The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1901-12-13
ARMY LARGE u

ARMY LARGE ENOUGH.
Efficiency the DISCRIMINATORY
tons for Merit.
1t IS not necessary to increase our army
at this time. But 1t Is necessary to keep
me highest efficiency. The ofiice,s and
cther army. 1t Is cur duty to see that
their training insures the highest power.
MODERN war makes heavier demand
nan ever before upon the individual char
acter and capacity of officer and man. A
present the lighting must be done in ex-
tended order; each man must act for him
SELF and In combination with others with
whom he is no longer in elbow-to-elbow
touch. Under UGH conditions a few men
OF highest excellence are worth more than
many men without special skill. Tho
niost valuable lighting man end the most
difficult to perfect Is the rifeman who is
also a skillful and daring rider.
The proportion Of our cavalry regiments
has wisely been increased. The American
fight with equal facility on loot and on
horseback. is the best type of soldier for
general purposes in the world.
A general staff should be created. The
should be filled from the line, the men re-
turning after a while to line duties. 1t Is
undesirable to have, the senior grades
ecoomailn;oosnesd of OF men Tha who have come to the
49, liz
should be an elimination grade of those
VINO seem unfit to render best service in
the next grade. Veterans Of the civil war
who are still in the army should be given
the same privileges accorded to their COM
rades in the navy.
The process of elimination should render
1t impossible to apply political or social
pressure on behalf Of any candidate. Pro
motion of civil officials for political rea-
sons is bad enough. Every promotion and
detail under the war department must be
~ ~ cN1n1x ufy ~a~r~l - ---1 N ~
serwvice and capacity of the man. No
pressure, political, social or personal, will
be permitted to effect any question of
promotion or detail. and If such pressure
Is exercised at the %instigation of the Of
flcer concerned, It will initiate against
him.
Every effort should be made TO bring
the army to a constantly increasing state
OIL efficiency. When on actual service no
work save that directly In the line of such
service should be required. Our army Is
so small and scattered that it Is difficult
to practice maneuvers in mass and on q
large scale. Congress should provide
means to have field exercises by ut least
a division of regulars, and If possible of
national guardsmen, once a year. IN the
gulf coast, ~seaboard or great lakes. the
corps could be marched to some point on
the water, embarked, disembarked after
a couple of days journey and again
men in masses. marching, camping. EN-
barking and disembarking will 1t be pos
sihle to train officers.
A great debt is owing from the public to
the men of the army and navy. The
American enlisted man is probably more
formidable than the regular Of any other
army. Every consideration should be
shown him. and the highest usefulness
worth while for congress to consider
whether the pay of enlisted men upon
second and subsequent enlistments should
not be increased to correspond with the
Increased Valln of the veteran SO16iar.
Army Reorganization.
Much good has come from the act re-
organizing the army, passed early in the
present year. The three prime reforms
are, first, substitution OK four-year details
from the line for permanent appointments
IN the so-called staff divisions: second. es-
tablishment Of a corps Of artillery with
q chief at the head; third, establishment
OF a maximum and minimum limit for the
army; The reorganization has been sub
tons in the Philippines nave enabled the
department. materially to reduce the mill
tary charge and to bring the number of
soldiers much nearer the minimum than
the maximum. There is, however, need of
supplementary legislation. Thorough mil
ltary education must he provided. and
his should be given to officers Of the
who desire intelligently to ut themselves
for possible military duty. The officers
should be given the chance to perfect
themselves by study IN the higher
branches of this art. West Point educa-
ton should turn out men good in actual
Held service; too much stress should not
be laid on mathematics, nor should pro-
hciency therein establish a corps d'elite.
Our militia law IS obsolete and worthless.
The organization and armament Of the
national guard should be Identical with
the regular forces. The obligations Of the
guard in war SHOULD be carefully defined,
and the method Of raising volunteer
forces prescribed. 1t Is impossible in the
exoitment of impending war to do this
satisfactorily. Provision should be made
for utilizing the training Of citizens who
nave had experience, and especially for
selection Of officers; for careful selection
is impossible after outbreak of war.
That the army Is not a mere instru-
ment OF destruction has been shown in
fine Philippines, Cuba and Porto Rico. II
has proved a potent implement for up
building a peaceful civilization.
No other citizens deserve so we'll as the
veterans who saved the union. We are
now one nation, united in devotion to the
flag, and the very completeness Of our
union enables us all to glory in the valor
shown alike by sons Of north and south
In the times that tried mems souls.
The men who in the last three years
have lone SO well in the east and the
West Indies and on the mainland of Asia
have shown that this remembrance Is
not lost. Whenever & crisis arises the
memories of the civil var will give to
Americans the lofty purpose which comes
to those whose fathers have stood valiant.
ly in the forefront Of the batatle.