The Rich Hill tribune. (Rich Hill, Mo.) 1903-1911, 1903-12-10

dhscked By Decreasing The numhar on On.
nftr1enfF positions aud tV Increasing ma
oncieney q the employees remaining.
The Army.
The effect OF the laws providing a ren.
etal AtnH for the army and for the more
effective uen 81 fhn national nuArl has
been excellent Great improvement. has
heen made IN the efficiency of our ARMY
m recent years such achonis M those
erected az Fort i-.eaeenworth ana fors
Riley aud tho institution on ran man.
fuvpr work accomplish satisfactory re.
suits. The good effect OF these Mnn-
cuvtra upon The national guard n
mefksa end ample appropriation should
be made 20 enable tho ruardamcn on tho
several States % share IN the hrneat
The Government should az noon az noa-
abba secure suitable permanent camn
sites for military maneuvcra Ia the vAtl-
Gus s%ections 81 the country. The service
thereby rendered not only % the regular
army. but 10 the national guard Of the
several states. viii be - great a. so
repay many times over the relatively
small expense. We should not rest salts.
fed with hat has been done. however.
The only people who are contented with
a system OF promotion by mere seniority
are those who arr confented With the
triumph Of mcdiocrity over excellence.
on the other hand a system which en-
Outraged the exercise % sociel or poiiti-
cal favoritisin IN promotions would BE-
even worse. But u would surely be easy
70 devise a method 81 promotion from
grade to grade in which the opinion Of
the higher officers Of the service upon
the candidates should be decisive upon
the standing and promotion OF the latter.
Just such a system now obtains at West
Point. The quality cf each years work
determines the standing OF that years
class, the man being dropped or grad
uated into the next class IN the relative
position which his military Supporters de-
eide 10 be warranted BY his merit. III
other words, ability, energy. fidelity. and
all other similar qualities determine the
rank Of a man year after year An West
Point, and his standing In the army when
he graduates from West Point; but from
that time on. all EFFORT 20 ind which
man Is best or worst. and reward or
punish him aecordingly. Is abandoned.
no hriliiancy. no amount OF hard work.
no eagerness tn the performance OF duty.
can advance him. nj no ~slackncss or
Indifference that falls short OF n court
martial onense can retard him Untl
this system - changed We cannot hope
that our officers viii be Of as high grade
40 We have a right TO expect, consider
ing she material upon which We draw.
Moreover. when a man renders such
service as Captain PcrshiRg rendered last
spring IN The Moro campaign. u ought
70 be possible 10 reward him without az
once jumping him to the grade Of briga-
dier-geueFAl.
The Navy. 81
shortly after the enunelation o. thar
famous principle OF American foreign
policy nov known as the "Monroe Doe
trins,'" President Monroe, IN a special
message TO Congress on Jan. o. 1NL
spoke as follows: The navy is the arm
from Whic.. our Government viii always
derive most aid IN support OF our
rights Every power engaged IN war viii
know the strength Of cur naval power.
the number Of eur ships on zach class.
their condition. and the p~romputude with
which we may bring them into service.
and viii pay due consideration 10 that
argument"
/ heartily congratulate the Congress
Upon the steady progress In building up
the American navy. We can not anord
a let-up In this great work. To stand
stll means to go hack. There should be
no cessation In adding 20 the effective
units OF the fighting strength OF the feet.
Meanwhile the Navy department and the
officers Of the navy are doing we'll their
part By providing constant service al
sea under conditions akin 20 those Of
actual warfare, Our officers and enlisted
men are learning to handle the hsttic
ships, cruisers. and torpedo boats with
high efficiency IN feet and squadron for
nations, and the standand Of markham
ship "a being steadily raised. The best
work ashore r. Indispensable. but the
highest duty OF a naval Officer Is 10 cx-
ercise command al sea.
The establishment OF a naval base IN
the Philippines ought not 20 be longer
postponed such a base IL desirable IN
time Of peace. In time % VAR Il would
be Indispensable. and ifs lack would De-
rulnouE Without Il our ncst would BE-
helpless. Our naval experts arr agreed
that hubiE bay u the proper place for
the purpose. The national Interests re-
quire that the work % fortiacuuon and
development % a naval station AZ subtg
bay BE- begun az an early date. Tor un-
der the test conditions Il q = work
which viii consume much time.
II a. eminently desirable. however. that
there should b. provided a naval general
stan on lines similar 10 those Of The Gen
eral stan lately created Tor the army.
Within the Navy department itself the
needs Of the service Rave brought about
a system under which the duties o. a
general stan are partially performed; Tor
the Bureau OF Navigation has under ita
direction the War College. the once Of
Naval intelligence. and the Board 0f In
spection. and has been "a close touch
With the General Board OF the Navy But
though under the excellent nuicers AZ
thelr head. thee bnarls and bureaus DO
good work. they have not the auth0rity
% a ge1erai stan, and hnYe not sufficient
scope 70 insure n prcper readiness for
cmerEenciea. We need the establishment
~ Jaw Of a body % trained onicera. Who
shall exercise a systematic control Of the
military afsirs o. the navy, sud BE- au-
thorired advisers 81 the Secretary con
corning r.
isthmian Canal.
By the aettef tane ~ 1872. the Con-
gross authorised the President % eater
into treaty with Colombia to- tho hund-
ma Of the across the fsthmua Of
Panama; u being provided that Ia thr
event OF failure to sscura such treaty
after thu iRpEc Of = Tcaacnahir time. re-
causae should b. had 20 building a canal
through Eicarakua, u has not been
necessary 20 consider this alternative. ~
am enabled 90 lay before iha senate
q treaty providing Tor the buiiG,nH ~ the
canal across the iathmus o. Panama
This was the route which commended
Itself 10 the deliberate judgment Of tho
congress. hnd We can nov acquire hy
treaty. the right 10 construct the canal
over this route The question nos. there
fore, j. not BY which route tha lsthuiaH
canal shall be bult. for that auostion
has been definitely auG i~rreVocahiy de-
cidca, IN question o. simply NhsiheF OF
not We shall have ~ iHuamlsl ganal
When the Congress directed that We
AAnaUM 49, a.