The sun., 1901-10-12
The President and the Army and Navy.

The President and the Army and Navy.
The views Of President ROOSEVELT
on the development of our army and
navy. IA set forth last week in THE Sun.
are In the highest degree important.
Although a President has no direct in
fiuencc over thy making OF laws. he is able
10 exert much indirect and legitimate
power over Congress. and thus TO shape
legislation with considerable certainty.
President ROOSEVELT approaches the
subject Of law-making for the army and
navy with peculiar equipment for the
task. He has studied the history Of the
navy. and written Of II authoritatively;
he has. within four year,. been Assistant
Secretary of the Navy; and he has been
in active service in the army in time
Of war.
Briefly stated, the President believes
not So much in n large army and large
navy as in an efficient army and an
efficient navy As concerns the navy,
he s opposed 10 a merely commerce
destroying feet; he looks on sea a-going
battlcships as the proper and effective
type Of vessel. And IA ability TO use
the guns provided ~ Of the highest inn
portance. he believes in continued target
practice. Fleet manpuvres, on u scale
no, adopted hitherto in this country
are likely 70 I've advocated by him.
Mr. RoosEvELT's experiences in the
spanish war have shown him various
weak points in our army system. Some
of these have been abolished by tho
legislation prepared by Secretary Roor
and approved by President MCKINLEY
in February last. notably the weak
points Of our stan system but much
remains 20 I've done TO strengthen the
organization Of the army as a whole
Our report shows that the President
does not believe in the separation Of the
Ordnance. Quartermaster's and Com
missary departments from the line Of
the army, aud that he would have officers
detailed TO those bureaus from the line,
~ that the men who use the guns and
the supplies should have some voice in
the matter of providing them.
Mr.. ROOSEVELT believes in putting
the army transport service into the
hands Of the navy This is a matter
TO which civilians as rule have given
little thought. the rule Of all other coun-
tries has been and is that army control
ends in the water. where naval control
begins other words, that both trans
port and torpedo service should he
managed by the navy. The President
il in line with military experts on these
matters.
The President believes that the equip
ment Of an army n an essential feature
Of its efficiency. and that the chief value
Of an army depends on its readiness for
service. To keep II ready. he believes
that officers and men should be trained
in peace under conditions reproducing
ms nearly as possible those of war; that
its arsenals should he filed with modern
ammunition and smokoless g,inpowder:
the coast defenccs in n high state Of
efficiency; the guns of recent make.
and kept in perfect condition: field
transportation in sufficient amount;
clothing on hand suited to the climate.
and plans prepared TO meet any emer-
gency that may arise. and officers and
men kept in training
His views on this question Of efi-
cheney apply to the navy. mutdtis nm
tdnd,s, in the same manner On these
points, he intends to make earnest
representations to Congress; and with
Secretary Roor and Secretary LoNo
as his advisers snd assistants, IL is likely
that his appeal will have important
results for the two services. and make
them more nearly united service
than they have been in the past.