The daily morning Alaskan., 1901-11-30
MERIT ALONE TO GOVERN

The oiilcial declaration by the war de r1rtmcnt as Co the policy which win gov. ,rn hrr,1ftcr in Che making of promo t.ous in the army and in thc assignment "f onlcers in oh, choice details for duty has thc truc RDoscvclthn ring. Ther, is uot thy slightest room for doubt as C, thc meaning of this utterancc. Frankly even blunt,y. the announcement is mad, tr1t neither political or social infiucnc, vIl operate in thc slightest dcgrcc Co ait Iuy oHitors m thc army in ohtainlns ,rtrr,s ot stations, leaves of absence nnUjil,ltious of or,lcr, etc: blt thc wal e.tly hy ;hs rycori made iu the scryic The ntim1tion is givcn uumistakahiy that any attempt on the part of any of- re.r t' bring such inngcnccs Go lear on r.s r.Alf vul hr rccordsd against hin. lri Nil have Che contrary etoct Co that l.lI. IrltcI rrl d,sirrd by him
 President Roosevelt posscsscs one grcst lIr.rtlsr. Itis character is an open book urH h.s rcco-I ,s known ty an men Vh.n srch an uticrancc is gwen out tb,., .s ro doubt lcft in tho mind of any wlr th1t to means precisely and literally what i- s1,s. and thJt thc policy oItiin' 2 vH' he carried out exactly.
 It has t,.l charsed. both in and out -,i,. ,f th, army. that political and socia' rHI's hlvr hlj In Che r1st always. and .rl,r every administration. moro or less N,i-ht In J.tcrmIning thr assignment of army officers co stan positions carrying bishcr rank and pay. or in detailing them ts choice stations Thcrc has been a r..-nstual sourcv of irritatious and heart burning However much or little of trutr tf,rc may have been in thc accusation vIth ors rlt announcement. President Roosevelt has p1t an end Co it. Poltics arI social puu. dlrins his ajministatio- nc l.1st wlu not count in the army N.tbirs win be considered but the record uisl. bv thc officer individually. Rv this lrl by this alone. win bc judged. Tho rehtiue officers win bc rewarded for thoir work u On, only manner in which they can bc rcv1ricd. under thc law. hy pleas aat,r d.t1us. by tranf-rcncc Go thc stan. and by consideration paid Co their own desires in matters of assignment Go par uc.nr posts ot duty.
 Whatever politicians may have Go sa, unsu tha subject. thc announcement cf thi. r.iiry wuI be rcceivrd with the ut- most ratification by thc officers of the r.erlr army The power of the prcsi J.rt. in Che matter of army promotions
 |. limited Iu tbr unr. all promptions ar' uuuL and uo one officer can ovcrstri lr.th.r through fIvortism or even as a r.w1-,i of m,tit This is thc situ1tior urto and including thc rank of colonel From that ou thc power of the president IS enlarged fte cannot promote scconi u,lt.nant to first uc1tenlucy. save ir r.rrilr orl,r of succession. or by trans ferrir- him to Che sta6. IIc may. if c vacancy exists appoint any officer in thr army Go thr r1nH of briy1dicr general
 Th.r. mn. two vacancies in that rlnk ta ie shortly Hued In nliing these va c1rci.s President Roosevelt has already announced that he will hc governed hy ro consideration save thc merits of th, officers who are applicants for the posi-. ti1n. and he win judge that merit by the ofcili rocord by each officers coudu'; lnd services That such a policy pre- serves and Improves the morale of ths army. to requires no augment Co prove 10 Is safe Co say that no futurc president win ever bc declined to depart from the p.Hcv thus positively declared by Prcsi- dent Roosevelt.