Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-11-08
MILITARY PREPAREDNESS.
Condition Of the Army and Navy In
1895 Contrnsted.

(Ciovernor Roosevelt I'm the Century,
AS fast as the new navy was built we
had 20 break in the men TO handle IL. Inc
Young officers who first took hold and ue-
veloped the possibilities Of our torpedo
boats, for instance, really deserve as mucn
credit as their successors have rightly re-
ceiyed for handling them with dash and
skill during the war. The admirals VINO
first exercised the new ships In squautohs
were giving the training, without whlcn
Dewey and Sampson would have Iounu
their tasks mparably more difhcuit.
AS for the ordinary officers and seamen,
of course. II was their incessant ptac.ce
in handling the ships and the gunsI at
sea, I'm all kinds of weather, both alone
and in company, year In and year OUT
that made them able TO Keep up the
never-relaXing night blockade at SANTA
80, TO steam into Manila bay In the dark
ness TO prevent breakdOwns and make
repairs OF the machinery, and finally 10
hit what they aimed at when the baltic
was on. In the naval bureaus the great
bulk Of what in the army would be call
ed staff places are held by line officers.
The men who made ready the guns were
the same men who afterwards used
them. In the engineering bureau were the
men who had handled. or were 10 handle,
the engines IN action. The bureau or
navigation, the bureau OF equipment, the
bureau Of information. were held by men
who had commanded ships in actual SER
vice, or who were thus to command
them against the Spanards. The head
OF the bureau OF navigation is the chief
of-staff, and he has always been an Off
Ger OF distinction. detailed. like all OF the
other bureau chiefs. for special service
From the highest TO the lowest Ofhcer,
every naval man had seen and taken
part, during the time of peace, In the
work which he would have 10 do In time
Of war The cOmmodOres and captains
who took active part In the warl had
commanded fleets I'm sea service, or at
- aff
ships in these fleets. There was not one
thing they were 20 do in war which they
mad not done I'm peace, save actually re-
ceive the enemys fire.
Contrast this with the army The ma
terial I'm the army Is exactly as good as
that I'm the navy and in the lower ranks
the excellence is as great. In no service,
ashore or afiOat, in the world could bet
ter men of their grade be found than the
lieutenants. and. indeed. the captains, or
the infantry and dismounted cavalry at
Santiago. But In the army the staff bu-
reaus are permanent positions instead OF
being held, as Of course they should be,
by officers detailed from the line, with
the needs Of the line and experiences Of
actual service fresh in their minds.
The artillery had for thirty-five ye,rs
had no field practice that was in the
slightest degree adequate to it's needs, or
that compared in any way with the prac-
tice received by the different companies
and troops Of the infantry and cavalry.
The bureaus In Washington were absO-
lutely enmeshed in red tape, and were
held for the most part by elderly men, of
fine records In the past. who were no
longer 1T 10 break through routine and 10
show the extraordinary energy, business
capacity, Initiative. and willingness 10
accept responsibility which were needed.
Finally. the higher officers had been abso-
lutely denied that chance TO practice
their profession 10 which the higher off,
GERS Of the navy had long been accus-
toned. Every time a warship' goes TO sea
and cruises around the world its captain
has Just such an experience as the colo
mel Of "A regiment would have II sent Off
for "a six or eight months march, and II
during those six or eight months he In
cessantly practiced his regiment in every
item of duty which IL would have 10 per-
form in battle. Every warshp I'm the
American navy. and not single regiment
in the American army, had had this ex-
perience.