Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1902-12-11

craftsmanship OF the men must receive
special affection. In the circumstances
OK modern wlrfare the man must act far
more on his avn Individual responsibility
tban ever before. and the high individual
eRiciency Of the unit Is of the utmost i'm
portance- Formerly this unit was the
regiment; 1t Is now not the regiment, not
sven the troop or company; it Is the
individual soldier. Every effort must be
made TO develop every workmanlike and
a0ldierly quality in both the officer and
the enlisted man.
I urgently call your attention to the
need of passing a bill providing for a
general stan and for the reorganization of
the supply departments on the lines OF
the bill proposed by the secretary of war
last year. When the young officers enter
the army from West Point they probably
stand above their compeers in any other
military service. Every effort should be
made. by training. by reward of merit,
by scrutiny into their careers and capa-
city, to keep them Of the same high rela-
tive excellence through their careers.
The measure providing for the reorgani-
ration OF the militia system and for secur-
ing the highest efficiency in the national
guard. which has already passed the
house, should receive prompt attention
and action. It is Of great Importance that
the relation OF the national guard to the
militia force and volunteer forces OF the
United States should be defined, and that
In place of our present obsolete laws a
practical and efficient system should be
adopted.
Provision should be made to enable the
secretary Of war to keep cavalry and artil-
iery horses, worn out in long performance
of duty. Such horses fetch but a 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.
Building UP of Navy.
For the first time in our history naval
naneuverS on a large scale are being held
under the immediate command of the adj
miral of the navy. Constantly increasing
attention is being paid to the gunnery of
the navy, but 1t is yet far from what
10 should be. I earnestly urge that the
increase asked for by the secretary of
the navy In the appropriation for imprOv-
ing the craftsmanship be granted. In bat
tie the only shots that count are the shots
that hit. It is necessary to provide ample
funds for practice with the great guns in
time of peace. These funds must provide
not only for the purchase of projectiles,
but for allowances 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.
There should be no halt in the work of
building up the navy, providing every
year additional fighting craft. We are
very rich country, vast in extent of
try, moreover, which has an army diminu-
tive indeed when compared with that of
any other first-class power. We have de-
Hberately made our own certain foreign
policies which demand the possession of
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
bailding of the canal would be merely
giving a hostage to any power Of superior
strength. The Monroe Doctrine should be
treated the cardinal feature of Amer1-
can foreign policy; but 1t would be worse
than idle to assert it unless we intended
TO back 1t up, and 1t can be backed up
only by thoroughly good navy. A good
navy is not a provocative Of war. It IS
the surest guaranty Of peace.
Each individual unit Of our navy should
be the most efficient of its kind as regards
beth material and personnel that is to be
found in the world. call your special
attention to the need Of providing for the
manning of the ships Serious trouble
threatens US If we can not do better than
Z we are doing as regards securing the SER
vices of sufficient number of the highest
4 type of sailormen, of sea mechanics. The
veteran seaman of our war ships 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 resolution,
In readiness, in thorough knowledge of
their profession. They deserve every con-
sideration than can be shown them. But
there are not enough of them. 1t Is no
more possible to improvise crew than
Ii is possible to improvise a war ship. To
build the finest ship, with the deadlieSt
battery, and to send it afioat with a raw
crew. no matter how brave they were
individually, would be to insure disaster
if a foe of average capacity were encoun-
tered. Neither ships nor men can be i'm
provised when war has begun.
One Thousand Officers Needed.
We need 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-
ttrement of those at the head Of the list
whose usefulness has become impaired.
Promotion must be fostered If 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, and
especially on the lieutenants and junior
grades, unusual labor and fatigue and
has gravely strained their powers of en-
durance. Nor is there sign of any i'm
mediate let-up in this strain. 1t must con-
tinue for some time longer, until more
officers are graduated from Annapolis,
and until the recruits become trained and
skillful in their duties. In these diff
cultieS incident upon the development of
our war fleet the conduct of all our Of
ficers has been creditable to the service,
and the lieutenants and junior grades in
particular have displayed an ability and a
steadfast cheerfulness which entities them
to the ungrudging thanks Of all who real
ize the disheartening trials and fatgues
to which they are of necessity subjected.
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 in
sure its continuance is to provide for a
thoroughly efficient navy. The refusal to
maintain such navy would invite trou-
BILE, and II trouble came would insure
disaster. Fatuous self-complacency or
vanity, or short-sightedness in refusing
to prepare for danger, is both foolish and
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