The Savannah morning news., 1903-02-22
WAR LORDS TALK
AT LAYING OF THE WAR COLLEGE
CORNER STONE.
ROOSEVELT WAS A SPEAKER.
SAID THE COUNTRY SHOULD BE
EVER PREPARED.

with Impressive Military md Mn
sonic Ceremony the Corner stone
Was Lnid-War College Is Relied
Upon For the Higher Trimming of
the Army-President Says the
Country Has n Right 10 Expect n
Perfectly Organized Army-COl-
IeEe VIII Help to Preserve Peace.
ence of an assemblage of distinguished
people, including the President, MEM
bers of the cabinet. members of Con-
gress, justices of the Supreme Court.
representatives of foreign Powers, and
others eminent in the life of the nation.
the corner stone of the army war col
lege was laid here to-day with impress
sive military and Masonic ceremonies.
The occasion was rendered especially
notable and interesting by addresses
delivered by President Roosevelt. Sec
rotary Root and Maj. Gen. S. NJ r.
YounN president of the war college.
The site selected for the new building
is on the reservation of the Washing
ton Barracks. at the foot of Four-and-
a-Half street. To-day's ceremonies
marked the beginning of a project
which has been fostered by the Pres
ident, Secretary Root and others inter
ested in the advancement and thorough
training of the United States army.
A picturesque feature of the ceremo-
MES was the participation of the mill
tary. About 1000 troops, representing
the various branches Of the war serv-
ice, took part in the exercises.
Soldiers For Protection.
President Roosevelt, accompanied
by his military aide, Col. Theodore A.
Bingham, left the White House in
carriage at IL O'Clock. He was escort
ed to the war college grounds by Troop
+ of the Third Cavalry. In other car
riages members of the cabinet accom-
panied the President. Two non-com-
misioned officers. both skilled horse
men. rode on each side of the Presi-
dents carriage to control the horses in
case they were frightened by the fir
ing of salutes or otherwise and two
privates were detailed to each of the
other carriages as a preeaution against
accidents. The President was received
at the grounds with military honors.
The ceremony incident to the laying
of the corner stone was impressive. The
invocation was pronounced by the Rt
Rev Henry Y. SatterIee, Bishop of
Washington. the assemblage standing
uncovered during the prayer. Pres
ident Roosevelt was introduced by
Gen. G. L. Gillespie, chief of engineers,
U. S. A. The President said:
speech of the President.
"One word first to the nation. and
then another to the army. To the ma
ton first: It has been we'll said that
the surest way to invite national dis
aster is for nation to be opulent, ag-
gressiVe and unarmed. The nation that
is rich, that is so high-spirited as TO
be somewhat careless of giving offense
and that yet refrains from that pre-
paredness which is absolutely neces-
sary If efficiency in war is ever to be
shoWn-such a nation is laying deep
the foundation for humiliation and lis
aster. This nation has by the mere
trend of events been forced into a po-
sition of world-power during the past
few years. 1t has responsibilities rest
ing upon it here in the Occident and in
the Orient as well. 1t cannot bear these
responsibilities Alright unless it's voice
is potent for peace and justice, and its
voice can be potent for peace and JUS
tice only on condition Of it's being thor
oughly understood that we ask peace,
not in the spirit of the weakling ami
the craven, but with the assured self
confidence of the just man armed.
People Have Awakened.
Now a word to the officers and en-
listed men of the army. The last two
or three years have witnessed a nota-
BILE awakening in our people to the
F1II 1Atr, nf h. l..
are understanding as never before the
the fact that the army, like the navy,
Will do well In war mainly in
proportion as ii has been prepared we'll
in peace; that after the war has be-
gun ii is too late for us to prepare
for the victory. Defeat will come in
evitably and surely, If the preparation
is put off until the war begins, and
victory will come If 1t has been pre-
pared for in time of peace, and on no
other terms.
Methods have been provided for Sc
curing the increased efficiency of the
army and it rests with the army itself
to profit by what has been done. More
and more 1t has become evident in
modern war that the efficiency of the
unit of the individual officer and the
individual enlisted man is going to he
the prime factor in deciding the fate
of fought fields. The exercises of the
barracks and the parade ground serve
as a good purpose and must be well
done, but they count for but the small
est part in the qualities, the
sum of which make the army
effective or ineffective in act
ual service. officer and man
alike must be trained to the highest
point in the theory and in the practice
of the profession 1t is, of course, a
mere truisn to say that If there is not
in the theories the grounding in prac-
tice they will amount to nothing, but
they must have the training and the
theory, too. They must have that
training, or they can never reach the
highest standard of perfection in their
art.
THE army of the United States is,
and II is not desirable that it should
be other than. small army, relative
ly to the population of the country,
but we have a right to expect that that
small army shall represent for its size
the very highest point OF efficiency of
any army In the civilized world, and
/ have the most absolute faith that to
that degree of efficiency It will attain,
and that It will attain IL I'm no small
part because of the wise and jealous
use II will make of the opportunities
afforded by the erection Of this build
ing"
Secretary Root then spoke. saying in
part:
mot 70 promote war. but 10 preserve
peace by intelligent and adequate prep
aration 10 repel aggression, this insti-
tuition IL founded IL IL a growth and
not q new departure. n IA a natural