The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-12-03


the Philippine islands. Some trouble has
the Mohammedan Moros. but with the
late insurrecronary Filipinos The var
has entirely ceased Civil government
has now been introduced. Not only does
each Filipino enjoy such rights TO Hte-
liberty. and the pursuit Of happiness as ne
has never before known during the re-
corded history of the islands. but the
people taken as whole now enjoy
measure of self-government greater than
that granted TO any other Orientsls by
any foreign power and greater than that
enjoyed by any other OrientalS under
their own governments, save the Japan
csc alone We have not gone too far in
granting these rights OF liberty and sell
government; but We have certainly gone
20 the limit that in the interests of the
FnI!lpplne people themselves il was wise
or Just to go. To hurry matters. TO 90
faster than we are now going would en-
tail calamity on the people of the islands
NO policy ever entered into by the
more signal manner than the policy of
holding the Philippines. The triumph OF
our arms. above all the triumph of our
laws and principles. has come sooner
Inan we had any right to expect
Praise For the Army.
Too much praise cannot be given to the
army for what it has done in the Philip
pines both in warfare and from an ad-
illustrative standpoint in preparing the
way for civil government: and similar
me way IN which they have planted the
seeds of self-goyernment in the ground
t mus made ready for them The courage,
tne unTinching endurance, the high sol
leFiy efficiency, and the general kind
neartedneSs and humanity OF our troops
nave been strikingly manifested There
now remain only some 1900 troops in the
ISLANDS. All told, over 900 have been
Sent mere OF course there have been
LilutNioc5i instances of wrOngdOing
among them They Warred under fearful
ulIIlcultleS OF climate and surroundings
una under the strain of the terrible proVo-
SSauons winch they continually received
from their foes, occasional instances OF
cruel retaliation occurred. Ever effort
mas been made to prevent such cruelties
ana finany these efforts have been COM
pleteiy SucceSSIui. Every effort has also
Deen made to detect and punish the
NrOngdOerS- After making all allowance
for these nisdeeds. il remains true that
rev indeed have been the instances in
winch war has been Waged by a civil
Izeu power against Semi-cIVilized or bar
parous forces where there has been 50
little WrOngdolng by the VictOrS as in the
Philippine islands. on the other hand,
the amount of difficult important and
Deneficent work which has been done is
well-nigh incalculable.
Taking the work of the army and the
civil authorities together, it may be cues
TONED whether anywhere else in modern
times the world has seen a better ex-
ample of real constructive craftsmanship
than our people have given in the Phil
lppine islands. High praise should also
very numerous, who have accepted the
new conditions and Joined with our rep
resentatives to work with hearty good
VIII Tor the welfare of the islands.
Soldiers Are Few.
The army has been reduced to the min
1mum allowed by law. 1t is very small
for the size of the nation and most GER
tainly should be kept at the highest point
or efficiency The senior officers are
given Scant chance under ordinary con-
I 1sQT 7FiG ron urr1f1- ~
surate with their rank, under circum-
stances which would fit them TO do their
DUTY in time of actual war. system of
maneuVering our army in bodies of some
little size has been begun and should be
steadily continued. Without such ma
neuvers il is folly to expect that in the
event of hostilitieS with any serious foe
even small army corps could be han
died to advantage. Both our officers and
enlisted men are such that we can take
hearty pride in them No better material
can be found. But they must be thor
oughly trained, both as individuals and
in the mass. The craftsmanship of the
men must receive special attention In
the circumstances of modern warfare the
man must act far more on his own in
dividual responsibility than ever before.
and the high individual efficiency OF the
unit is of the utmost Importance. For
| merly this unit was the regiment; il is
now not the regiment. not even the troop
| or company: il is the individual soldier.
Every effort must be made to develop
every w0rkmanlike and soIdierly quality
| in both the officer and the enlisted man.
/ urgently call your attention to the
need of passing a bill providing for a
| general staff 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 capacity, to keep them of the same
: high relative excellence throughout their
careers.
The measure providing for the reor-
! ganization of the militia system and for
| securing the highest efficiency in the ma
| tional guard, which has already passed
| the house. should receive prompt atten-
! ton and action. 1t is of great importance
| 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 a
| practical and efficient system should be
adopted.
| Provision should be made TO enable the
| secretary of war to keep cavalry and ar
| tfllery horses WORKOUT in long perform
/ ance of duty Such horses fetch but a
| trifle 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.