The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1901-12-06

schooners fishing vessels and steam
| yachts. together with the coast popula
ton about such centers as life saving
stations and lighthouses.
The American people must either build
| and maintain an adequate navy or else
make up their minds definitely to accep
q secondary position in international ar.
fairs, not merely In political but in com
mercial matters. Ii has been well SAID
that there is no surer way of counting ma
tional disaster than to be 'opulent ae-
gressive and unarmed"
The Army.
1t Is not necessary to increase our army
beyond its present size at this time but
IL is necessary to keep # at the hixhes,
point of efficiency. The individual units
who as officers and enlisted men compose
this army are. we have good reason to be-
Heve. at least efficient as these Of aay
other army in the entire world. n is our
duty to see that their training is Of q kind
TO insure the highest possible expression
Of power to these units when acting I'm
combination
The conditions of modern war are such
as to make an infinitely heavier demand
than ever before upon the individual char
acter and capacity Of the o1icer and the
enlisted man and TO make 1t far more diff
hcult fer men TO act together with effect
At present the fighting must be done in
extended order. which means that each
man must act for himself and at the same
time act In combination with others with
whom he Is no longer in the old fashioned
elbow to elbow touch. Under such condi.
lions a few men OF the highest excellence
are worth more than many men without
the special skill which is only found as
the result OF special training applied e.
men Of exceptional physique and morale
but nowadays the most valuable fighting
man and the most difficult to perfect is
the rineman who Is also q skillful and
daring rider
The proportion OF our cavalry regiments
has wisely been increased. The American
cavalryman trained to maneuver and
tight with equal facility on foot and on
horseback, 10 the best type of soldier for
general purposes now to be found in the
world The ideal cavalryman Of the pres
ent day Is a man who can fight on foot
as effectively as the best infantryman and
who Is in addition unsurpassed in the
care and management Of his horse and in
his ability 10 fight on horseback
Would Create a General Star.
A general star sheuld be created As
for the present stan and supply depart
ments. they should be filed by details
from the line. the men so detailed return
ing after awhile TO their line duties IL Is
very undesirable to have the senior grades
of the army composed OF men who have
come to I'LL the positions by the mere fact
Of seniority. A system should be adopted
by which there shall be an elimination
grade by grade of those who seem unfit
TO render the best service in the next
grade. Justice TO the veterans OF the
civil war who are still in the army would
seem 10 require that in the matter of re-
tirements they be given by law the same
privileges accorded to their comrades in
the navy.
The process OF elimination OF the least
fit should be conducted in a manner that
would render 1t practically impossible 70
apply political or social pressure on be-
half of any candidate. so that each man
may be judged purely on his own merits
Pressure for the promotion OF civil OIL
Gals for political reasons is bad enoush
but 1t IS tenfOld worse where applied on
behalf OF officers of the army or navy
Every promotion and every detail under
the war department must be made solely
with regard TO the good OF the service
and to the capacity and m erit of the man
himself No pressure. political. social o.
personal OF any kind VIII be permitted
70 exercise the least effect in any cues
ton Of promotion or detail and if there
IS reason 10 believe that such pressure :
exercised at the inStigation of the officer
concerned Il viii be held to initiate
against him In our army We cannot az
lord 10 have rewards or duties distributed !
save on the simple ground that those who
oy their own merits are entitled TO the re- !
wards get them and that those who are |
peculiarly fit TO do the duties are chosen
TO perform them
Every effort should be made to brins, /
the army to a constantly increasing state |
OF efficiency. When on actual service no |
work save that directly in the line of such |
service should be required The paper |
work in the army. as in the navy. should |
De greatly reduced What is needed is /