Idaho Springs siftings., 1902-12-06

with tho late insurrectionary Fillpinos
the war has entirely ceased. Civil
government has now been introduced.
Not only does each Filipino enjoy
such rights to life, liberty and the pur-
suit of happiness as he has never be-
fore known during the recorded his
tory of the islands, but the people, TAX
en- as while, now enjoy a measure of
self-government greater than granted
to any other Orientals by any foreign
power, and greater than that enjoyed
by any other Orientals under their
own governments, save the Japanese
alone. We have not gone too far in
granting these rights of liberty and
self-government; but we have certain
ly gone to the limit that in the inter
ests of the Philippine people them
selves it was wise or just to go. To
hurry matters, to go faster than we are
now going, would entail calamity on
the people of the islands. No policy
ever entered into by the American
people has vindicated itself in more
signal manner than the policy of hold
ing the Philippines. The triumph of
our arms, above all the triumph of our
laws and principles, has come sooner
than we had any right to expect.
Too much praise cannot be given to
the army for what it has done in the
Philippines both in warfare and from
an administrative standpoint in pre-
pairing the way for civil government;
and similar credit belongs to the civil
authorities for the way in which they
have planted the seeds of self-govern-
ment in the ground thus made ready
for them.
Army and Navy.
The army has been reduced to the
minimum allowed by law. 1t is very
small for the size of the Nation, and
most certainly should be kept at the
highest point of efficiency The senior
officers are given scant chance under
ordinary conditions to exercise COM
mands commensurate with their rank,
under circumstances which would fit
them to do their duty in time of actual
war A system of maneuvering our
army in bodies of some little size has
been begun, and should be steadily
continued. Without such maneuvers
it is folly to expect that in the event
of hostilities with any serious foe even
a small army corps could be handled
to advantage. Both our officers and
enlisted men are such that we can take
hearty pride in them. No better ma
terial can be found. But they must be
thoroughly trained, both as individuals
and in the mass.
The measure providing for the reor-
ganization of the militia system and
for securing the highest efficiency in
the national guard, which has already
passed the House, should receive
prompt attention and action. 1t is of
great importance that the relation of
the national guard to the militia and
- h. TT.,sk
should be defined, and that in place of
CIR present obsolete laws a practical
and efficient system should oe adopted
For the first time in our history
naval maneuvers on a large scale are
being held under the immediate com
mand of the admiral of the navy. Con-
stantly increasing attention is being
paid to the gunnery of the navy, but
it is yet far from what it should be.
earnestly urge that the increase asked
for by the secretary 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 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 tne gun crews, ana
especially the CUR pointers. and for
perfeeting 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 a very rich country. vast in ex-
tent of territory and great in popula-
tion; a country, moreover, which has
an army diminutive indeed when COM
pared with that of any other first class
power. We have deliberately made our
own certain foreign policies which de-
mand 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
building of the canal would be merely
giving hostage to any power of su-
perior strength. The Monroe doctrine
should be treated as the cardinal feat
ure of American foreign policy; but 1t
would be worse than idle to assert II
unless we intend to back it up, and 1t
can be backed up only by a thoroughly
good navy. A good navy is not provoc-
ative of war; it is the surest guaranty
of peace.
There is not cloud on the horizon
at present. There seems not the
slightest chance of trouble with a for
eign power We most earnestly hope
that this state of things may continue;