Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1901-12-13

be steadily continued. No one point Of our
policy, foreign OF domestic. IL more impor-
tant than this to the honor and mater al
weliare /; and above all TO- the peace; Of our
or not. we must henccforth recognize that
We have international duties no .ess than
International rights. Eysn ir our n!g were
HaSled ss down 7, In n. the S.o pilhliiip Ia1 y and ND, Porto ITO
!sthmian Canal, we should need a thorough
y trained Navy Of adequate size. or else be
prepared definitely and for all time to aban-
don the Idea that our nation Is among those
whose sons go down to the sea in ships. Tn
less our is always to he carried
In foreign bottoms. We must have war craft
to protect 1t.
.Inasmuch, however, as the American peo-
pie have no thought OF abandoning the path
upon which they have entered, anu especial.
" In view OF the fact that the building Of
the lsthmian Canal Is fast becoming one Of
the matters which the whole people are
united in denia nding, 1t is imperative that
highest state of efficiency. and should be
made to answer to our growing needs. So
fur from being In any way IL provocation to
the best guaranty against war. the cheapest
and most effective peace Insurance. The cost
OF building and maintaining such 81 navy
surfing peace which this nation can possibly
pay.
Our people intend to abide by the Monroe
Doctrine and to insist upon 1t as the one
Western hemisphere. The Navy offers us
tine only NY Means Means. Of no making our insiS ,M. e
chooses to disregard it. we desire the pace
which comes as of right to the just man
isncminy to the. craven and the weak ing.
1t Is not possible to imprOvise a navy after
war breaks out. The ships must be built
auxiliary vessels can be turned into make
shifts which will do in default of any better
Tor the minor work, and II proportion of raw
men Gun be mixed with the highly trained.
their shortcomings being made good by the
skill of their fellows; but the efficient fight
ing force of the Navy. when pit;ed against
an equal opponent will be found almost ex-
clusiyely In the war ships that have been
regularly built and In the officers and men
who through years Of faithful performance
Ct sea duty have been trained to handle their
ons with the highest efficiency. In the late
war with Spain the ships TINT dealt the de-
cislve blows at Manila and Santiago had
and they were able to do as they did because
the men In the coming lowers. the gun tur-
rets. and the engine-rooms had through long
years OF practice at sea learned how to do
their duty.
While awarding the fullest honor to the
men who actually commanded and manned
the ships which destroyed the Spanish sea
must not forget that an equal need Of
praise belongs to those without whom
neither blow could have been struck, The
SSnsses to Iay w down. noted tSe ys sSIss In "a ady bn5IS the the
guns, to buy the armor-plate; the depart
ment officials and the business men and
wage-workers who furnished what the Con-
gress had authorized; the Secretaries of the
Navy who asked for and expended the APP
preparations; and finally the officers who, In
fair weather and foul; on actual sea ser.
the ships when there was no war in sight
all are entitled to n full share in the glory
Of Manila and Santiago, and the respect ac-
wrought such signal triumph for our coun-
try. 1t was forethought and preparation
which secured us the overwhelming triumph
time when disaster will befall us instead of
m and should this time come, the
| fault will rest primarily, not upou those
whom the accident of events puts in SUI
preme ommand at the moment, but upon
those who have failed to prepare in ad-
vance.
No Cessation in the Work.
There should be no cessation in the work
OF completing our Navy. So far ingenuity
tute for the great war craft whose hammer
Ing guns beat out the mastery of the Ii gh
seas. 1t Is unsafe and unwise not TO provide
this year for several additional battle ships
and heavy armOred cruisers, with auxiliary
and lighter craft in proportions; for the ex-
act numbers and character I refer you to
the report of the Secretary of the Navy.
But there is something we need even more
than additional ships, and this is additional
officers and men.
Increase of the Army Unnecessary.
1t is not necessary to increase our Army
beyond It's present size at this time. But it
is necessary to keep it ut the highest point
| Of efficiency. The individual units who as
officers and enlisted men compose this Army,
are, we have good reason to believe, at least
as efficient as those of any other army in the
entire world: 1t is our duty to see that
est possible expression of power to these
units when acting in combination.
The conditions of modern war are such as
to make an Infinitely heavier demand than
ever before upon the individual character
and capacity of the officer and the enlisted
man. and to make it far more difficult for
men to. act together with effect. At present
the fighting must be done in extended order,
which means that each man must act for
himself and at the same time act in com
longer in the old-fashioned elbow-to-elbow
touch. Under such conditions a few men of
Che highest excellence are worth more than
many men without the special skill which is
only found as the result of special training
! applied to men Of exceptional physique and
.norale. But nowadays the most valuable
feet is the rlflemnn who Is also a skillful and
daring rider. The proportion of our cavalry
regiments has wisely been increased. The
American Te;,t cay, cayal aya trained to mane1ver
horseback, Is the best type of soldier for
general purposes ow to be found in the
world.
A general staff should be created. As II
the present staff and supply departments,
they should be filled by details from the
line. the men so detailed returning after n
while to their line duties; 1t is very unde-
sirable to have the senior grades of the
Army composed of men who have come to
ill the positions by the mere fact of seniori-
ty. A system should be adopted by which
there shall be an elimination grade by grade
of those who seem unfit to render the best
service in the next grade. Justice to the
veterans of the Civil War who are still in the
Army would seem to require that In the
matter of retirements they he given by law
the same privileges accorded to their com
rades in the Navy.
The pre- less Of elimination OF the least fit
should he conducted in n manner that would
render 1t practically impossible to apply po-
litical or social pressure on ',ehalf Of any
candidate. so that each man may be judged
purely on his own merits.
Every effort should be made to bring the
Army to a constantly Increasing state of
efficiency. When on actual service no work
save that directly in the line of such service
should be required. The paper work In the
Army, as in the Navy, should ne greatly re-
duced. What is needed is proved power of
command and capacity to work well In the
field. Constant care Is necessary tn urovnnt