Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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The Chief Executive Deplores the Leek of Ships, Declares Thet Ihe Government Musi Open the 6ales of Trade and Urges Passage of the Pend? ing Shipping Bill ? Rura Credits end Safety at Sea. Self Government For Filipinos Again Recommended. FOLLOWING Is President Wll eon's nnuunl message, deliver ed at tue beginning of the ?hurt term of the Sixty third coo green: Gentlemen of the Confcrcus?The sen sion upon writ eh you art now entering a III bo the closing session of the Six? ty-third congress, a congress, I ven ture to say, which will lout: be reinem twred for the great body of thoightful ond constructive work which it has don* in loyal response to the thought and needs of the country. I should like In this address to review the nota bis record end try to make adequate sss ssment of It. but no doubt we stand too near the work that has been done sud are ourselves too much part of It to play the purt of historians to ward iL Moreover, our thoughts are now more of the future thnn of tho past While ws have worked et onr tasks of |>oueo the circumstances of the winde nee bsve beeu altered by war. What we have done for our own land and our own people we did with the best that was in us, whether of character or of Intelli? gence, with sober enthusiasm and a confidence In the principles upou whk h we were acting which sustained us at ?very step of the difficult undcrtak lug. But It is done. It hits passed from our ba ids. It Is now an established part of tbe legislation of the country Its usefulness. Its effects will disclose themselves In experience. What chief? ly strikes us now. as we look about us during these closing days of a year which till be forever memorable In the history of tbe world, is that we face new tasks, bsve been facing them these six months, must fnce them in the months to come?face i hem v ithout partisan feeling. like men w'10 have forgottea everything but a common duty and the fact that we are repro "WE NEED SHIPS; WE HAVE NOT OOT THEM." The United States, this great people for whom we speak and set, should be resdy se never before to serve iteelf and to serve mankind; ready with its resources, ite energies, ite forces ef production snd ite means of distribution. ? ? ? We are not ready to mobilise our re sourtee at once. We are not prepared to uee them imme? diately ar d st their best, with? out delay and without waste. Ts spesk plainly, we have groesly erred in the way in which we have etunted and hin? dered the dsvelopmant of our merchant marine, and now, when we need ehips, we have not got f.hem. sen stives of a great people whose thought Is not of us, but of wh. t Amer? ica owes to herself and to nil mankind In such circumstances as those upou wblcb we look amazed and anxious. War has Interrupted tho means of trsde not only, but also tbt processes of produ t Ion In Europe It Is destroy? ing men and resources wholesale and upou a scale unprecedented and ap? palling. There la reos in to fear that the time Is near, If It be not already at hand, when several of the countries of Europe will And It dtftVult to do for their people what tbey have blthertc lieen always easily able to do?many esaertlal and fundamental things. At any rate, they will need our help and our manifold services as they have . never needed them before, and we should be ready, more ?t und ready than we bave ever been. AMERICA FACES NEW MARKETS FOR TRADE. Merchant Marine Must Bs Built Up to Most Opportunity. It la of equal consequence that thr nations whom Europe has usually sup plied with innumerable articles or man ufueture ani rutnincrce of which Uie> are In const ant need and without which their economic development halts and stands still can now get only a small part of what they formerly Imported and eagerly hs?k to us to supply their nil but empty markets This Is partic? ularly true of cur own neighbors, the -i ?. v ??? t i i|. of Central and South Ameiiea Their lines of trade have hitherto run chiefly athwart the sens, not to our ports, but la the ports of (;re if I'ritaln mimI of the older con rlnent of Europe I do not stop to In quire wb> or to make any eomment on probable cause-. What Interests Jtr*t now is not tho explanation, hut the far-, and our duty an<? opportunity j;, the presence of it. Here are tnur Photo copyright. HR by American Press Association. kcts which we must supply, nnd we must tad the menus of action The United States, this great people for whom we spoilu timl uct. should be ready its never before to serve Itseir and to serve mankind, ready with Its resources, tts energies, Its forces of production nnd I s means of dlstribu tlon. It Is a very practical matter, a mat ter of ways and menus We have the resources, but are we fully ready to use them'* And. If we ran make ready what we haw. have we the means nt hind to distribute It? We are not fully ready: neither have we the means of dlstrihutimi. We are willing, but we are not fully able. We have the wish to scr?c am) to serve greatly, gen eiously. Rut we tire not prepared as we should be. Wo are not ready to tnohrk'e our resources at once. Wu are not prepared to use them Immediately and at their best, without delay and without waste. To s|Mak plainly, we hnve grossly erred In the way in which we have stunted nnd hindered the development of our merchant marine. And now, when we need ships, we have not got them. We have year nfter year debut* ed without end or conclusion, the best l?o icy to pursue with regard to the use of the ores and forests and water powers of our national domain In the rich stales of the west, when we should have noted, and they are still locked up The key is still turned Upon them, the door shut fast at which thousands of vigorous keen, full of initiative, knack clamorously for ad mittan e Tim water power of our nav Ipablo Strtntnf outside the national domain also, even In the eastern states, where wo bat? worked and planned for generations. Is still uot used as It might he, because we will ami we won't; hocaus?. the laus we have made do not intelligently balance en courageincnt against restraint. We withhold by regulation. 1 hnve come to ask you to remedy and correct these mistakes . nd omis? sions, even at this short session of a congress which woul.l certainly seem to hnve done nil the work that could reasonably be expected of it. The time and the circumstances are ex trnordlnnry. nnd so must our efforts be ulso. Fortunately two grent measures, fine? ly conceived, the one to unlock, with proper safeguards, the resources of the national domain, the other to encour age the use of the navigable waters (tit side that du na-in for the genera? tion of power, have already passed the house of representatives and nre ready for Immediate consideration nnd tie tiou by the set.'to. With the deepest cnmestncsH 1 urge their prompt pas? sage. In them both we turn our backs GATES OF TRADE MUST 3E OPENED. The government must open these gates of trade, arid open them wide, open them before it is altogether profitable to open them or altogether reasonable to ask private capital to open them at a venture. It it not 4 question of the government mo? nopolizing the field. It should take action to make it certain that transportation at nson sble ratet will be promptly pro? vided, even where the carriage it not at first profitable, and then, when the carriage has be? come tjfficiently profitable to at? tract and engage private capital and engage it in ebundancc, the government ought to withdraw. upon hesitation nnd makeshift mid formulate H genuine policy of use and conservation In the best sense of those words We owe the one measure not only to the ptOptf ol that (Tent west ern country for whose free and ays b tnatlc development, ns 1t seetns to ine, our legislation has done so little, but also to the people of the nation No Standing Army, but a Trained Citizenry For War. "We Kave Not Been Negli? gent ot National Defense." A Powerful Navy Needed, "But Who Shall Tell Us What Sort of Navy to Build?" To Learn and Profit by the Lesson of Every Experience, as a whole, and we as clearly owe the other hi fulfillment of our repeated promises that the water power of the country should iu fact us well as in name bo put at the disposal of great Industries which can make economical and profitable use of it, the rights of the public being adequately guarded the while and monopoly In the use pre vented. To have begun such measures and not completed them would indeed mar tbb record of this great congees* very seriously. I hope and confidently believe that they will be completed. SELF GOVERNMENT FOR FILIPINOS IS URGED. President Say* Senate Should Pass Measure Now Before Senate. And there is another great piece of legislation which awaits and should re? ceive the sanction of the senate. 1 mean the bill which gives a larger measure of self government to the poo ! pie of the Philippines. How better in this time of anxious questioning and perplexed policy could we show our confidence iu the principles of liberty as the source as wel! as the expression of life; how better could we demon? strate our own self possession and steadfastness in the courses of justice and eistnterostedness than by thus go? ing calmly forward to fulfill our prom? ises to a dependent people, who will now look more anxiously thau ever to see whether we have indeed the liber? ality, the unseltishness, the courage, the faith we have boasted and profess? ed? I cunnot believe that the senate will let this great measure of construc? tive Justice await the action of another cougivss. Its passage would nobly crowi. the record of these two years of memorable labor. I But i think that you will agree with me that this does not complete the toll of our duty. How ure we to carry our goods to tho empty markets of which 1 have spoken if we have no: the ships? Flow are we to build up n great trade if we have not the certain and , constant meuns of transportation upon which all profitable and useful com Djerce depends? And how are are to get the ships if we wait for the trade to develop without them? To correct the many mistakes by which we have Uisoot raged and all but destroyed ttie merchant marine of the country, \, re? trace the steps by which we ha *e, it seems almost deliberately. Withdrawn I our tlag from the seas, except where, here and there, a ship of war Is niddon carry It or some wandering yacht dls plays it, would take a long time and i Involve many detailed items of legis? lation, and the trade which we ought I Immediately to handle would ulsap I pear or fiod other channels white we debated the items. The case Is not unlike that which Coat runted us when our own continent was to be opened up to settlement and industry, and we needed long linos of railway, extended means of transpor I tation prepnred beforehand, if develop? ment was not to lag intolerably and wait, interminnbly. We lavishly sub etdleed the building of transconti? nental railroads. We look back upon that with regret now, becnuse the sub? sidies led to many scandals of which we nra ashamed, but we know that the railroads had to be built, and if we ha l it to do over again we should of course build them, but In another way. Therefore 1 propose another way of providing the means of trans? portation, which must precede, not tardily follow, the development of our trade with our neighbor states of America. It nay seem a reversr.I of the natural order of things, but it Is true, thet the routes of trade must be actually openod-by many ships and regular sailings and moderate charges ?before Itreami of merchandise will flow freely and profitably through them. SAYS SHIPPING BILL IS VERY IMPORTANT. It Should Be Passed to Profit by Open? ed Gates of Trade. Hence the pending shipping bill, dls cussed at the last session, but as yet passed by neither house, in my Judg? ment such legislation is Imperatively needed and cannot wisely be postpnn cd. Tin? government must open these gates of trade, and open them wide, open them before it Is altogether profit* able to open them or It I together rea? sonable to ask private capital to open them at a lenture. It is not a question of the government monopolizing ibe field. H should talco action to make it certain that transportation at roa sonuhle rates will he promptly pro? vided, even where the can laue is not It lirst profitable, and then, when the carriage has beeonie sufficiently profit able tu attraet and engage private eap I til I and engage it in abundance, the government uught to withdraw. I very earnestly hope that the congress Will he of this opinion and that both houses wid adopt this exceedingly im portaut bill. The great subject of rural credits still remains to be dealt with, and It is a matter of deep regret that the dif Acuities of the subject have seemed to lender It impossible to complete a bill for passage at this session Hut it can not he perfected yet. and therefore there are no other constructive mens i ures the necessity for which I will at this time call your attention to. but 1 would be negligent of a very mani fest duty were I nut to call the attcn tlOll of the senate to the fact tTiat the proposed convention for safety tit sea awaits its confirmation and that the limit fixed In the convention itself for ! its acceptance is the last day of the , present month. The conference in which this convention originated was ; called by the United States. The rep? resentatives of the United States play? ed a very influential part indeed In fi?jming the provisions of the proposed convention, and those provisions are in , themselves for the most part admira? ble, it would hardly be consistent with the part we bave played In the whole matter to let it drop and go by the board as if forgotteu and neglect? ed. It was ratified in May last by the German government and In August by the parliament of C.rcat Britain. It marks a most hopeful and decided ad I vance In international civilization. We Fhonld show our earnest good faith In a great matter by adding our own ac? ceptance of It 'COASTS OF ALASKA SHOULD BE SURVEYED. i _ Present Dangers to Navigation Ought to Be Removed by Charts. I j There Is another matter of which 1 must make special mention, if I am to discharge my conscience, lest it should escape your attention. It may seem a very small thing. It affects only a single item of appropriation. Hut many human lives and many great en? terprises hang upon it It lathe mat ter of making ndeqtinte provision for the survey nnd charting of our coasts. It is immediately pressing and exigent in connection with the immense coast line of Alaska, a const line greater than that of the United States then: selves, though it is ulso very impor? tant indeed with regard to the oldet coasts of the continent We cannot use our groat Alaskan domain, ships will not ply thither, it those coasts and their many hidden dangers are not thoroughly surveyed nnd charted. The work Is Incomplete at almost every point Ships and lives have been lost in threading what were supposed to be well known main chan? nels. We have not provided adequate vessels or adequate machinery for the survey nnd charting. We have used old vessels that were not big enough or strong enough and which were so nearly unsenworthy that our inspectors would not have allowed private own ers to send them to sea. This is a matter which, as I hnve said, seems small, but 1s in reality very great. Its importance ha* only to be looked Intc to be appreciated. GOVERNMENT ECONOMY IS VERY IMPERATIVE. Urges Systematio Reorganizati' to Gain Greater Efficiency. Before I close may I say a few words upon two topics much discussed out of doors upon which it Is highly Important that our Judgments shoy'd be clear, definite and steadfast? One of these Is economy In go rem ment expenditures. The duty of ecoD omy is not debatable. It Is manifest and imperative. In the appropriations we pass we are spending the money of the great people whose servants we are-not our own. We are trustees and responsible stewards in the spending The only thing debatable and upon which we should be careful to make our thought and purpose clear Is the kind of economy demanded of us. 1 assert with the greatest confidence that the people of the United States are not Jealous of the amount their government costs If they are sure that they get what they need and desire for the outlay, tlnvt the money Is being spent for objects of which rbey ap? prove and that it Is being applied with good business sense and management Governments grow piecemeal both In their tasks and in the means by which those tasks are to be performed, and very few governments are organ? ized. 1 venture to say, as wise and ex? perienced business men would orgar.i'/tj them if they had a clean sheet, of paper to write upon. Certainly the govern? ment of the United States is not I think that it is generally agreed that there should be a systematic reorgani? zation und reassembling of its parts ro as to secure greater efficiency and effect considerable savings in expense. But the amount of money saved in that way would. I believe, though no doubt considerable In itself, running, it may be, into the millions, be relatively small-small. 1 mean, in proportion to the total necessary outlays of the gov? ern inen t It would be thoroughly worth effect lug. as every saving would, great or small. Our duty Is not altered by the scale of the saving. Hut my |>oint Is that the people of the United States do not wish to curtail the activities of this government They wish, rather, to en I large thorn. Hid with every enlarge? ment, witl) tile mere growth, indeed, of the country itself, there must come, of course, tili? inevitable increase of ex penso. The sort of eeonoOJJ we Oltgbl to practice may he effected, und ought to be effected, by a careful study and assessment of the tasks to be per formed, and the money spjnt ought to he made to yield tin- best possible re turns in efficiency and achievement And. like good stewards, we should so account for every dollar of our appro? priations as to make ii perfectly evi? dent what it was spent tor and in , what way it was spent It Is not expenditure hut extrava gnnce that we should fear being erltl-, '; cised for. not paying for the legiti? mate enterprises .aml undertakings of a great government whose people com? mand what it should do. lint adding what will benefit only a few or 'Hair? ing money out for what need not have beeu undertaken at uII or might have been postponed or better and more economically eoncehed and carried out. The mil is not niggardly; it is very generot;" t will chide us only if we forget foi w horn we pay money out and whose money it fa we pay. These nre large and general standards, but they are not very difficult of nppll cation to particular cases. i ????? PRESIDENT OPPOSED TO BIG STANDING ARMY. Speaks Plainly and Directly on Ques? tion of National Defenses. Tho other topic 1 shall take leave to mention goes deeper Into the prin? ciples of our national life ami policy. It is the subject of national defeuse. It cannot be discussed without first answering some very searching ques-1 lions. It is said in some quarters that we are not prepared for war. What is meant by being prepared? is It meant that we are not ready upon brief no? tice to put a nation in the field, a na? tion of men drained to armsV Of course we are not ready to do that, and we shall never be in time of peace so long as we retain our present polit? ical principles and institutions. And what Is it that it Is suggested we should be prepared to do?to defend ourselves against attack? We have at-! ways found means to do that and shall rind them whenever It is neces? sary without calling our people away from their necessary tasks to render compulsory military service in times of pence. Allow me to speak with great plain? ness and directness upon this great matter and to avow my convictions with deep earnestness. 1 have tried to know what America Is, what her i people think, what they arc, what they . most cherish and hold dear. I hope that some of their liner passions are in my own heart?some of the great con? ceptions and desires which gave birth to this government and which have made the voice -of this people a voice of peace and hope and liberty among tbe peoples of the world, and that speaking my own thoughts, I shall, at least In part, speak theirs also, how? ever faintly and inadequately, upou this vital matter. We are at peace with all the world ; No one who speaks counsel based on fact or drawn from a just and candiO interpretation of realities can say thai there ts reason to fear that from any quarter our independence or the integ rity of our territory is threatened Dread of the power of any other na , lion we nre incapable of. We are not ? jealous of rivalry In the fields of com-( merce or of any other peaceful achieve-; metit We mean to lire our own lives nm we will, but we mean also to let I a \ Wo are. Indeed, a true frieud tc all the nations of the world, because we threaten none, covet the posses ; sions of none, desire the overthrow ol I none. j Our friendship can be accepted and I Is accepted without resetvniion. be ! cause it is offered in a spirit and foi a purpose which no one need evei question or suspect. Hierein lies oui greatness. We are the chainpions ot peace and of concord. And we should , be very Jealous of this distinction which we have sought to earn. Just now we should be particularly Jealous of It. because it is our dearest presen* bope that rhls character and reputation j may presently, In God's providence.1 bring us an opportunity such as h:is seldom been vouchsafed any nation ' the opportunity to counsel and obtnir.1 peace in the world and reconciliation and a healing settlement of many a matter that has cooled and interrupt? ed the friendship of nations. This is the time above all others when w? should wlnh and resolve to keep out I strength by self possession, our influ? ence by preserving our ancient princi? ples of action. I Prom the tirst we have had a clear 1 and settled policy with regard to mili? tary establishments. We never have had. and while we retain our present principles mid Ideals we never shall have, a large Standing army. If asked. Are you ready to defend yourselves? we reply. Most assuredly; to the ut? most. And yet We shall not turn America into a military camp. We will not ask our young men to spend the best years of their lives making soldiers of themselves. There Is an? other sort of energy In us. It will know bow to declare Itself and make itself effective should occasion arise. And especially when half the world is on tire we shall be careful to make our moral liismnuce against the spread of the conflagration very definite and cer? tain and adequate indeed. l et us remind ourselves, therefore, of the only thing we can do or will do. Wo must depend in every time of na? tional peril, in the future as In the past, not upon a standing army nor yot upon a reserve army, but upon a citi? zenry trained and accustomed to nvum It will be right enough, right America? policy, based upon our accustomed principles and practices, to provide a system by which every citizen who will volunteer for the training may oe made familiar with the use of modem arms, the rudiments of drill and ma? neuver aud the maintenance and sani? tation of camps. We should encourage such training and make it a means of discipline which our young men will learn to value. It is right that we should provide it not only, but that we should make it as attractive as possible, and so Induce our young men to undergo it at such times as they can command a little freedom and can seek the physical de? velopment they need, for mere health's take, if for nothing more. Every means by which such things can be stimulated is legitimate, and such a method smacks of true American Ideas. I| is right, too. that the national guard of the states should be developed and strengthened by every means which Is aot inconsistent with our obligations to our own people or with the estab? lished policy of our government, nnd this also not because the time or occa? sion specially calls for sucb measures, but because It should be our constant policy to make these provisions for our national peace and safety. More than this carries with It a re? versal of the whole history and char? acter of our polity. More than this, proposed at this time, permit me to say, would mean merely that we had lost our self possession, that we bad been thrown off our balance by a war with which we have nothing to do. whose causes cannot touch us. whose very existence affords us opportunities of friendship and disinterested service which should make us ashamed of any thought of hostility or fearful prepara TRAINED CITIZENRY FOR DEFENSE. * ? I We must depend in every time ' of national peril * * ? upon a citizenry trained and accus? tomed to arms. ? ? ? We should encourage such training and make it a means of disci? pline which our young men will learn to value. * ? ? It is right, too, that the national guard of the states should be developed and strengthened by every means which is not in? consistent with our obligations to our own people or with the established policy of our gov? ernment. tion for trouble. This Is assuredly the opportunity for which a people and a government like ours were raised up, 1 the opportunity not only to speak, bot actually to embody and exemplify the counsels <>; peace and amity and the lasting concord whieb Is based on Jus? tice and fair and generous dealing. POWERFUL NAVY IS AMERICAN POLICY. _ United States Will Continue to Ramsin Strong on the Seas. A powerful navy we have always regarded as our proper and natural means of defense, and it has always been of defense that we have thought, never of aggression or of conquest Hut who shall tell us now what sort of navy to build? We shall take leave to Ik? strong upon the seas In the fu? ture as In Ute past, and there will be no thought of offense or of provocation I in that Our ships are our natural bulwarks. When will the experts tell us Just what kind we should construct, and when will they be right for ten years together, if the relative efficiency of craft of different kinds and uses continues to change as we have seen it change under our very eyes In these last few months? But I turn away from the subject It Is not new. There i9 no new need to discuss it We shall not alter out attitude toward it because some among us are nervous and excited. We snail easily and sensibly agree upon a policy of defense. The question has nol changed its aspects because the times are not normal. Our policy will nol be for an occasion. It will be conceiv? ed as a permanent and settled thing which we will pursue at all seasons without haste and after a fashion per fectly consistent with the peace of the world, the abiding friendship of states and the unhampered freedom of all with whom we deal. Let there be no misconception. The country ha9 beeo misinformed. We have not been neg? ligent of national defense. We are not unmindful of the great responsibility resting upon us. We shall learn and protit by the lesson of every experi? ence and every new circumstance, and what is needed will be adequately (one. I close, as I began, by reminding you of the great tasks and duties of peace w hich challenge our best powers and invite us to build what will last, the tasks to which we can s?ddress our? selves now and at all time with free hearted zest and with all the finest gilts of constructive wisdom we pos seta. To develop our life and our re? sources, to supply our own people and the people of the world as their need arises from the abundant plenty of our tields and our marts of trade, to enrich the commerce of our own states and f the world wit' the products of cur mines, our farms and our facto? ries, with the creations of our thought ?nd the fruits of our cbart.cter?this U what will hold our attention and our enthusiasm steadily now nnd iu the years to come as we strive to show In our life as a nation what lib? erty and the inspirations of an eman? cipated spirit may do for men and for ?Odetten, for individuals, for states and for mankind.