The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-11-29
UNION LEAGUE CLUB
ARMY AND NAVY OFFICERS AT
 FOUNDERS BANQUET.
General s. M. B. Young and Rear Admiral Charles D. sigsbee the Principal Speakers for Their
 Respective Branches.

Philadelphia. Nov. 2a.--Army and navy officers were honored guests tonight at the Founders Day banquet of the Union League Club. President Edward T. Stotes burg presided as toastmaster. The list of guests included Lieutenant-Genera s. M. B. Young, Major-G General John R. B. coke (retired, Major-General Henry c. Corbin. Brigadier-Genera A. D. Bates, Admiral George Dewey. Rear Admirals George Brown, George C. Remey, George w. Melville fretired. CharltA o'Neil, Charles F. Clarke, H. 1T. .R. Earris, ChAriea ID. Sigshee, Senator Boies Penrose Jf Penn sylvania) Senator Perkins of California, Governor Pennypacker Of Pennsylvania. and former Governor Frank s. Black of New York.
 In response to $ toast. General Young said:
 'The solicitude of Congress for an ef- ficient military establishment has not been confined to enacting laws for the benefit of the regular army but has been extended to liberal provision for both the volunteers and the militia. We now have on our statute permanent legislation un- der which a volunteer army may speed- fly be created and the military quickly brought into the service of the United States as part of our first line of de- fense. There Is thus substantial cause for congratulation that after a century of only partly successful effort we find ourselves in better condition today than ever before to meet all questions of do- fense or offense with which we may be confronted. The effort should be to moSe onward to a higher development of our military forces and to guard against a lapse of feeling and indifference to those highly important necessities.
 ITO utilize the great military resources of our country in men and material and to direct this conceded strength into the most useful channels is the military prob- lem which cenfronts us today. The recent organization of a general stan for the army has done more to promote the ef- flciency of the defense of our country than any other single act of legislation which the wisdom of Congress has pro- vided."
 Rear Admiral Sigsbee spoke on the necessity for an efficient navy. He said:
 ''The most difficult problem that the navy has to solve at the present time is in respect to her personnel. We find 1t well nigh impracticable to enlist, train and keep enough men for our needs of the service. Time and experience will solve the problem, but it must be known that the solution Is hardly yet in sight. For merly the British navy suffered from de-
 
 now have, but Great Britain overcome the difficulties by schemes which elevated the enlisted man both socially and finan- cially above the position which he would have coupled had he held to a career on shore. With us at present the shore ca- reer offers the greatest promise. When we shall have found ways and means to reverse these conditions. the problem of enlisted personnel will have been solved. We are coming to 1t, although slowly.
 ''The idea of international arbitration has come into special prominence in re- cent times, but the fact remains that its employment thus far has been limited to those cases where neither of the nations interested has considered the issues in- volved worth the risks and expense of war.
 ''The conclusion which logically follows is that under conditions now obtaining, war is inevitable of occurrence and our experience in common with other nations has shown that the best way to avoid 1t Is to be prepared to defend our rights and interests