Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-12-08

hueHty anu itH otIef similar qualities
determine the rank Of q man year aft
er 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 or
worst. and reward or punish him ac-
cordingly, is abandoned. No briliian-
cy, 10 amount of hard work, no eager-
ness in the performance of duty. can
advance him, and no slackness or in
difference that falls short of q conrt
martial offense can retard him. Until
this system is changed we cannot hone
that our officers will be of as high
grade as we have a right to expect.
considering the material upon which
we draw. Morec when a man rem
ders such service Captain Pershing
rendered last spring in the Moro cam
paign it ought to be possible to reward
him without at once jumping him to
the grade Of brigadier general.
The Navy.
Shortly after the enunciation of that
famous principle of American foreign
policy now known as the Monroe doc
trine President Monroe in a special
message to congress on Jan. 80, 1924,
spoke as follows: 1.-The navy is the arm
from which our government will al
ways derive most aid 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
l heartily congratulate the congress
upon the steady progress in building
up the American navy. We cannot
afford let-up in this great work. To
stand still means to so back. There
should be no cessation in adding to the
effective units of the fighting strength
Of the fleet. Meanwhile the navy de-
partlnent and the officers of the navy
are doing well their part by providing
constant service at sea under condi-
tons akin to those of actual warfare.
Our officers and enlisted men are
learning to handle the battleships,
cruisers and torpedo boats with high
efficiency in fleet and squadron forma-
tons, and the standard of marksman-
ship is being steadily raised. The best
work ashore is Indispensable, but the
highest duty of naval officer is to ex-
ercise command at sea.
The establishment of a naval base in
the Philippines ought not to be longer
postponed. Such a base is desirable in
time of peace; in time of war it would
be indispensable and it's lack would be
ruinous. Without it our feet would be
helpless. Our naval experts are agreed
that Subig bay is the proper place for
the purpose. The national interests re-
quire that the work of fertilization and
development of a naval station at SUI
big bay be begun at an early date, for
under the best conditions it is a work
which will consume much time.
1t is eminently desirable, however,
that there should be provided naval
general staff on lines similar to those
of the general staff lately created for
the army. Within the navy depart
ment itself the needs OF the service
have brought about system under
which the duties of 4 general staff are
partially performed, for tie bureau of
navigation has under its direction the
war college, the office of naval intelli-
gence and the board of inspection and
has been in close touch with the gen
eral 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
general staff and have not sufficient
scope to insure proper readiness for
emergencies. We need the establish
Elent by law Of 4 body of trained Off
GERS who shall exercise a systematic
control of the military affairs of the
navy and be authorized advisers of the
secretary concerning it.
Isthmian Canal.
BY the act Of June IS, 1902, the con-
sress authorized the president to enter
into treaty with Colombia for the
building of the canal across the 18TH
MUS VI aiihiist, ~ uGlHs5 pIUNlOSu lIidl
in the event of failure to secure such
treaty after the lapse of reasonable
time recourse should be had to building
a canal through Nicaragua. 1t has not
been necessary to consider this alter
native. as l am enabled to lay before
the senate treaty providing for the
building of the canal across the 18TH
mus of Panama. This was the route
which commended itself to the DELHI
crate judgment of the congress, and
we can now acquire by treaty the right
to construct the canal over this route.
The question now, therefore, is not by
which route the isthmian 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 condition, of course, referred not
to the government which controlled
that route, but to the route itself; to
the territory across which the route
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