- Iq the flrnQy lo be regulated. The authority of the gov- j iquity, nothing would further defer the particular it is not necessary that either eminent agents on the islands should be enlarge:!, aud the chief agent should have powers' of a committing magis trate. The entrance of a vessel into the territorial waters surrounding the Islands with intent to take seals should be made a criminal offense and cause of forfeiture. Authority for seizures in such cases should be given, and the presence on any such vessel of seals or sealskins or the paraphernalia for tak ing them should be made prima facie evidence of such intent. I recommend what legislation is needed to accom plish these ends, and I commend to your attention the report of Mr. Sims of th? department of commerce and labor on this subject. In case we are compelled to aban don the hope of making arrangements with other governments to put an end to the hideous cruelty now incident to pelagic sealing It will be a question for your serious consideration how far we should continue to protect and main tain the seal herd on land with the result of continuing such a practice and whether it is not better to end 1 the practice by exterminating the herd ! ourselves in the most humane way pos- , siuie EFFORTS F0R PEACE. Our Duty as a Nation to Further This Cause. In my last message I advised you that the emperor of Ijussia had taken the initiative iu bringing about a sec ond peace conference at Tim Hague. Under the guidance of Russia the ar rangement of the preliminaries for such a conference has been progress ing during the past year. Progress has necessarily been slow owing to the great number of countries to be con stilted upon every question that has arisen. It is a matter of satisfaction that all of the American republics have now. for the first time, been invited to join in the proposed conference. The close connection between the subjects to be taken up by the Red Cross conference held at Geneva last summer and the subjects which natu rally would come before The Hague conference made it apparent that it was desirable to have the work of the Red Cross conference completed and ' wnctlnPDil lir r r IlfT nion f -ts-i-j-tct 1 w t. i a. Re1 Cross wnferenoe emltH, ,t3 labor3 j on tho Oth of July, and the revised signed by the American delegates, will be promptly laid before the senate. By the special and highly appreciat ed courtesy of the governments of Rus sia and the Netherlands a proposal to call The Hague conference together nt a time which would conflict with the conference of the American republics at Itio de Janeiro In August was laid aside. No other date has yet been sug gested. A tentative programme for the conference has been proposed by the government of Russia, and the Peace and Righteousness. It must ever be kept in mind that war is not merely justifiable but im perative upon honorable men, upon an ii0norabie nation, where peace can only bc obtained by the sacrifice of cou- er from shortsightedness, from selfish indifference or from sentimentality, to sacrifice national interests which are vital In character. A just war is In the long run far better for a nation's soul than the most prosperous peace obtained by acquiescence in wrong or injustice. Moreover, though it is crim inal for a nation not to prepare for war so that lt may escape the dreadful con sequences of being defeated In war, vet It must always be remembered that - 1 even to ue ueieatea in war may ue iar . I , . i better than not to have fought at all. as nas been well ana nnely said, oeateu nation is not necessarily a dls graced nation, but the nation or man ffceair the obligation to urfend We should nn n.ntinn ,1 within- in nnr nnaW fnn ih n,, nf innn. ble peace. It Is morally as indefensible for d nation to commit a wrong upon another nation, strong or weak, as for an Individual th.w tn. wrnn-r i,ia M. lows We shm.i.i ,i nil i nnr. nw0, tn h.nstot, ihn .1 ..h.n n.or cri.nii i DMraflmnnirtiiPiintinnui mimmi upon justice and not upon cowardly , submission to wrong. We can aecoin- plish a good deal in this direction, but we cannot accomplish everything, and the penalty of attempting to do too much would almost inevitabiv be to do -r,:, thn ,i,i., i. - membered that fantastic extremists t are t ... rP!im ,o;1o,.s nf 1h . .Tni.,. tu MnoIia i1Ilr nr.. oniinnriiv ? tljose wLo ,lo lnost tQ han),er lhe real leaders of the cause and to damage the i cause itself 4 vet there i no likeli- , uooJ of establishing any kind of inter- national power, of whatever sort. which can effectively check wrongdo ing, and in these circumstances, It would be both a foolish and an evil thing for a great and free nation to deprive itself of the power to protect Its own riehts ansl even in exceptional reign upon earth of peace and right- eousness. than for the free and cnlight- ened peoples, who. though with much stumbling and manv shortcomings. nevertheless strive toward justice, de- lier:itflv t rnmlor t!mm;oli-e nnnw. less while leaving every despotism and barbarism armed and able to work their wicked will. The chance for the settlement of disputes neacefullv bv arbitration now depends mainlv upon the possession by the nations that mean to do right of sufficient armed strength to make their purpose effec tive. THE NAYYMD ARMY. Our Surest Guarantor of Peace a Strong Navy. The United States navy is the surest guarantor of peace which this country possesses. It earnestly to be wished that wc would profit by the teachings of history in this matter. A strong and wise people will study its own fail tires no less than its triumphs, for there is wisdom to 1m? learned from the study of both, of the mistake as well as of the success. For this purpose nothing could be more instructive thin a rational study of the war of 1812 as it is told, for instance, by Captain Mahan. There was only one way in which that war could have been avoid ed. If during the preceding twelve years a navy relatively as strong as that which tlds country now has had been built up and an army provided relatively as good as that which the country now has. there never would have lwen the slightest necessity of fighting the war. and if the necessity had arisen the war would under such circumstances have ended with our speedy and overwhelming triumph. Hut our people during those twelve years refused to make any prepara tions whatever regarding either the army or the navy. They saved a rail- lion or two of dollars by so doing and in mere money paid a hundredfold for what cost to the efficiency of the serv each million they thus saved during . Ice. and if the higher officers are given the throe years of war which followed a war which brought untold suffering upon our people, which at one time threatened the graost national disas ter and which, in spite of the necessity of waging it. resulted merely In what was in effect a drawn name, wniio iue balance of defeat and triumph was al- most even. I do not ask that we continue to in- crease our navv. I ask merely that j observed that the very people who It be maintained at its present clamored for the misdirected economy strength, and this can be done only If In firt place were foremost to de we replace the obsolete and outworn , """e the mismanagement, loss and ships bv new and good ones, the j suffering which were primarily due to equals of anv afloat In any navy. To,tI,is sn, misdirected economy and to stop buildings ships for one year means that for that year the navy goes back instead of forward. The old battleship Texas, for Instance, would now be of little service in a standnp fisrht wtth a powerful adversary. The old double turret monitors have out- , there should therefore be an increase worn their usefulness, while it was a ( f pay for certain skilled grades, es waste of money to build the modern . pet-hilly in the coast artillery. Money single turret monitors. All these ships j should be appropriated to permit should be replaced by others, and this troops to be massed in body and oxer- can be done by a well settled pro gramme of providing for the building each year f nt least one first class battleship equal in size and speed to j culable benefit to the army and should any that any nation is at the same . UIUer no circumstances be discontin time building, the armament presum- j c,. if on these practice marches and ably to consist of as large a uumber ; jn tnesG maneuvers elderly officers as possible of very heavy guns of one ' pr0ve unable to lcar the strain they caliber, together with smaller guns to si,0uld be retired nt once, for the fact repel torpedo attack, while there : should be heavy armor, turbine en gines and. In short, every modern de vice. Of course from time to time cruisers, colliers, torpedo boat destroy ers or torpedo boats will have to be built also. All this, be It remembered, would not increase our navy, but would merely keep it at its present strength. Equally, of course, the ships will be absolutely useless If the men aboard them are not so trained that they can get the best possible service out of the formidable but delicate and complicated mechanisms intrusted to their care. The marksmanship of our men has so improved during the last five years that I deem it within bounds to say that the navy Is more than twice as efficient, ship for ship, as half a decade ago. The navy can only at tain proper efficiency If enough officers and men are provided nud if these officers and men are given the chance (and required to take advantage of It) to stay continually at sea and to exer- I ' - 1 cise tue neets singly and above all in pquadron. the exercise to be of every a kind and to include unceasing practice - nt the runs conducted under condl tions that will test marksmanship in tiie of war. Maintain Hi9h Standard I lt" the army and the navy there is urut need tuat everything possible saou,u ue uone 10 " t. standard for the personnel alike as re- garus tne omcers auu tne eniisieu men, I Jo not believe that in any service there is a finer body of enlisted men and of junior officers than we have lu lotli the army and the navy Including ' uyuM. . omout to the enlisted men should be ,veu m auu u jr- lu,,,s P'-" -- , svlce attractive to men of the right type. They shoul.l be held to the strictest discharge of their duty, and In them a spirit should be encouraged wuifh demands not the mere perform ance of duty, but the performance of far moro tuau dut-v iC lt conduces to the honor and the Interest of the Amer ,Cim natio11. anrt Jn return the amplest consideration should be theirs, West Point and Annapolis already turn out excellent officers. We do not need to have these schools made more scholastic. On the contrary, we should never lose sight of the fact that the aim of each school is to turn out n xue vairy or miantry oincer snouia have PiaI mathematical ability, Frobnbly In both schools the best part of 1,10 education is the high standard ' of character and of professional morale I " 111CU It COnrerS, IJut in both services there is urgent need for the establishment of a prin ciple of selection which will eliminate ! mtvn rtor a certain age if they cannot j 00 Promoted from the subordinate ranks n,1(l wl'li bring into the higher ranus iewer men ana these at an earlier age. This principle of se lection will lie objected to by good men of mediocre capacity who are fitted to do well while young in the lower po sitions, but who are not fitted to do well when nt an advanced age they come into positions of command and of great responsibility. But the de sire of those men to le promoted to positions which they are not competent to fill should not weigh against the In terests of the navy and the country. At present our men, especially In the navy, nro iCPpt far too ionR Jn tne junior grades and then, nt much too ad vanced an age. are put quickly through the senior grades, often not attaining those senior grades until they are too old to be of real use to them and, if they are of real use. being put through them so quickly that little benefit to the navy comes from their having been In them nt all. The navy has one great advantage over the army in the fact that the of ficers of high rank are actually trained In the continual performance of their duties that is, in the management of the battleships and armored cruisers gathered Into fleets. This is not true of the army officers, who rarely have cor responding chances to exercise com mand over troops under service condi tions. The conduct of the Spanish war showed the lamentable loss of life, the useless extravagance and the ineffi ciency certain to result if during peace the high oflieials of the war and navy departments are praised and rewarded only if they save money, nt no matter no cuance wnatever 10 exercise auu practice command. For years prior to the Spanish war the secretaries of war were praised chiefly If they practiced economy, which economy. estecially In connection with the quartermaster. .vwimuiwuij mm iurun-ai uviwuun-u, was directly responsible for most of tUe mismanagement that occurred in the war Itself. And parenthetically be the lack of preparation it iuvolved Coast Defense Needs. There should soon be an Increase in the number of men for our coast de fenses. These men should be of the right type and properly trained, and cised In maneuvers, particularly in inarching. Such exercise during the summer just past has been of incal j3 conclusive ns to their unfitness for war that Is, for the only purpose be cause of which they should be allowed to stay In the service. It Is a real mis fortune to have scores of small com pany or regimental posts scattered throughout the country. The army should be gathered in a few brigade or division posts, nud the generals should be practiced in handling the men in masses. Neglect to provide for all of this means to Incur the risk of future disaster and disgrace. The readiness and efficiency of both the army and navv in dealing with the recent sudden crisis iu Cuba Illustrate ' afresh their value to the nation. Tills i readiness and efficiency would have Nowhere in the world has this prog-i Not in a single conference or by a in been very much less had It not been ress been more marked than In Latin fJ !ffm" afV: h?-";:. "vU for the existence of the general staff America. Out of the wrack of Indian ntTbut Kihe rtit tapul "J! In 'the army and the general board iu fighting and race conflicts and civil if the right tendency be established, the the navy. Roth are essential to the wars strong and stable governments work you do here will go on among all proper development nnd use of our mil- have arisen. Peaceful succession In """f" JT,pl -h" .An?:r,c I. " - - . , ..t .rt. f p.m,i. - ar I 1 1 1 wl n.nMi han lled flawiesslv. It was the swift- D K'.'i' 1UUI U r I 1 II L I II 1 1 lt V 1 1 II.. ;e9 mobilization aud dispatch of troops i - over eea ever accomplished by our gov-. nity, Its honor, bas risen above partl ernment. The expedition landed com-' sansliip for individual leaders. The pletely equipped and ready for lmme- rule of hw supersedes the rule of man. diate service, several of its organiza- Property is protected, and the fruits of tions hardly remaining in Havana over enterprise ore secure. Individual lib night before splitting up Into detach-' erty Is respected. Continuous public ments aud going to their several posts. ' policies are followed. National faltb, is It was a fine demonstration of the held sacred. Progress has not been value and efficiency of the general staff. 1 equal everywhere, but there bas been Similarly It was owing In large part progress everywhere. The movement .iu tut: t-utriui uvuiu 11.111. tuv uatjf was able at the outset to meet the Cu ban crisis with such instant efficiency, ship after ship appearing on the short est notice at any threatened point, while the marine corps In particular performed indispensable service. The army and navy war colleges are of in- calculable value to the two services. and they co-operate with constantly in creasing efficiency and importance. Shooting Galleries Needed. The congress has most wisely pro vided for a national board for the pro motion of rifle practice. Excellent re sults have already come from this law, but it does not go far enough. Our regular army is so small that in any great war we should have to trust lnaiuly to volunteers, and in such event these volunteers should already know how to shoot, for if a soldier has the fighting edge and ability to take care of himself iu the open bis effi ciency on the line of battle Is almost directly proportionate to excellence in marksmanship. We should establish shooting galleries in all the large pub lic and military schools, should main tain national target ranges in different parts of the country and should in every way encourage the formation of rifle clubs throughout all parts of the laud. The little republic of Switzer land offers us an excellent example In nil matters connected with building up an efficient citizen soldiery. THEODORE ROOSEVELT. The White House, Dec. 3, 1U0G. APPENDIX. Address by the Secretary of State of the United States of America as Honor ary President of the Third Confer ence of American Republics at Rio de Janeiro, July 31, 1906. Mr. President and Gentlemen of the Third Conference of American Repub lics I bog you to believe that I highly appreciate and thank you for the honor you do me. I bring from my country a special greeting to her elder sisters in the civ ilization of America. Unlike as we are in many respects. we are alike In this that we are all engaged under new conditions and free from the traditional forms and limita tions of the old world in working out the same problem of popular self gov ernment. It is a difficult and laborious task for each of us. Not in one generation or in one century can the effective con trol of a superior sovereign, so long deemed necessary to government, be rejected and effective self control by the governed le perfected in Its place. The first fruits of democracy are, many of them, crude aud unlovely. Its mis takes are many, its partial failures many, its sins not few. Capacity for self government does not come to man by nature. It is an art to be learned. and it is also an expression of char acter to be developed among all the thousands of men who exercise popular sovereignty. To reach the goal toward which we are pressing forward the governing multitude must first acquire knowledge that comes from universal education. wisdom that follows practical experi ence, personal independence and self respect befitting men who acknowledge no superior, self control to replace that external control which a democracy re jects. respect for law, obedience to the lawful expressions of the public will. consideration for the opinions aud In terests of others equally entitled to a voice iu the state, loyalty to that ab stract conception one's country as in spiring as that loyalty to personal sov ereigns which has so illumined the pages of history, suliordinntion of per sonal interests to the public good, love of justice and mercy, of liberty and order. All those we must seek by slow and patient effort, and of how many shortcomings in his own land and among his own people each one of us is conscious. Yet no student of our times can fall to see that not America alone, but the whole civilized world. Is swinging away from Its old governmental moor ings and intrusting the fate of its civ ilization to the capacity of the popular mass to govern. By this pathway mankind is to travel whithersoever It lends. T'non the success of this nnr grcnt undertaking the hope of human Ity depends. 'Nor can we fall to see that the world makes substantial progress toward more perfect popular self government. I believe it to be true that, viewed agahist the background of conditions a century, a generation, a decade ago. government In my. own country has ad vanced In the intelligent participation of the great mass of the people, in the fidelity and honesty with which they are represented, in respect for law, in obedience to the dictates of a sound morality and In effectiveness and pn' i my or administration. j -.1 ,, ,m . ntflMul ftlJk fMM1tlA fialrilPA nAVM permitted by the people's Indifference. liiuwu v,.av. iuu.m VA uvntl Loyalty. to jwiatry. Its Reace, Its dig- - - - - - -. , . 1 .. ... " . In the right direction is general. Tba right tendency la not exceptional; It Is continental. The present affords Jost cause for satisfaction; the future Is bright with hope. It ia not by national Isolation that . those results have been accomplished or that this progress can be continued. No nation can live unto Itself alone and eoutimie to live. Each nation's growth is a part of the development of the race. There may be leaders, and there may be laggards, but no na tion can long continue very far In ad vance of the general progress of man kind, nnd no nation that la not doomed to extinction can remain very far be hind. It is with nations as It Is with individual meu. Intercourse, associa tion, correction of egotism by the in-fluent-e of others judgment, broadening of views by the experience and thought of equals, acceptance of the moral standards of a community the desire fof whose good opinion lends a sanc tion to the rules of right conduct these are the conditions of growth In civilization. A people whose minds are not open to the lessons of the world's progress, whose spirits are not stirred by the aspirations and the achievements of humanity struggling the world over for liberty and Justice, munt be left behind by civilization in Its steady and beneficent advance. To promote this mutual interchange and assistance between the American repub lics, engaged in the same great task. In spired by the same purpose and profess ing the came principles, I understand to be the function of the American confer ence now in session. There ia not one of all our countries that cannot benefit the others. There is not one that cannot re ceive benefit from the others. There la not one that will not gain by the pros perity, the peace, the happiness of all. According to your programme, no great and Impressive single thing 1s to be done by yon. no political questions are to be discussed, no controversies are to be set tled, no Judgment is to be panned upon the conduct of any state, but many sub jects are to be considered which afford tha possibility of removing barriers to Inter course, of ascertaining for the common benefit what advances have been made by earn nation in knowledge, in eiperl ence, in enterprise. In the solution of dif ficult questions of government and" In eth ical standards, of perfecting our knowl edge of each other and of doing away with the misconceptions, the misunder standings and the resultant prejudice that are such fruitful sources of con troversy. And there are some aubjecta In the pro gramme which Invite discussion that mny lead the American republics toward an agreement upon principles, the general practical application of which can coma only In the future through long and 'pa tient effort. Some advance at least may be made here toward the complete rula of justice and peace among nations In lieu of force and war. Tho association of so many eminent men from oil the republics, leaders of opinion in their own homes; the friendships that will arise among you. the habit of tem perate and kindly discussion of matter of common interest, the ascertainment of common sympathies and alms, the dissi pation of misunderstandings, the exhibi tion to all the American peoples of this peaceful and considerate method of con ferring upon international questions this alone, quite irrespective of the resolu tion!) you may adopt and the conventions you may sign, will mark a substantial advance in the direction of International good understanding. These beneficent results the government and the people of the United States of America greatly desire. We wish for no victories but those of peace, for no terri tory except our own, for no sovereignty except the sovereignty ' over ourselves. We deem the independence and equal rights of the smallest and weakest mem ber of the family of nations entitled to as much respect as those of the greatest empire, and we deem the observance of that respect the chief guaranty of the weak against the oppression of the., strong. We neither claim nor desire any rights or privileges or powers that we do not freely concede to every American republic. Wo wish to Increase our pros perity, to expand our trade, to grow In wealth, in wisdom and in spirit, but our conception of the true way to accomplish this Is not to pull down others and profit by their ruin, but to help all friends to a common prosperity and a common growth that we may all become greater and stronger together. Within a few months, for the first time, the recognised possessors of every foot of soil upon the American continents can be and I hone will be represented with the acknowledged rights of equal sovereign states in the great world congress at The Hague. This will be the world's formal and final acceptance of tho declaration that no part of the American continents is to bo deemed subject to colonization. Let ua pledge ourselves to aid each other In the full performance of the duty to humanity which that accepted declaration " Implies, so that in time the weakest and . most unfortunate of our republics may come to march with equal step by tha fide of the strongest and more fortunate. Iet us help each other to show that for all the races of men the liberty for which we have fought and labored is tha twin sister of Justice and peace. Let us unite in creating and maintaining and making effective an all. American public opinion whose power shall Influence International conduct and prevent international wrong on-J narrow the causes of war and for ever preserve our free landa from the bur den of such armaments as are massed ba hind the frontiers of Kurop and bring- us nearer 10 me perfection or ordered - "m insr the Brim and nJiPPneM for UB aU .- ."5 -nrr yuur nnai a.Ijonm- merit. Ion ft-r your liven, with inealm lu 1.1. 1 ... P, . n 1 1 . I . - , . m m . ml I V 1 . I V Wll VU I UTIUVni CUUIlinH.' 'ch may u plesn ol to continue fr !Tm 'ndc" P9Z r If" u coma. - - . ...... i