Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1903-12-09

ileFeu lHaC Inc WORK or the bureau Will be
current at the close Of the present fiscal
year.
Indian Affairs.
The Indian agents should not be depend
emf for their appointment or tenure Of Of
flee upon considerations Of partisan politics:
the practice of appointing, when possible,
army officers or bonded superintendent
to the vacancies that occur Is working we'll
Attention is invited to the widespread IL
literacy due to lack Of public schools in
the Indian Territory. Prompt heed should
be paid TO the need Of education for the
children In this territory.
The Army.
The effect of the laws providing a gen
eral staff for the army and for the more
effective use of the national guard has been
excellent. Great Improvement has been
made in the efficiency Of our army In recent
years. Such schools as those erected at
Fort Leavenworth and Fort Riley and the
institution of fall vancouver work accom-
plish satisfactory results. The good effect
Of these maneuvers upon the National guard
Is marked, and ample appropriation should
be made to enable the guardsmen of the
several states to share the benefit. The
government should as soon as possible Sc
cure suitable permanent camp sites for
military maneuvers in the various sections
Of the country. The service thereby rem
dered not only the regular army, but to the
national guard Of the several states, will
be so great as to repay many times over
the relatively small expense. We should
however. The only people who are con
tented with system Of promotion by mere
seniority are those who are contented with
the triumph Of mediocrity over excellence.
On the other hand system which encour-
aged the exercise Of social or political favor
itism in promotions would be even worse
But 1t would surely be easy to devise
method OF 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 promo
ton of the latter Just such system now
years work determines the standing Of that
years class, the man being dropped or
graduated into the next class in the relative
position which his military superiorS de-
eide to be warranted by his merit. In other
words. ability, energy, fidelity and all other
similar qualities determine the rank of
man year after year In West Point, and
his standing in the army when he graduates
from West Point; but from that time on,
all effort to find which man is best OF
worst and reward or punish him accord
ingly, Is abandoned; no brllliancy, no
amount Of hard work, no eagerness in the
performance Of duty. can advance him, and
SlacknesS or Indifference that falls short
Until this system is changed we can not
hope that our officers will be of as high
grade as we have a right to expect, consid-
ering the material upon which we draw.
Moreover, when man renders such service
as Capt Pershing rendered last spring in
the Moro campaign. it ought to be possible
to reward him without at once jumping
him to the grade of brigadierge general.
The Navy.
Shortly after the enunciation Of that IA
mOur principle Of American foreign policy
now known as the Monroe Doctrine"
President Monroe. in special message TO
Congress on January go 1924 spoke as fol
lows: THE navy is the arm from which
In support Of our rights. Every
power engaged in war will know the
strength of our naval power. the number
Of our ships Of each class, their condition,
and the promptitude with which we may
bring them into service, and will pay due
consideration to that argument"
the steady progress In building up the
American navy. We cannot afford q let-up
IN this great work. To stand still means
to go back. There should be no cessation
In adding to the effective units of the fight
ing strength Of the fleet. Meanwhile the
navy department and the officers of the
navy are doing we'll their part by provid-
Ing constant service at sea under condi-
lions akin to those Of actual warfare. Our
officers and enlisted men are learning tn
handle the battle ships. cruisers and tor
pedo boats with high efficiency In fleet and
squadron formations, and the standard of
craftsmanship Is being steadily raised. The
best work ashore Is Indispensable but the
highest duty Of naval officer is to exercise
command at sea.
The establishment of a naval base In the
Philippines ought not to be longer post
poned. Such base Is desirable in time
of peace; in time OF war 1t would be In
dispensable, and its lack would be ruinous.
Without 1t our fleet would be helpless. Our
naval experts are agreed that Subig bay is
the proper place for the purpose. The
ma tional interests require that the work of
fertilization and development Of a naval
station at Subig bay be begun at an early
date; for under the best conditions 1t is a
work which. will consume much time.
1t Is eminently desirable, however that
oh no tINI
staff on lines similar TO those of the gen
eral staff lately created for the army.
Within the navy department itself the
needs Of the service have brought about
system under which the duties of a gen
eral staff partially performed; for the
bureau of navigation has under its direc,
ton the war college, the office Of naval In
teligence and the board Of inspection, and
has been In close touch with the general
board Of the navy. But though under the
excellent officers at their head, these boards
and bureaus do good work, they have not
the authority of a general staff, and have
not sufficient scope to insure n proper
readiness for emergencies. We need the
establishment by law Of body of trained
officers, who shall exercise systematic
control of the military affairs of the navy.
and be authorized advisers of the secre-
tary concerning it.
Isthmlan Canal.
By the act Of June %. 1902 the Con.
gress authorized the President to enter into
treaty with Colombia for the building of
the canal across the Isthmus of Panama:
it being provided that in the event Of fall
ure to secure such treaty after the lapse
OF reasonable time, recourse should be
lad to building a canal through Nicara qua
1t has not been necessary to consider this
alternative, as / am enabled to lay before
the Senate treaty providing for the build
ing OF the canal across the Isthmus Of
Panama. This was the route which com
mended itself to the deliberate judgment
Of the Congress. and we can now ACQUIRE
by treaty the right to construct the canal
over this route. The question now, there
fore, Is not by which route the isthmia \
canal shall be built. for that question has
been definitely and irrevocably decided
The question is simply whether or not we
shall have an isthmian canal
When the Congress directed that we
should take the Panama route under treaty
with Colombia, the essence of the condi-
ton, OF course, referred not to the gov
eminent which controlled that route, but
to the route itself; to the territory across
which the route lay. not to the name which
for the moment the territory bore on the
map. That purpose Of the law was to au-
thorize the President to make a treaty with
the power in actual control of the Isthmus
Of Panama. This purpose has been full
filed.
Review of Relations of United States
Government to Matter of Transit