New-York tribune., 1899-04-11

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! task Let US not be msled by vainglory INTO un
derestmating the strain II VIII pue on our our
face the responsibilities with proper seriousness
courage and high resolve We must demand tne
highest order Of integrity and ability In our public
men who are TO grapple with these new prooiems
We must hold to rsia 70 tbs inter-
ests of the Nation or inability to rise 10 the nlen
our resources. OF course. we must remember not
to Judge any public servant by any one act and es-
who are merely the occasions and not the causes
OF disaster
the Navy; II twenty years ago we had gone ,o TO
war, should have found the Navy as absolutely
in the carly SOS the attention of the Nation
became directed to our naval deeds, Congress most
new Nsvy and under succession Of able and
patriotic Secretaries. OF both political parties. the
Became si "ea equal IH to its splendid personnel with the
result that last summer leaDed S TO s R5oPGr
hghting navies in the entire world. ,,
rightly pay al honor to the sscnessx %sn sonrGns ons
and Admiral Dewey. to the captains who handled
the e 9 IN aS'H e 1 Tie era he
OF bureaus at Washington, who saw that the ships
WeTe sS m % insure S he best results But let
also keep ever IN mind that all o of be this wsSom ESon
had built up the Navy. Keep in mind the Sc secre, e,
mind the Senators and Congressman who by their
votes gave the money necessary to nuild ana atTp i
the ships construct the great guns ana 70 trai,
the crews remember also those S %no ana re
member the admirals and captains who handled
battle-ship. cruiser and torpedo-boat on the nlsh @
manship the gpnnery and the poweT OF sG5ng sp
Manila and off Santiago.
A WARNING TO CONGRESSMAN.
And gentlemen. remember the converse. too. Re-
member that justice has two sides BE JUST 10
those who built up the Navy. and for the sake OF
the future of the country keep in mind those VINO
opposed building up Read The CongresslOnna,
who opposed the purchase of armor, without when
euste e" Maintenance for the Navy Department and
strove cut down the number OF men ,bInqs
70 man our fleets The men who dld THESE INN nt
were end all working to bring disasoef r or 'n of
Thsy The ndnNr have of e sas they have no
cause to feel proud of the vaior OF our sra motves
ny or not good rbsH but dtS hsiI II afs ds
were heavily fraugh with evl: IL nhe4 ,te % ~ their
sinister opposition. hit. .ou ~ to-day
Now apply all this to our public men eI shdUd be-
built up' shall not discuss with an audience
like this The puere suggestion n 'dsr dsneer Of losing
its liberties from the existence ON OF an m amy Govd %
in certain foreign islands. in certain coas, d @
and on Indian reservations. No man OF goou sehse
ensy 'oH II we are such Weakngs as the proposition
implies then are unworthy Of freedom In any
the country SO much indebted to the splendid
Navy; there is no body from which the, country
has less to fear and none OF whch m II N smoua pe
ious. 20 upbuild.
WHAT THE ARMY NEEDS
Our Army needs complete reorganization-not
merely enargng-and the reorganization can only
come the result of legislation proper general
staff should be established and the positions OF
ordnance commssary and quartermaster officers
should be filled by detail from the line Above all,
the Army must be given the chance 10 exercise IN
large bodies. Never again should we see. as we
mand of divisions who had never before commanded
three companies together in the field. Yet incred-
queer inability TO learn some Of the lessons Of the
war. There were large bodies Of men in both
branches who opposed the declaration OF war. VINO
opposed the ratification of peace. who opposed the
up6dg OF the Army ana %aP even n1ce or he
battle-ships and cruisers. thereby putting an ao-
solute stop to the building OF any new hghting shlps
IT, during the years come any disaster should
befall arms afoat or ashore ana tnereDy an!
shame come to the United States, remember that
the blame will lie upon the men whose names ap-
pear upon the roll calls of Congress on the wrong
side of these great questions. On them will lie the
burden of any loss of soldiers and sailors of
pie Of this country wifi lie the blame if You
repudiate in unmistakable way. what these men
have done. The blame will not rest upon the un-
trained commander of untried troops; upon the civil
officers Of department the organization Of which
has been left utterly inadequate; or upon the "A.
miral with insufficient number OF ships: but
upon the public men who have so lamentably failed allied
in forethought as TO refuse TO remedy THESE evls
long in advance. and upon the Nation that stands
So at the present hour no small share Of the
sponsibilty for the bloodshed IN The PhiPpnneis
wild and ignorant foes, lies at the, thresholds Of
those who so long delayed the adoption of the
than foolish words deliberately invited d savage
people 10 plunge into war fraught with sure dis
men who follow the nag must pay with their blood
for the silly: mock -humanitarianism OF the prattlers
who sit at home in peace
PROBLEMS OF ISLAND RULE.
The Army and the Navy are the sword and the
shield which this Nation must carry If she is TO do
her duty among the nations of the earth-if she is
not 10 stand merely the China of the Western
hemisphere. Our proper conduct toward the tropc
islands we have wrested from Spain is merely the
form which duty has taken at the moment.
OF course we bound TO handle the affairs of
our own household well. We must see that there
is civic honesty civic cleanliness, civic good sense
in home administration OF city, State and Ma
tion We must strive for honesty in Office for
honesty toward the creditors Of the Nation and OF
the individual. But because we set our own house
hold In order, are not thereby excused from do
ing our be dTty Wy, to 1ndss he s2e anS the phros alike
are confronted by most difficult problems. II is
proper Way for solved they must be il not by us
then by some stronger and more manfHl ,i race; If
them some holder and abler people must under
take the solution. Personally / am far too firm
believer in the greatness of my country and the
power Of my countrymen TO admit for one moment
that we shall ever be driven TO the gnobe alterna-
tyes.
The problems are different for the different ISL
ands. Porto Rico is not large enough to stand
alone. We must govern it wisely and well, pri-
marily in the interest of its own people. Cuba Is.
i'm my judgment. entitled ultimately to settle for
itself whether il shall be an Independent State or
an integral portion of the mightiest of Republics.
But until order and stable liberty are secured we
must remain in the island TO insure them; and in
finite tact. judgment, moderation and courage
must be shown by military and civil repre-
sentatves in keeping the island pacihed, in re-
lentlessly stamping out brigandage in protecting
all o1fko nd vet n
10 the men who fought for Cuban liberty.
The PHILIPPINES offer yet Graver problem. Their
population includes half-caste and native Chris
tans warlike Moslems and wild Pagans Many
of their people utterly unfit for sef-govern-
ment and show signs OF becoming fit Others
may in time become At. but at present can only
take part in self lf-government under a wise super
vision at once firm and benefcent. We have