The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-12-02
ISLAND POSSESSIONS.
A Review of the Country's Admins
ira ton of Outside Affairs.

A Review of the Country's Admins
ira alton of Outside Affairs.
OF Porto Rico it is only necessary TO
say that the prosperity of the island
and the wisdom with which it has been
governed have been such as to make it
serve as an example of all that is best
/ in insular administrat ton
On July 4 last. on the one hundred
and twenty-sixth anniversary of the de-
claration OF our independence, peace
Philippine Islands Some trouble has
since from time to time threatened with
the Mohammedan Moros burt with the
late 1nsurrectionary Filipinos the war
has entirely ceased. Civil government
has now been introduced Not only does
each Filipino enjoy such rights to life,
liberty, and the pursuit of happiness as
ne mas never before known during the
recorded history of the islands. but the
people taken as a whole now enjoy a
measure of Self-goVernment greater
than that granted to any other Orien-
tails by any foreign power and greater
4 tnan that enjoyed by any other Orien-
tails under their own governments. save
the japanese alone. We have not gone
too far IN granting these rights of lib
erty and seif-government; but have
certainly gone to the limit that in the
interests of the Philippine people them
selves 1t was wise or Just to 60 To
hurry matters, to go faster than we are
now going, would entail calamity on the
PCOl'AO VI LIE 1SldnCS. NO policy ever
entered into by the American people has
Vlnd1cated itself in more signal manner
than the policy of holding the Philip
pines The triumph of our arms, above
all the triumph of our laws and Drinci-
pies, has come sooner than we had any
right to expect Too much praise can
not be given to the army for what it
has done in the Philippines both in war
1are ana from an adminiStrati tive stand
point in preparing the way for civil gov
eminent; and similar credit belongs to
the civil authorities for the way in
which they have planted the seeds Of
seH-goVernment in the ground thus
made ready for Them The courage, the
unf1lnchlng endurance, the high soldieriv
efficiency, and the general kind hearted
ness and humanity of our troops have
been strikingly manifested. There now
remain only some fifteen thousand
troops in the islands All told over
one hundred thousand have been sent
there OF course, there have been in
d1vidual instances OF wrongdoing
among them. They warred under fear
full difficulties of climate and surround
ings; and under the strain of the terri
BILE provocations which they continually
received from their foes, occasional in
stances of cruel retaliation occurred
Every effort has been made to prevent
such cruelties, and finally these efforts
have been completely successful Every
effort has also been made to detect and
punish the WrOngdOerS. After making
all allowance for these misdeeds it re-
mains true that few indeed have been
the instances in which war has been
waged by a civilized power against
semicivilized or arbarous forces where
there has been so little wrongdoing by
the victors as in the Philippine Islands.
On the other hand, the amount of diff
cult, important, and beneficent work
which has been done is well-nigh incal-
culable
Taking the work of the army and the
CIVIL authorities together, it may be ques-
: W 81
times the world has seen a better example
of real constructive craftsmanship than
Islands. High praise should also be given
those F1lipinos, in the aggregate very
numerous, who have accepted the new
conditions and Joined with our represen-
tatives to work with hearty good will for
the welfare of the islands,
REDUCTION OF THE ARMY
The army has been reduced to the min
imum allowed by law. It is very small
tainly should be kept at the highest point
of efficiency. The senior officers are
given scant chance under ordinary CON
rate with their rank, under circumstances
which would fit them to do their duty in
neuvering our army in bodies of some
/ little size has been begun and should be
steadily continued Without such maneu-
vers 1t 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 enlist
cd men are such that we can take hearty
pride in them. No better material can be
found But they must be thoroughly
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.
unit is of the utmost Importance. For
merly this unit was the regiment; it is
or company: it is the individual soldier.
Every effort must be made to develop
both the officer and the enlisted man.
| urgently call your attention to the
need of passing bill providing for
general staff and for the reorganization of
the supply departments on the lines of
the bill proDosed by the secretary of war
last year When the young officers enter
stand above their compeers in any other
m ntarY by sefrlf yery eT9 should N Pc
by scrutiny into their careers and capac-
ity. to keep them of the same high rela-
tive excellence throughout their careers.
The measure providing for the reorga-
nization of the military system and for
tional Guard; which has already passed
the house should receive prompt 2ttelI-
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 j
practical and efficient system should be
adopted.
| Provision should be made to enable the
secretary of war to keep cavalry and ar
tilery horses. worn-cut in long perform
I ance of duty. Such horses fetch but a
trifie 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
posts, and when necessary to put them
painlesslv to death.
NAVAL MANEUVERS-
For the first time in our history naval
nareuvers on a large scale arc being held
under the Immediate command of thu adj
niral of the navy. Constantly increasing
attention Is being paid to the gunnery of
the navy. but it is yet far from what it
should be. I earnestly urge that the in
! crease asked for by the secretary of the
navy in the annroT-iation for improving