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THE PRE? A Mr. Roosevelt Makes f datioas to THE COUNTRY IS PROSPEROUS. . Suggestions Touching Upon Our Public Policy?The Departments? The Isthmian Canal and Treaty With Panama?Other flatters. Introduction. To the Senate and House of Representatives: The country is to be congratulated on the amount of substantial achievement which has marked the past year both as regards our foreign and as regards our domestic policy. Corporatiors. With a nation as with a man the most important things are those of the household, and therefore the country Is especially to be congratulated on what has been accomplished in the direction of providing for the exercise 6f supervision over the great corporations and combinations of corporations en- I gaged in interstate commerce. The Congress has created the Department of Commerce and Labor, including the Bureau of Corporations, with for the first time authority to secure proper * publicity of such proceedings of these great corporations as the public has the right to know. It has provided for the expediting of suits for the enforcement of the Federal anti-trust law; and by another law it has secured equal trontmpnt to all nroducers in the trans- i portation of their goods, thus taking a long stride forward in making effective , the work of the Interstate Commerce Commission. Department cf Commerce ars:J Labor. The establishment cf the Department j of Commerce and Labor, with ihe Bureau of Corporations thereunder. : marks a real advance in the direction of doing all that is possible for the solution of the questions vitally affecting j capitalists and wage-workers. The act : creating the Department was approved on February 14. 1903, and two days later the head of the Department was nominated and confirmed by the Sea. ate. Since then the work of organi nation has been pushed as rapidly as the initial appropriations permitted, and with due regard to thoroughness and | the broad purposes which the Department is designed to serve. After the transfer of the various bureaus and branches to the Department at the beginning of the current fiscal year, as provided for in the act, the personnel mmnrised 1.2S0 employees in Washing ten and 8,836 in the country at large. | Tbe scope of the Department's duty and authority embraces the commercial ; and industrial interests of the Natiou. , It is not designed to restrict or control ^ tho fullest liberty of legitimate busi- ; (V ness action, but to secure exact and au thentic information which will aid the j ^ Executive in enforcing existing laws, and which will enable the Congress to ! enact additional legislation, if any i should be found necessary, in order to prevent the few from obtaining privileges at the expense of diminished opY portunities for the many. Bureau of Corporations. The preliminary work of the Bureau of Corporations in the Department has shown the wisdom of its creation, f Publicity in corporate affairs will tend to do away with ignorance, and will afford facts upon which intelligent ac. tion may be taken. Systematic, intelligent investigation is already develop-1 ing facts the knowledge of which is essential to a right understanding of the needs and duties of tbe business world. The corporation which Is honestly and fairly organized, whose managers in the conduct of Its business recognize their obligation to deal squarely with their stockholders, thei^ competitors, and the public, has nothing to fear from such supervision. The purpose of this Bureau is not to embarrass or j assail legitimate business, but to aid in bringing about a better industrial con- 1 dition?a condition under which there 1 shall be obedience to law and recognition of public obligation by all corpora- ! tions, great or small. The Department of Commerce and Labor will be not . only the clearing house for information regarding the business transactions of' the Nation but the executive arm of the Government to aid in strengthening our domestic and foreign markets, in perfecting our transportation facilities, in building up our merchant marine, in preventing the entrance of undesirable immigrants, in improving commercial and industrial conditions, and in bringing together on common ground those necessary partners in industrial progress?capital and labor. Commerce between the nations is j steadily growing in volume, and the , tendency of the times is toward closer trade relations. Constant watchfulness is needed to secure to Americans the chance to participate to the best advantage in foreign trade; and we many confidently expect that the new ! Department will justify me expectation of its creators by the exercise of this watchfulness, as well as by the businesslike administration of such laws [ relating to our internal affairs as are intrusted to its care. Capital and Labor. A The consistent policy of the National | Government, so far as it has the power ' is to hold in check the unscrupulous \ man, whether employer or employee; but to refuse to weaken individual ini- : tiative or to hamper or cramp the in- ! ?dustrial development of the country. We recognize that this is an era of federation and combination, in which great capitalistic corporations and labor unions have become factors of tremendous importance in all industrial centers. Hearty recognition is given the > far-reaching, benchcent work whicn | has been accomplished through both 1 corporations and unions, and the line i as between different corporations.asb?- ! tween unions, is drawn as it is between : different individuals; that is, it is drawn oa conduct, the effort being to treat both organized capital and or- j IT'S MESSAGE] lis Annual RecommenCongress. * garized labor alike; asking nothing save that the interest of each shail he brought into harmony with the interest j of the general public, and that the conduct of each shall conform to the fundamental rules of obedience to law, of individual freedom, and of justice and fair dealing towards all. Whenever either eomoration. labor union or in dividual disregards the law or acts in a spirit of arbitiary and tyrannous interference with the rights of others, whether corporations or individuals, then where the Federal Government has jurisdiction, it will see to it that the misconduct is stopped, paying not the slightest heed to the position or power of the corporation, the union or the individual, hut only to one vital i fact?that is, the question whether or not the conduct cf the individual or | aggregate of individuals is in accord- j ance with the law of the land. Eveiy man must be guaranteed his liberty and his right to do as he likes with his property or his labor, so long as he does not infringe the rights of others. No man is above the law and no man is below it; nor do we ask any man's permission when we require him to obey it. Obedience to the law is demanded as a right; not asked as a favor. We have cause as a nation to be thankful for the steps that have been so successfully taken to put these principles into effect. The progress has been by evolution, not by revolution. Nothing radical has been done; the ac uuu xitus utrtru uuiu muuvian ?.uvi ?^ w.. lute. Therefore the work will stand. There shall be no backward step. Receipts and Expenditures. From all sources, exclusive of tLe posial service, the receipts of the Government for the last fiscal year aggregated $560,390,674. The expenditures for the fiscal year being $54,297,067. The indications are that the surplus for the present fiscal year will be veiy 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 coiresponding portion of last year. Should this decrease continue at he same ratio throughout the fiscal year, the surplus would be reduced by, approximately, thirty million dollars. Should the revenue from customs suffer much further decrease during the fiscal year, the surplus would vanish. A large surplus is certainly undesirable. Two years ago the war taxes were taken off with the express intention of equaliz ing the government receipts and expenditures, and though the first year thereafter still showed a surplus, it now seems likely that a substantial equality of revenue and expenditure will be attained. Such being the case it is of great moment both to exercise care and economy in appropriations, 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 can not afford to be parsimonious in providing for what is essential to our national well-being. Careful economy wherever possible will alone prevent our income from falling below the point required in order to meet our genuine needs. Needs of Financial Situation. The integrity of our currency is beyond question, and under present con. ditions it would be unwise and unnecessary to attempt a reconstruction of our entire monetary system. The same liberty should be granted the Secretary of the Treasury to deposit customs receipts as is granted him in the deposit of receipts from other sources. In my Message of December 2, 1902, I called attention to certain needs of the financial situation, and I again ask the consideration of the Congress for these i quesitons. Merchant Marine. A majority of our people desire that steps be taken In the Interest of American shipping, so that we may once more^resume our former position In the ocean carrying trade. But hitherto the differences of opinion as to the proper methods of reaching this end have been so wide that it has proved impossible to secure the adoption of any particular scheme. Having in view these facts, I recommend that the Congress direct the Secretary of the Navy, the Postmaster-General, and the Secretary of Commerce and Labor, associated with such a representation from the Senate and House of Repre sentatives as the Congress In its wis. dom may designate, to serve as a commission for the purpose of investigating and reporting to the Congress at Its next session what legislation is dejir- I able or necessary for the development of the American merchant marine and j American commerce, and incidentally j of a national ocean mail service of J adequate auxiliary naval cruisers and < naval reserves. While such a measure j is desirable in any event, it is especial- j ly desirable at this time, in view cf the fact that our present governmental contract for ocean mail with the j American Line will expire in 1905. Immigration. We can not have too much immigration of the right kind, and we should I have none at all of the wrong kind. ' The need is to devise some system by which undesirable immigration shall be kept out entirely, while desirable immigrants are properly distrioutea tbroughout the country. Naturalization Frauds. The special investigation of the sub- ; ject of naturalization under the direc- j tion of the Attorney-General, and the j consequent prosecutions, reveal a con. , dition of affairs calling for the imme- ! diate attention of the Congress. For- ; geries and perjuries of shameless and , flagrant character have been per- j petrated, not only in the dense centers j of population, but throughout the j 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 benefits of. the same through the grossest frauds. It is never to be forgotten that citizenship is. to quote the words recently used by the Supreme Court of the United 1 States, an "inestimable heritage", I whether it proceeds from birth within j the country or is obtained by naturali- j zation; and we poison the sources of ! our national character and strength at the fountain, if the p iviiege is claimed j and exercised without right, and by ] means of fraud and corruption. Public Land Frauds. In my last annual Message, in connection with the subject of the due regulation of combinations of capital j which are or may become injurious to , the public, I recommended a special ap- ; propriation for the better enforcement j of the antitrust law as it now stands, j to be expended under the direction of j the Attorney-General. Accordingly (by the legislative, executive, and judicial appropriation act of February 25, 1903, 32 Stat., 854, 904), the Congress appropriated, for the purpose of enforcing the various Federal trust and interestate-rommerce laws, the sum of five hundred thousand dollars, to be expended under the direction of the Attorney-General in the employment of special counsel and agents in the Department of Justice to conduct proceedings and prosecutions under said laws in the courts of the United States. I now recommend, as a matter of the utmost importance and urgency, the extension of the purposes of thi3 appropriation, so that it may be available, | under the direction of the AttorneyGeneral, 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 af! fairs in these three matters of vital concern. By various 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 acquir-, | ed. It is hardly necessary to urge tne importance of recovering these dishonest acquisitions, stolen from the people and of promptly and duly punishing I the offenders. I speak in another part of this Message of the widespread ! crimes by which the sacred right cf citizenship is falsely asserted and that "inestimable heritage" perverted to base ends. By similar means?that is, through frauds. forgeries, and perjuries. and by shameless briberies?the 1 laws relating to the proper conduct of j the public service in general and to the ; due administration of the Post-Office Department have been notoriously vioi lated. and many indictments have been : found, and the consequent prosecutions are in course of hearing or oa the eve thereof. For the reasons thus indicated, j ! and so that the Government may he | prepared to enforce promptly and with | the greatest effect the due penalties for such violations 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 dif. ferent points of the country, I urge upon the Congress <lie necessity of roak ! ing the said appropriation available for immediate use for all such purposes, to be expended under the direction of the Attorney-General. Need For Treaties Making Bribery Extraditable. % Steps have been taken by the State Department looking to the making of bribery an extraditable offense with foreign powers. The need of more ef- J fective treaties covering this crime is manifest. The exposures and prosecutions of official corruption In St. Louis, Mo., and other cities and States | j have resulted in a number of givers and takers of bribes becoming fugl- ! tives in foreign lands. Bribery has not been included in extradition treaties heretofore, as the necessity for it has not arisen. While there may have been as much official corruption in former *1 ? *v?nrn rlcvolnnorl years, mere uaa uccu uui^ and brought to light in the immediate past than in the preceding century of our country's history. It should be the policy of the United States to leave no place on earth where a corrupt man fleeing from this country can rest in peace. There is no reason why bribery should not be included in all treaties as extraditable. Alaskan Boundary. The Alaskan boundry dispute has been one of long standing. The President congratulates the country on its amicable settlement, and Incidentally i remarks upon the great development of this valuable area of our possessions. The President calls attention at length to the settlement of claims against Venezuela held by Great Britain, Germany and Italy, and remarks upon the important part played by our government in the Just settlement of the same. He remarks upon the growing sentiment of the nations favoring peaceable settlements in such cases. International Arbitration. Last year the Interparliamentary Union for International Arbitration met at Vienna, six nunarea menmers of the different legislatures of civilized countries attending. It was provided that the next meeting should be in 1904 at St. Louis, subject to our Congress extending an invitation. Like the Hague Tribunal, this Interparliamentary Union is one of the forces tending towards peace among the nations of the earth, and it is entitled to our support. I trust the invitation can be extended. Relations With Turkey. Early in July, having received Intelligence, which happily turned out to be erroneous, of the assassination of | our vice-consul at Beirut, I dispatched j a small squadron to that port for such , service as might be found necessary , on arrival. Although the attempt on I the life of oui vice-consul had not been j successful, yet the outrage was symp- | tomatic or a srare or excnemeni ann i d'sordei which demand immediate at- j tention. The arrival of the vessels had the happiest result. A feeling of security at once took the place of the former alarm and disquiet; our officers were cordially welcomed by the consular body and the leading merchants, and ordinary business resumed its ac- j tivity. The Government of the Sultan I gave a considerate hearing to the representations of our minister; the official who was regarded as responsible for the disturbed condition of affairs was removed. Our relations with the Turkish Government remain friendly; our claims founded on inequitable treatment of some of our schools and missions appear to be in process of amicable adjustment. Relations With China. The signing of a new commercial a treaty with China, which took place at \ Shanghai on the Sth of October, is a ] cause for satisfaction. This act, the j result of long discussion and negotia- c tion, places our commercial relations i with the great Oriental Empire on a j more satisfactory footing than they s have ever heretofore enjoyed. It pro- < vides not only for the ordinary rights 1 and privileges of diplomatic and con- i snlar offirprs. hut also for an imnor- i t tant extension of our commerce by increased facility of access to Chinese ports, anil for the relief of trade by the j removal of some of the obstacles which ( have embarrassed it in the past. I call your attention to the reduced cost in maintaining the consular service for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1903, as shown in the annual report of f the Auditor for the State and other \ Departments, as compared with the 1 year previous. For the year under con- J sideration the excess of expenditures over receipts on account of the con- j sular service amounted to $26,125.12, ] as against $96,972.50 for the year ending June 30, 1902, and $147,040.16 ; for the year ending June 30, 1901. This ' j is the best showing in this respect, for ' i the consular service for the past four- ' teen years, and the reduction in the ' cost of the service to the Government i \ has been made in spite of the fact that the expenditures for the year in ques- \ 1 I tion were more than $20,000 greater j than for the previous year. Rural Free Delivery. j : The rural free-delivery service has i been steadily extended. The attention i of the Congress is asked to the ques- i tion of the compensation of the letter j carriers and clerks engaged in the pos- i [ tal service, especially on tne new rurai i j free-delivery routes. More routes have < been installed since the first of July i last than in any like period in the De- < partment. While a due regard to ccon- < omy must be kept in mind in the es- . tablishment of new routes, yet the ex- ] tension of the rural free-delivery sys- < tcm must be continued, for reasons of < sound public policy. No governmental j movement of recent years has resulted i in greater immediate benefit to the 1 people of the country districts. Rural i j free delivery, taken in connection with * | the telephone, the bicycle, and the trol- < i ley, accomplishes much toward lessen- < | ing the isolation of farm life and mak- < j ing it brighter and more attractive. j Louisiana Purchase Exposition. I trust that the Congress will con- ; tinue to favor in all proper ways the ' Louisiana Purchase Exposition. This 1 Exposition commemorates the Louis!- J ana purrhase, which was the first great i j step in the expansion which made us a ] ; continental nation. The expedition of ! Lewis and Clark across the continent ! j followed thereon, and marked the fcej ginning of the process of exploration ! and colonization which thrust our na- 1 tional boundaries to the Pacific. The : acquisition of the Oregon country, in- ; eluding the present States of Oregon and Washington, was a fact of im- ; mense importance in our hlston'', first giving us our place on the Pacific sea- 1 board, and making ready the way for our ascendency in the commerce of the greatest of the oceans. The centennial of our establishment upon the western ( coast by the expedition of Lewis and < Clark is to be celebrated at Portland, Oregon, by an exposition in the summer of 1905, and this event should re- ( ceive recognition and support from the National Government. j Foreign Possessions. It is urged that we do all we can to i help Hawaii by constructing light- I houses and helping to build up the commercial interests of the islands. i Of our insular possessions the Philip- < pines and Porto Rico it is gratifying | i to say that their steady progress has j 1 j been such as to make it unnecessary to i spend much time in discussing them. I Yet the Congress should ever keep in ! mind that a peculiar obligation rests J upon us to further in every way the welfare of these communities. The Philippines should be knit closer to us by tariff arrangements? It would, of course, be impossible suddenly to raise the people of the islands to the high pitch of industrial prosperity and of governmental efficiency to which they will in the end by degrees attain; and the caution and moderation shown in developing them have been among the main reasons why this development has hitherto gone on so smoothly. Scrupulous care has been taken in the choice of governmental agents, and the entire elimination of partisan polltics from the public service. The condition of the islanders is in materal things far better than ever before, while their governmental, Intellectual, and moral advances has kept pace with their material advance. No one people ever benefitted another people more than we have beneflfltted the Filipinos by taking possession o fthe islands. Public Land Laws. The cash receipts of the General Land Office for the last fiscal year were J $11,024,743.65, an Increase of $4,762,- j S16.47 over the preceding year. Of this : sum, approximately, $8,461,493 will go to the credit of the fund for the reclamation of arid land, making the total of this fund, up to the 30th of l June, 1903, approximately, $16,191,836. ] A gratifying disposition has been t evinced by those having unlawful in- ] closures of public land to remove their ] fences. Nearly two million acres so in- t closed have been thrown open on de- ^ mand. In but comparatively few cases ( has it been necessary to go into court f to accomplish this purpose. This work { will be vigorously prosecuted until all f unlawful inclosures have been re- \ moved. j Our public land laws need revision sadly. A great deal of fraud has crept j into their administration, and scandals are common. It is urged that they be , thoroughly revised. , v/'juon weevil. The cotton-growing States have re- s centiy been invaded by a weevil that has done much damage and threatens the entire cotton industry. I suggest to the Congress the prompt enactuent of * such remedial legislation as its Judg- . ment may approve. Patents to Foreigners. t In granting patents to foreigners the s proper course for this country to fol-* s low is .to give the same advantages to t foreigners here that the countries in j which these foreigners dwell extend in J return to our citizens; that is. to ex- j. tend the benefits of our patent laws on -J inventions and the like where in re- ' turn the articles would be patentable in the foreign countries concerned? , where an American could get a corresponding patent in such countries. Indian Affairs. r The Indian agents should not be de- n pendent for their appointment or te^^^ -- ; 7 jre of office upon considerations of partisan politics; the practice of appointing, when possible, ex-army offl;ors or bonded superintendents to the vacancies that occur is working well. \ttention is invited to the wide,A mux. J... ...VI:> ilutMu iiiuexacy uue lu xach. ux. puum; schools in the Indian Territory. Prompt heed should be paid to the aeed of education for the children in :his Territory. Safety-Appliance Law. In the matter of the safety-appliance law much good has already been accomplished. The law should be vlgorausly enforced. Pensions. No other class of our citizens deserves so well of the Nation as those to whom the Nation owes its very being, the veterans of the civil war. Special attention is asked to the excellent work of the Pension Bureau in expending and disposing of pension claims. During the fiscal year ending puly 1, 1903, the Bureau settled 251,982 claims, an average of 825 claims for each working day of the year. The number of settlement since July 1, 1903, has been in excess of last year's average, approaching 1,000 claims for each working day, and it is believed that the work of the Bureau will be current at the close of the present fiscal year. Civil Service Extension. Daring the year ended June 30 last 23,506 persons were appointed through competitive examinations under the civil-service rules. This was 12,72 more than during the preceding year, and 40 per cent of those who passed the examination. This abnormal growth was largely occasioned by the extension of classification to the rural free-delivery service and the appointment last year Df over 9,000 rural carriers. A revision of the civil-service rules took effect on April 15 last, which has greatly improved their operation. The completion of the reform of the civil service is recognized by good citizens everywhere as a matter of the highest public importance, and the success of the merit system largely depends upon the effectiveness of the rules and the machinery provided for their enforcement. A very gratifying spirit of friendly cooperation exists in all the Departments of the Government in the enforcement and uniform observance of both the letter and spirit of the civil-service act. Executive orders of July 3,1902; March 26, 1903, and July 8, 1903, require that appointments of all unclassified laborers, both in the Departments at Washington and in the field service, shall be made with the assistance of the United States Civil Service Commission, under a system of registration to test the relative fitness of applicants for appointment or employment. This system Is competitive, and is open to all citizens of the United States quali fled in respect to age, physical ability, moral character, industry, and adaptability for manual labor; except that in case of veterans of the civil war the element of age is omitted. Board of Charities. The report of the Board of Charities for the District of Columbia is submitted for the consideration of Congress. It is a qualifying statement. The Army. The effect of the laws providing a General Staff for the Army and for the more effective use of the National Guard has been excellent. Great improvement has been made in the efficiency of our Army in recent years. Such schools as those erected at Fort Leavenworth and Fort Riley and the institution of fall maneuver work accomplish satisfactory results. The good effect of these maneuvers upon the National Guard Is marked, and jmple appropriation should be made to enable the guardsmen of the several States to share !n the henent. me uov?rnment should a3 soon as possible secure suitable permanent camp sites for military maneuvers in the various sections of the country. The service thereby rendered not only to the Regular Army, but to the National Guard of the several States, will be so great as to repay many times over the rela- i tively small expense. We should not I rest satlfled with what has been done, however. The only people who are rontented with a system of promotion by mere seniority are those who are contented with the triumph of meJiocrity over excellence. On the other band a system which encouraged the jxercise of social or political favoritsra in promotions would be even ivorse. But it would surely be easy to levise a method of promotion from rade to grade in which the opinion of be higher officers of the service upon ae canidates should be decisive upon i onH nrnmiitlon of the I ,uc oiauuiU5 uuu !/. Litter Just such a system now obtains it West Point. The quality of each tear's work determines the standing of hat year's class, the man being dropted or graduated into the next class in he relative position which his miliary superiors decide to be warranted >y his merit. The Navy. Shortly after the enunciation of that 'amous principle of American foreign policy now known as the "Monroe Doc;rine," President Monroe, in a special Message to Congress on January 30, [824, spoke as follows: "The Navy is ;he arm from which our Government will always derive most aid in support )f our 'rights. Every power engaged in war will know the strength of )ur naval power, the number of our ;hips of each class, their condition, tnd the promptitude with which we nay bring them into service, and will ay due consideration to that argunent." I hrartHv congratulate the Congress tpon the steady progress in building ip the American Navy. We can not aford a let-up in this great work. To :tand still means to go back. Isthmian Canal. By the act of June 28, 1902, the Cou- i rress authorized the President to en- : er into treaty with Colombia for the i luilding of the canal across the i sthmus of Panama; it being provided < hat in the event of failure to secure t uch treaty after the lapse of a rea- i unable time, recourse should be had i o building a canal through Nicaragua. < t has not been necessary to consider 1 his alternative, as I am enabled to < ay before the Senate a treaty provid- 1 tig for the building of the canal across i he Isthmus of Fanama. This was the J oute which commended itself to the < eliberate judgment of the Congress, I nd we can now acquire by treaty the ' ight to construct the canal over this ? oute. TA>e question now, therefore, is < ot by 1 Mcli route the Isthmian canal question L . r / iW!? ti, been definitely and Irrevocably de? elded. The question is simply whether or not we shall have an Isthmta* canal. When the Congress directed that we should take the Panama route under treaty with Colombia, the essence at the condition, of course, referred not to the Government which' controlled that route, but to the route itself; to the territory apross which the route lay, not to the name which lor tho moment the territory bore on the map. The purpose of the law was to ao? thorize the President to make a treaty with the power in actual control at the Isthmus of Panama. This purpose' has been fulfilled. A number of paragraphs of the mef? sage are devoted to a review of otf efforts to secure treaty rights for thd building of an Isthmian canal, and many matters touching upon the suli? ippt nrp Ht-prt Repudiation of Treaty by.Colombia. Last spring, under the act above ra ferred to, a treaty concluded betwe?a the representatives of the Republic of Colombia and of our Government was ratified by the Senate. This treaty waft entered into at the urgent solicitation of the people of Colombia and after ft body of experts appointed by our Go^ ernment especially to go Into the ma-t ter of the routes across the Isthmuft had pronounced unanimously in favor of the Panama route. In drawing up this treaty e* ery concession was mate to the people and to the Government of Colombia. We were more than Juat iu dealing with them. Our generosity was such as to make it a serious queft^~^N lion wbetiier we had not gone too far in their interest at the expense of our own; for in our scrupulous desire tft pay all possible heed, not merely tft the real but even to the fancied- rlghtft of our weaker neighbor, who already owed so much to our protection and forbearance, we yielded In all posslblft 4 ways to her desires In drawing up thft treaty. Nevertheless. the Government of Colombia not merely repudiated th# treaty, but repudiated It in such manp ner as to make it evident by the tlmft the Colombian Congress adjourned that not the scantiest hope remained of ever getting a satisfactory treaty from them. The Government of Colon* bia made the treaty, and yet when tho ' Colombian Congress was called to ratify it the vote against ratification was unanimous. It "does not appear that the Government made any real effort to secure ratification. The control, in the interest of tho commerce and tramc of the wholo civilized world, of the means of undisturbed transit across the Isthmus of Panama has become of transcendent importance to the United 8tate% We have repeatedly exercised this control by intervening in the courso of domestic dissension, and by protecting the territory, from foreign in* vasion. In 1853 Mr. Everett assured the Peruvian minister that wo should not hesitate to maintain tho , neutrality of the Isthmus in the can* ^ of war between Peru and Colombia* In 1864 Colombia, which has alwajd been vigilant to avail itself of its pri^ ileges conferred by the treaty, expressed its expectation that in tho event of war between Peru and Spain ~ nit; u iineu oiaies wuuiu wwi; uivv effect the guaranty of neutrality* There have been few administration* of the State Department in which this treaty has not, either by the one eld* or the other been used as a basis at more or less important demands. II was said by Mr. Fish in 1871 that the Department of State had reason to believe that an attack upon Colom? bian sovereignty on the Isthmus had, on several occasions, been averted by warning from this government. la 18C6, when Colombia was under the menace of hostilities from Italy in the Cerruti case, Mr. Bayard expressed the serious concern that the United States could not but feel, that a Euro* pean power should resort to force against a sister republic of this hemisphere, as to the sovereign and uiv interrupted use of a part Of whose territory we are guarantors unaer the solmen faith of a treaty. In conclusion it is argued that this * country would have been recreant ta its solemn duty to have delayed lonp? er in availing itself of the offered op? portunity to secure rights and frsap chises sufficient to guarantee Its lap mediate entrance upon the important work of canal construction. Provisions of Treaty. By the provisions of the treaty the United States guarantees and will fuintain the independence of the Republic of Panama. There is granted to the United States in perpetuity thp use, occupation and control of a strip , ten miles wide and extending thre* nautical miles into the sea at either terminal, with all lands lying outsid* of the zone necessary for the coa? struction of the canal or for its auxiliary works, and with the islands im the Bay of Panama. The cities of Pan* ama and Colon are not embraced la the canal zone, but the United States assumes their sanitation and, In caas of need, the maintenance of order within the granted limits all thn rights, power, and authority which it would possess were it the sovereign of the territory to the exclusion of the exercise of sovereign rights bt the Republic. All railway and canal property rights belonging to Panama and needed for the canal pass to thn United States, including any proper* ty of the respective companies in thn cities of Panama and Colon; thn works, property, and personnel of thn canal and railways are exempted from taxation as well in the cities of Paifama and Colon as in the' canal zone and its dependencies. Free immigration of the personnel and importation of supplies for the construction and operation of the canal are granted. Provision is made for the use of V miniary rorce ana tne ounaing or ror? tifications by the United States for the protection of the transit. In other details, particularly as to the acquisition of the interests of the New Pa*?" 3 ma Canal Company and the Pan&m* Railway by the United States and th? condemnation of private property for the uses of the canal, the stipulations if the Hay-Herran treaty are closely 'ollowed, while the compensation to je given for these enlarged grants regains the same, being ten millions if dollars payable on exchange of raticatlons; and, beginning nlno years 'rem that date, an annual payment of 1250,000 during the life of the convex % :ion. THEODORE ROOSEVELT-* White House; Dec. 7, 1903. . ^ v / ^ s ^ AP J1 JPs S2H0