12 DECEMBER 1908, Page 2

Discussing the position of the Judges, the President recom- mends

the doubling of their existing and wholly inadequate salaries. After condemning the greed and recklessness shown in the exhaustion of the natural resources of the country, and in particular of forests, and the peremptory need of checking further mischief, the President deals briefly with foreign policy. For the last ten years they had proved their good intentions by their deeds. " We have behaved and are behaving towards other nations as in private life an honourable man would behave towards his fellows." The President approves of the scheme to complete as soon-as possible a squadron of eight battleships of the best existing design, the four new ships to be of a heavy, single-calibre or big-gun type. The Message is, in our opinion, a worthy valedictory address. It closes an epoch in Mr. Roosevelt's career, and possibly the most important. If he is alive, however, four years hence, we do not doubt his being sent once more to the White House. The intellectuals, the money- makers, and "the upper classes" may be tired of Mr. Roose- velt, but we believe his bold on the masses is as great as ever.