Omaha daily bee., 1902-12-03

the gun crews. and especially the gun
pointers, and for perfecting an intelligent
system under which alone II 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 Of territory
and great in population; a country more
over. which has an army diminutive in
deed, when compared with that Of any other
hrst-class power. We have deliberately
made our own certain foreign policies which
demand the possession OF a frst-class navy.
The isthmian canal will greatly increase
the efficiency Of our navy. then the building
Of the canal would be merely giving a hos
tage TO any power OF superior strength.
The Monroe doctrine should be treated as
the cardinal feature of American foreign
policy; but 1t would be worse than idle to
assert It unless we intended to back It up,
and it can be backed up only by a thor
oughly good navy. A good navy is not a
provocative Of war. 1t is the surest guar
anty Of peace.
Men the Immediate Need.
Each individual unit Of our navy should
he che most efficient Of its kind as re-
CARDS both material and personnel that is
TO be found in the world. l call your spe-
cial attention to the need of providing for
the manning of the ships. Serious trouble
threatens us IL we cannot do better than
we are now doing as regards securing the
services Of a sufficient number Of the high
est type OF sailormen. Of sea mechanics.
The veteran seamen of our warships are
of as high a type as can be found in any
navy which rides the waters Of the world;
they are unsurpassed in daring, in resolu-
tion, in readiness, in thorough knowledge
of their profession. They deserve every
consideration that can be shown them.
But there are not enough Of them. 1t is
no more possible to improvise a crew than
it is possible to improvise a warship. To
build the finest ship, with the deadliest
battery, and to send 1t afloat with a raw
crew, no matter how brave they were in
dividually, would be to insure disaster II a
foe of average capacity were encountered.
Neither ships nor men can be improvised
when war has begun.
We need 1000 additional officers in or
der to properly man the ships now pro-
vided 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 be kept efficient.
Hard Work for omcers.
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 commissioned
has thrown upon our officers, and espe-
cially on the lieutenants and Junior grades,
unusual labor and fatigue and has graVely
strained their powers Of endurance. Nor
is there sign Of any immediate iet-up in
this strain. 1t must continue for some
time longer, until more officers are grad
uated from Annapolis, and until the recruits
become trained and skillful in their du>
ties. In these difficulties incident upon the
development Of our war feet the conduct
OF all our officers has been creditable to the
service, and the lieutenants and Junior
grades in particular have displayed an abil-
ity and a steadfast cheerfulness which en-
titles them to the ungrudging thanks of
all who realize the disheartening trials and
fatigues to which they are CT necessity
subjected.
There is not a 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 oil
things may continue; and the way to In
sure its continuance is to provide for a
! thoroughly efficient navy. The refusal to
maintain such a navy would invite trouble
and II trouble came would insure disaster
Fatuous self-complacency. or vanity, OF
/ short sightedness in refusing to prepare fol
danger. IS both foolish and wicked in
such a nation as ours; and past experience
) has shown that such faulty in refusing
a ~ nranara for any crisis In
advance is usually succeeded by a MAJ
panic Of hysterical fear once the crisis has
actually arrived.
Postal Revenues Gratifying.
The striking increase in the revenues o
Z the Postofhce department shows clearly tn
4 prosperity OF our people and the increasing
D activity of the business of the country.
The receipts Of the Postofice department
for the fiscal year ending June 30 las
{ amounted to 1921, s4S, 047. 26, an increase o
r $40, PIG, s5S.s7 over the preceding year, tn
n largest increase known in the history o
i the postal service. The magnitude Of Thu
= increase will best appear from the fact tina
the entire postal receipts for the year lS6
s amounted to but $s,51S,O67.
r Rural free delivery service is no longe
e in the experimental stage; 1t has becom
q uAeu policy. II ACSuiNS lOiO"Aho -
e introduction have fully justified the con
. gress in the large appropriations made 70
G it's establishment and extension. The av
D erage yearly increase in postofhce receipt
e in the rural districts Of the country
about 2 per cent. We are now able, b
u actual results, to show that where rura
i free delivery service has been establishe
, to such an extent as to enable us to max
u comparisons the yearly increase has bee
upward Of 10 per cent.
, On November l, 1902, 1850 rural FIRE
delivery routes had been established an
. were in operation, covering about one
third OF the territory of the United State
available for rural free delivery servie'
There are now awaiting the action of tn
department petitions and applications fc
the establishment of 10,74s additionf
routes. This shows conclusively the war
= which the establishment OF the service ha
met and the need Of further extending
as rapidly as possible. II is justified bot
by the financial results and by the praC
= teal benefits TO our rural population;
= brings the men who live on the soil int
close relations with the active bushes
world; IL keeps the farmer in daily touc
with the markets; 1t is a potential educs
tional force; 1t enhance the value OF far
!. property. makes farm life far pleassnt'