Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1902-12-03

Il
and efficient system should be adopted.
Provision should be made to enable the
secretary of war to keep cavalry and ar
ance of duty. Such horses fetch but a
trihe when sold. and rather than turn
them out TO the misery awaiting them
to employ them at light work around the
posts and when necessary to put them
painlessly to death.
For the first time in our history naval
maneuvers on a large scale are being held
under the immediate command of the ad-
miral of the navy. Constantly increasing
| the navy, but it is yet far from what 1t
should be. | earnestly urge that the in
crease asked for by the secretary OF the
navy in the appropriation for improving
the only shots that count are the shots
that hit. 1t Is necessary to provide ample
time Of peace. These funds must provide
not only for the purchase Of projectiles,
but for allowances for pyizes to encour-
nent tne gun nd ror nrsectins ana inteieent
system under which aloneit is possible to
get good practice.
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 terri
| tory and great in population, a country,
moreover, which has an army diminutive
indeed when compared with that OF any
other first class power We have deliber-
dtely maze our own certain foreign pOll-
| cies which demand the possession Of a
| first class navy. The isthmian canal will
| greatly increase the efficiency of our navy
| If the navy is of sufficient SIZE but if we
have an Inadequate navy then the build
| ing of the canal would be merely giving a
| hostage to any power Of superior strength.
The Monroe doctrine should be treated as
the cardinal feature of American foreign
| policy, but II would be worse than idle
| to assert II unless we intended to back 1t
| up. and It can be backed up only by a
A 1
| not a provocative of war. 1t Is the surest
| guaranty of peace.
Each Individual unit Of our navy should
| be the most efficient of its kind as regards
| both material and personnel that is to be
| found in the world. / call your special
| attention to the need Of providing for the
| threatens US IL we cannot do better than
| we are now doing as regards securing the
! services of sufficient number of the high
| est type Of sailormen, of sea mechanics.
| The veteran seamen Of our warshipS are
of as high type as can be found in any
| navy which rides the waters of the world.
| They are unsurpassed in daring, in reso-
| luton. in readiness, IN thorough knowl-
| edge Of their profession. They deserve ev-
| cry consideration that can be shown them
But there are not enough of them. 1t is
| no more possible to improvise crew than
| 1t is possible to improvise warship. To
battery. and to send It afioat with a raw
| crew, no matter how brave they were in
| dividually. would be to insure disaster If a
|
| Neither ships nor men can be improvised
| when war has begun.
| We need a thousand additional officers
\ in order TO properly man the ships now
provided for and under construction. The
| classes at the naval school at Annapolis
| should be greatly enlarged. At the same
time that we thus add the officers where
| we need them, we should facilitate the re-
| tirement Of those at the head of the list
\ whose usefulness has become impaired.
| Promotion must be fostered II the service
| is TO he kent efficient
| The lamentable scarcity of officers and
| the large number of recruits and OF un-
new vessels as they have been commits
| stoned has thrown upon our officers, and
especially on the lieutenants and junior
| grades. unusual labor and fatigue and has
| gravely strained their powers of endur-
| ance Nor Is there sign of any immediate
| letup in this strain. 1t must continue for
| some time longer until more officers are
! graduated from Annapolis and until the
| recruits become trained and skillful in
| their duties In these difficulties incident
| upon the development OF our war fleet the
| conduct Of all our officers has been GREG
\ table to the service. and the lieutenants
and junior grades in particular have dis
| played an ability and a steadfaSt cheer
\ fulness which entitle them to the ungrudging
thanks Of all who realize the disheartening trials
| and fatigues to which they are OF necessity SUBJ
jected
! There is not a cloud on the horizon at present.
| There seems not the slightest chance OF trouble
with a foreign power We mosN earnestly hope
| that this state OF things may continue, and the
way to insure its continuance is to provide for a
thoroughly efficient navy. The refusal TO main.
tain such navy would invite trouble, and il
trouble came would insure disaster. Fatuous self
| complacency vanity shortsightedness in re-
fusing to prepare for danger is both foolish and
wicked in such a nation as ours, and past expert
| ence has shown that such faulty in refusing to
! recognize prepare for any crisis in advance Is
usually succeeded by mad panic of historical
| fear once the crisis has actually arrived.
| The striking increase in the revenues Of the
postofice department shows clearly the prosperity
| Of our people and the increasing activity OF the
The receipts OF the postofbce department for
| the fiscal year ending June 80 last amounted to
1921. s4s. o4t2a, increase Of slo,2l6s5Ss7 over
the preceding year, the largest increase known in
| the history OF the postal service. The magnitude
Of this increase win bsst appear from the fact
that the entire postal receipts for the year 1864
Rural frss delivery service is no longer in the
experimental stage. 1t has become fixed policy.
jusssed y. ooOsrsss in the large appropriation.
made Tor its establishment and extension. The
average yearly increase in postofhce receipts In
cent n w. az nov abe. BY actual results, e
show that where rural Inc delivery service has
been established 70 such an extent as to enable
US 70 male COMPARISONS the yearly increase has
been upwssd Of 10 per cent.
On Nov. 1, 1902, n,a3O rural free delivery
routes bad been sstahiishsd and were in operation
covering sbo04 one third Of the territory Of the
United Staten available tor rural free delivery
service. These ass now awaiting the action o.
| the oepAVm2nS psdttodB and Applications Tor the
essahlishmept Of l0,74S additional routes Thi!
shows ooncl,ntvely the want which the establish
ment Of the service hos met and the need OF fur
ther extending 1t rs rapidly as possible. 1t
justified both by the financial results and by tn,
practical benefits 70 our rural populations, II
brings the men who live on the soil into clos
relations with thu sctive business world; il kesp
the farmer In daily touch with the markets. IL Il
potential educational force; 1t enhances tn.
value Of farm property, makes farm life IA
pleasanter and less isolated, and will do much Il
chsck thu undesirable curSent from country Il
city.
liberal appgupgiations Tor the continuance of tn,
servics alSsay established and for its further ex
tension
Few aahjsc<s Of more importance have beer
taken up by tbs congress in recent years thai
the inaoguystin Of tbs system Of nationally aidet
irrigation for the and regions OF the far west
good beginning therein has been made. Nov
that this policy Of national irrigation has beei
adopted the need Of thorough and scientific flores
protection will grow more rapidly than eve
throughout the public land states.
Legislation should be provided for the protec
ally on the forest reserves. The senseless slaugh
ter OF game which can by judicious protection b
! permanently preserved on national reserve
Tor the people IS a whole, should be stopped a
once. II Is, for instance, serious count agains
our national good sense TO permit the presen
practice OF butchering OF such stately an
beautiful creature as the elk for its antlers o
tusks
So tar as they are available for agriculture an
to whatever extent they may be reclaimed unde
the national irrigation law, the remaining publ