The state herald., 1901-12-06
AnnanotI1
Our Present Naval Force.

by making large addition to the classes At
Annapolis.
Our Present Naval Force.
I'VE now have seventeen battleships ap-
propriated for, Of which nine are completed
and have been commissioned for actual serv-
ice The remaining eight will be ready In
from two to four years, but II will take at
least that time to recruit and train the men
| to night them. II 10 OF vast concern that We
have trained crews ready for the vessels by
tho time they are commissioned Good ships
and good guns are simply good weapons. and
hands of men who know how to night with
them. The men must be trained and drilled
under a thorough and well-planned system
OF progressive instruction. while the recruit
Ing must be carried on with still greater
vigor
| atlons, and are trained for coast service, and
In event Of war they will constitute the inner
line Of defense. They should receive hearty
announcement from the general government.
vide for National Naval Reserve. organized
and trained under the direction OF the Navy
| Department, and subject to the call OF the
nent. II should be real auxiliary to the
| naval seagoing peace establishment. and Of
fer material to be drawn on At once for
manning our ships In time Of war. II should
be composed Of graduates of the Naval Acad-
| emy, graduates Of the Naval Militia, ofhcers
and crews Of coast-line steamers. longshore
| -
together with the coast population about
such centers as life-saving stations and light
| houses.
Need for Powerful Navy.
"Ths American people must either build
| and maintain an adequate navy or else make
| up their minds definitely to accept . sec
ondsry position In International ahairs. not
merely In political but In commercial. mat
| ters II has been well said that there is NO
surer way Of counting national disaster than
to be 'opuleut. aggressive. and unarmed.'
1T IL not necessary to Increase our army
beyond Its present size at this time. But 1t
4. necessary to keep 1t at the highest point
| OF eficiency.
army to constantly increasing state Of ef-
ncisncy. When on actual service no work
save that directly in the line Of zach service
should be required. The paper work In the
army. as In the navy, should be greatly re-
duced. What IL needed Is proved power of
command and capacity to work we'll in the
dry rot In the transportation and commits
sary departments
"The Congress should provide means where
by II will be possible to have field exercises
by at least q division of regulars. and u
possible also a division OF national guards
men. once year.
men in masses while they are marching,
camping. smbarking. and dsembarking. will
It be possible to train the higher oiicers to
.s., ,S cute: = .,sn Ts 1om aRa m. nac
the men Of the army and navy. They should
be 80 treated as 10 enable them 70 reach the
highest polnt Of sfieiency. 30 that they may
be able to rsspond instantly to any demand
made upon them to sustain the interests of
the nation and the honor Of the nag. The
individual American enlisted man 10 prob
ably on the whole . more formidable fighting
man than the regular Of any other army.
Every consideration should be shown him.
and in return the highest standard of use
fuinsss should be enacted from him. II Ia
we'll worth while for the Congress to con
slider whether the pay Of enlisted men upon
second and subsequent snlistments should
creased value Of the veteran soldier.
MiIiti. Laws Obsolete.
Action should be taken In reference to the
militia and to the raising of volunteer forces.
Our militia Law 10 obsolete and worthless.
The organization and armament Of the Ma
tional Guard Of the several states. which are
treated a. militia in We appropriations by
those provided for the regular forces. The
obligations and duties Of the Guard In time
Of war should be carefully defined. and q
system established by Law under which the
forces should be prescribed In advance. II
Ia utterly impossible In the excitement and
haste Of impending war to do this satisfac-
torily II the arrangements have not been
made long beforehand. Provision should bs
made for utilizing In the nrst voiuntser or
ganirations called out the training OF those
der arms. and especially for the selection In
advance OF the onneers Of any force which
may be raised. for careful selection of the
kind necessary is impossible after the out
break Of war.
THAT the army is not at all a mere To-
strument Of destruction has been shown dur
ing the last three years In the Philippines.
great esnstruetive force. q most potent i'm
piement for the upsuiidins Of = peaceful civ
iiiratiou.
Esiogy Of vstsraas.
mo other citizens deserve 80 we'll Of the
republic A. the veterans. the survivors Of
those .ho say, saved Tie union: They did the
meant that all else In our history went for
nothing. But for their steadfast provess in
the greatest crisis OF our histsry. all our
annals would Be meaninslsss. and our great
experiment In popular freedom and ssif-gov.
ernmsnt . gloomy failure. Moreover. they
not only left Us . united bation. but they left
missty ds.a. BY Which d. nation vas Kept
united. We are nov indeed one nAtisa. one
10 fact as veil a. In aans; vs are united
o III asss sns s.s ssa
US all. In every part Of the eouauy. to sisry
the ,.i;r s.0.n :s; x the s;n' Of x:
times that trtsd msa's souls.
Merit sysss. Eaderssd.
'rhs merit system Of making appo,ntmsnts
Il II. &c somnos sos' .sSooi. .s.,.m i,..f @ Il ,i.
ply means that in clerical snt other positions
where the duties are entirely non political.
ali applicants should have . fair neid and
no favor. each standing on his merits a. be
10 able TO ahew them By practical tsst. Writ.
ten competitive sxamiaatioas oasr the only
available means 10 many casss fer applying
this system. 10 other easss. - where la
borers are employed. . system Of rssistr..
ton undoubtedly can be widely extended
| There are. OF eouWe. places where the writ
tan eompstitive sIamination cannot be sp.
pnet, and ethsrs ~hsrs II onsrs BY no means
| an ideal solution. but vhsrs under existing
Political conditions 10. though an Imperfect
| mssns. yet the best present msans OF set.
| ting satisfactory results.
| 1T 10 important TO have this system oh
| tain At home. but Il 10 even more inportsst
| TO have II applied risiaiy In our insuiar pos
| sessions The adnipistration Of thsse isiands
| should BE- ss Wholly free from the suspicion
/ the army and navy. All that ~ ask fvon
the public servsst In the Philippines or Porte
| Rico 10 that he reject honor on his country
By the way In which he makes th.t eeun-
come under H. This is all that vs should
ask. and ws cannot afford 10 be contsnt With
| less"
Trss,~sst es Isd,sss
| The message points ou, III. defects In our
| present consular service, and recommends the
passage Of bills nov before Congress- that
| will increase i,s snneisney. OF the Indian
| problem u tsys.
when W shotia asani,siy make up eur minds
| to recognise the iadian a. an Individual and
| not o. . member Of . tribe. Ths uensrsi
Aiistm:n' Ae, " mighty pu'v:risias ::n.ias
| " upon the family Of ths Individual. undsr
| Its provisions sens sipty thousand Indians
have already e-ecns ei'issn. Of the United
4a-a- e. - 49,. ~ Al