The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-12-04
PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT'S MESSAGE TO 57TH CONGRESS-
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 who have come to fill the positions by the mere fact of seniority. A system should be adopted by which there sna.l be an elimination grade by grade or tnose vice in the next grade. Justice to the veterans of the civil war who are sun in the army would seem to require that in the matter of retirements tney pc given by law the same privileges &C., corded to their comrades in the navy
 The Political Pull Obsolete.
 F TheDrocess of elimination of the least fit should be conducted in manner mat would render it practically impossible to apply political or social pressure on pe- half of any candidate, so that each man may be Judged purely on his own mer- it's Pressure for the promotion Of civil enough hut it Is tenfold worse where ap- piled on behalf of officers of the army or navy. Every promotion and every de- tail under the War Department must bs made solely with regard to the good of the service and to the capacity and merit of the man himself No pressure, .polit :. ical. social or personal of any kind, will be- permitted to exercise the least effect in any question of promotion or detail: and if there is reason to believe that such pressure is exercised at the insti- gatfon of the officer concerned, 1t will be held to initiate against him. In our army we cannot afford to have rewards or duties distributed save on the simple ground that those who by their own mer- its are entitled to the. rewards get them, and that those who are peculiarly it to do the duties are chosen to perform them.
 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 or such service should De required. The pa per work in the army. as in the navy, should be greatly reduced. what n ,, needed is proved power of command ana capacity to work well in the neio; C9n- ar,, stant care Is necessary to prevent dry re rotin- the transportation and commissary .ssSour army is So small and so much < seatfered that it is very difficult to, give q the Higher officers Gas well as the lower officers and the enlisted mem chance to practice manoeuvres in mass and on a need no amount of individual excellence would avail against the paralysis which would follow inability to work as CO., ? herent whole. under skillful and daring jeadership. The Congrsss should pro,i io means whereby it will be possible to nave field exercises by at least division Of feSuiars and if possible also a division .. Thssa exercises might take the form of ss hslds manoeuvres: or, if on the Guit Coast or the Pacific or Atlantic Seaboard, or in the region of the Great Lakes, the army corps when assembled could be marched from some inland point to some point on the water, there embarked. dis embarked after otssr couple ont or aag anS span marched inland. Only by actual hand ling and providing for men in masses while they are marching camping em- form their duties well and' smoothly.
 American Soldier the Best.
 g. ,',A great debt is owing from the public to the men of the army and navy. They
 aAAA Anoh hnF s fS Teach the highest point of efficiency, \ SO s4hat they may be able to respond in- s st<ly to any demand made upon them < ana T the honor g of the nag. The individual E AI6erioan enlisted man is probably .on 2 the whole a more formidable fighting man than the regular of any other army. Every consideration should be shown him and in return the highest standard Of D. usefulness should be exacted from him : It is we'll worth while for the Congress men upon second and subsequent enlist ments should not be increased to core spond with the increased value Of the ygsIn Mnch soSd sosh has already. come from the act reorganiziffg the army: passed early in the present year. The three prime re- forms all of them of literally inestima- bie value, are first, the substitution of four-year details from the line for per manent appointments in the so,called stan divisons sc0nd. the ,t taDishment nstaF nt
 
 the head; third, the establishment of a maximum and minimum limit for the army It would be difficult to overSsti- mate the improvement in the efficiency of our army which these three reforms are making, and have in part already effected.
 The reorganization provided for by the act has been substantially accomplished. : esFhe improved conditions in the Philip 4plnes have enabled the War Department materially to reduce the military charge upon our revenue Snd to arrange the number of soldiers so as to bring this number much nearer the minimum than to the maximum limit established by law. There Is, however. need Of supple ft1entary legislation. Thorough military education must be provided, and in addi. ton. to the regulars the advantages Of , fhisl education should he given to the officers of the National Guard and others fin civil life who desire intelligently to fit themselves for possible military duty. The officers should be given the chance to perfect themselves by study in the higher branches, of this art. At West Pc1nt the education should be of the kind most apt to turn out men who are good in actual field service; too much stress should not be laid on mathematics, nor should proficiency therein be held to es- d'elite The typical American officer of the best kind need not be good mathe- matician but he must be able to master himself to control others. and to show boldness and fertility of resource in every emergency.
 The National Guard.
 {, Action should be taken in reference to the militia and to the raising of Volun- teer forces. Our militia law is obsolete armament of the National Guard of the