Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1902-12-03

that the relation of the national guard TO
the militia and volunteer forces OF the
United States should be defined. and that
in place Of our present obsolete laws q
practical and efficient system should be
adopted.
Provision should be made to enable the
secretary of war TO keep cavalry and ar
tillery horses, WORKOUT in long perform
ance of duty. Such horses tetch Dut
trihe when sold; and rather than turn
them out to the misery awaiting them
when thus disposed of. it would be better
to employ them at light work around the
posts, and when necessary to put them
painlessly to death.
NAVAL MANOEUvREs.
For the first time in our history naval
n1aneuvers on large scale are being
held under the immediate command OF
the admiral of the navy. Constantly IN
creasing attention is being paid to the
gunnery of the navy, but it Is yet lar
from what IT should be. I earnestly urge
that the increase asked for by the sec
rotary Of the navy in the appropriation
for improving the craftsmanship be
granted In battle the only shots that
count are the shots that hit 1t Is nee
essary to provide ample funds for prac-
ice with the great guns In time OF peace.
THESE funQS must prov iue ilOe ohiS AoA
the purchase of projectiles, but for allow
ances for prizes to encourage the gun
crews. and especially the gun pointers,
and for perfecting an intelligent system
under which alone it is possible to get
good practice
BUILDING UP OF NAVY.
There should be no halt in the work OF
building up the navy, providing every
year additional fighting craft we are
a very rich country. vast in extent or ter
ritory and great in population; country,
moreover, which has an army dimnutlve
indeed when compared with that OF any
other first-class power. We have delib-
erately made our own certain foreign
policies which demand the possession OF
frst-class navy. The isthmlan canal
will greatly increase the efficiency OF our
navy if the navy is of sufficient size; out
if we have an inadequate navy, then the
building of the canal would De mercy
giving a hostage to any power of SUI
perior strength. The Monroe doctrine
should be treated as the cardinal feature
of American foreign policy; but it would
be worse than idle to assert it unless we
intended to back it up. and 1t can be
backed up only by, thoroughly good
navy. A good navy is not provocative
of war. 1t is the surest guarantee OF
peace.
Each individual unit of our navy should
be the most efficient of its kind as re-
CARDS both material and personnel that is
to be found in the world. l call your at
tention to the need of providing TOR the
manning of the ships. Serious trouole
threatens us if we cannot do better than
we are now doing as regards securing
the services of sufficient number of the
highest type of sailormen. of sea me-
chances The veteran seamen of our war
ships are of as high type as can De
found in any navy which rides the waters
of the world; they are unsurpassed IN
daring in resolution. In readiness, IN
thorough knowledge of their profession
They deserve every consideration that
can be shown them. But there are not
enough of them. It is no more possible
to improvise a crew than it is possible to
improvise a war ship. To build the fin
est ship. with the deadliest battery. and
to send it ahcat with a raw crew, no
matter how brave they were individually,
would be to insure disaster if foe of
average capacity were encountered.
Neither ships nor men can be improvised
when war has begun.
SCARCITY OF OFFICERS.
We need a thousand additional officers
in order to properly man the ships now
provided for under construction. The
classes at the naval school at Annapolis
should be greatly enlarged. at the same
time that we thus add the officers Wnere
we need them, we should facilitate the
retirement of those at the head OF the
list whose usefulness has become I'M
paired. Promotion must be fostered II
the service is to be kept efficient.
The lamentable scarcity of officers. and
the large number of recruits and of I'M
skilled men necessarily put aboard the
new vessels as they have been commits
stoned. has thrown upon our officers,
;,lI no fen IL
Nor grades, unusual labor and fatigue
and has grave-y strained their powers
Of endurance. or is there sign of any
immediate let-up in this strain. 1t must
continue for some time longer. until more
officers are graduated from Annapolis.
and until the recruits become trained
and skilled in their duties. In these diff
ficulties incident upon the development
of our war fleet the conduct Of all our
officers has been creditable to the ser
vice. and the lieutcrants and junior
grades in particular have displayed an
ability and steadfast cheerfulness
which entities them to the ungrudGing
thanks of all who realize the dishearten-
ing trials and fatisues to which they are
of necessity subjected
NO CLOUD IN FOREIGN RELATIONS.
There is not cloud on the horizon at
present. There seems not the slightest
chance of trouble with a foreign power.
We most earnestly hope that this state
of things may continue; and the way to
insure its continuance is to provide for
thoroughly efficient navy The refusal
to maintain such a navy would invite
trouble, ard if trouble came would in
sure disaster. Fatuous self-compiacency
or vanity or short-sightedness in refus-
ing to prepare for danger. is both fool
Ssh and wicked in such a nation as ours;
and past experience has shown that
such faulty in refusing to recognize or
prepare for any crisis in advance is
usually succeeded by q mad panic OF
hystercal fear once the crisis has actu-
ually arrived.
The striking increase in the revenues
of the postoffice department shows clear
ly the prosperity of our people and the
increasing activity OF the business of the
country.
posToFFiCE DEPARTMENT..
The receipts Of the postoffice depart
ment for the fiscal year ending June 80
last amounted to s121, S4S G47.26; an in
crease of S10,21 ST over the preced
ing year. the largest increase known in
the history of the postal service: The
magnitude of this increase will best ap-
pear from the fact that the entire postal
receipts for the year 1860 amounted to
but sS51S.067.
Rural free-delivery service is no longer
in the experimental stage. 1t has become
a fixed policy: The results following it's