The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1901-12-03


ready In from two to four years. but II will
take at least that time 10 recruit and
train the men 10 fight them. IL Is OF vast
concern that We have trained crews ready
for the vessels by the time they are COM
missioned. Good ships and good guns are
simply good weapons. and the best weap-
ons. are useless save i'm the hands of men
who know how TO fight with them. 81
The men must be trained and drilled un-
der thorough and weil-planned system
OF progressive instruction, while the re-
cruiting must be carried on with stu
greater vigor. Every effort must be made
10 cxalt the main function OF the officer
1.-The command Of men. The leading grad
yates OF the naval academy should he as
| signed 10 the conibatant branches, the
| line and marines.
Many Of the essentials Of success arc al
ready recognized by the general board,
| which, as the central office of a growing
| STAFF is moving steadily toward proper
/ war efficiency and proper efficiency OK
| the whole navy, under the secretary This
4 general board, by fostering the creation
| OF a general STAFF, is providing for the offi-
cial and then the general recognition of
| our altered conditions as nation and OF
| the true meaning or great war feet.
which meaning is, first, the best men,
and. second the best ships.
The naval militia forces are state organ
| izations. and arc trained for coast SER
vice. and in event OF war they will con-
| stitute the inner line OF defense. They
should receive hearty encouragement from
| the general government.
| But in addition We should at once pro-
vide for a national naval reserve. organ
| ized and trained under the direction or
the navy department, and subject to the
| call of the chief executive whenever war
| becomes imminent. IL should be real
| auxiliary 10 the naval seagoing peace es-
adjustment and offer material to be
4 e4strr IA tf.S
/ in time OF war. IL should be composed OF
graduates OF the naval academy, grad
| yates of the naval militia, officers and
4 crews OF coast-line steamers. longshore
schooners. fishing vessels, and steam
yachts, together with the coast population
| about such centers as Hfe-saVing stations
and lighthouses.
| The American people must either build
/ and maintain an adequate navy or else
make up their minds definitely to accept
| a secondary position In international af-
| fairs, not merely in political. but in COM
mercial, matters. IL has been well said
that there Is no surer way OF counting ma
| tional disaster than 10 be "opulent, ag-
gressive and unarmed."
NO INCREASE OF THE ARMY.
| II is not necessary to increase our army
! be yond it's present size at this time. But
IL is necessary TO keep il at the highest
point OF efficiency. The individual units
| who as officers and enlisted men COM
4 pose this army, ,are,we have good reasonto
| believe, at least as efficient as those or
| any other army i'm the entire world. IL rs
| our duty 10 see that their training is OF
a kind 10 insure the highest possible ex-
preston Of power TO these units when act
| ing I'm combination.
The conditions OF modern war are such
| az TO make an Infinitely heavier demand
I Than ever before upon ms tndfvfdu-t char
! acter and capacity of the officer and the
| enlisted man, and TO make IL far more dif-
ficult for men 20 act together with ehect.
At present the hghting 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 I'm the old-fashioned
| elbow to elbow touch. Under such cophi-
tions 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 to
men OF exceptional physique and morale
But nowadays the most valuable fghting
man and the most difficult to perfect is
the riheman, who is also skiliful and
daring rider.
The proportion of our cavalry regiments
has wisely been increased. The American
cavalryman, trained to maneuver and
fight with equal facility on foot and on
for general purposes now 10 be found In
the world. The ideal cavalryman OF the
present day is man who can nght on
foot as effectively as the best infantry
man. and who is i'm addition unsurpassed
i'm the care and management of his horse
| and I'm his ability to fight on horseback.
| general staff should be created As
for the present stsff and supply depart
ments. they should be filled by details
| from the line. the men so detailed return
ing after a while to their line duties. IL Is
very undesirable TO have the senior grades
OF the army composed OF men who have
come 10 fill the positions by the mere
| fact OF seniority. A system should be
adopted by which there shall he an elm
ination grade by grade OF those who seem
| unfit 10 render the best service in the
| next grade. Justice 10 the veterans of
| the Civil war who are still I'm the army
would seem to require that In the matter
| OF retirements they be given by law the
same privileges accorded TO their COM
rades in the navy.
NO POLITICAL OR SOCIAL PULL"
The process Of elimination OF the least
| At should be conducted i'm a manner that
wouid render IL f,rse+4eeii.- impossible TO
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 off,
cials for political reasons is bad enough.
| but IL is tenfold worse where applied on
behalf OF officers OF tho army or navy.
Every promotion and every detail under
the war department must be made solely
with regard 90 the good of the service
and TO the capacity and merit of the man
himself No pressure. political social or
personal of any kind. will be permitted
| 10 exercise the least effect in any ques-
| tion Of promotion or detail; and ~ there
Is reason 20 believe that such pressure
Is exercised at the instigation of the
officer concerned. IL will he held 10 mill
tate against him. In our army we cannot
afford 20 have rewards or duties dlstri-
buted save on tho simple ground that
those who by their own merits are en-
titled to the rewards get them. and that
those who are peculiarly ht 20 do the
duties are chosen 10 perform them.
Every Effort should be made TO bring
the army 10 constantly increasing state
OF efficiency When on actual service no
work save that directly In the line Of
such service should he required. The
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