Albuquerque weekly citizen. (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1891-19??, 1903-12-12

dropped or graduated into tho mex
class. In the relative position which
his military superiors decide TO b
warranted by his merit In other word,
ability. energy, fidelity. and all othei
similar qualities determine the ranl
OF man year after year In Wes'
Point. and his standing In the arm,
when he graduates from West Point
but from that time on, all effort to fint
which man Is best or worst and re
ward or punish him accordingly. IL
abandoned; no brilliancy. no amour,
OF hard work. no eagerness In the per
formance OF duty, can advance him
and no slackness OF Indifference tina,
falls short OF a court martial offense
can retard him. Until this system Is
changed we cannot hope that our one
ers VIII be OF as high grade as We
have a right to expect. considering
the material upon which we draw
Moreover. when man renders such
service as Captain Pershing rendered
last spring In the Mora campaign. Il
ought to be possible to reward him
without Mt once jumping him to the
grade OF brigadier general.
The Navy.
Shortly after the enunclation of
that famous principle OF American for.
eign policy now known as the Mon.
roe Doctrine" President Monroe. in n
special message to congress on Jan.
uary 30. 1924, spoke as follows
The navy rs the arm from which
our government will always derive
most aid in support of our .
rights. Every power engaged In war
VIII 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. AMI will pay due
consideration to that argument"
| heartily congratulate the congress
upon the ready progress in building
up the American navy. We cannot
AFFORD to let up In this great work.
TO stand still means TO go back
There should be no cessation In add.
ing to the effective units OF the fight.
ing strength OF the feet Meanwhile
the navy department and the officers
OF the navy are doing well their part
by providing constant service al sea
under conditions akin to those OF ac..
ual warfare. Our officers and enlisted
men are learning 10 handle the battle.
ships, cruisers and torpedo boats with
high efficiency in feet and squadron
formations. and the standard OF
Workmanship is being steadily rails
ed. The best work ashore is indis.
pensable, but the highest duty OF a
naval officer is to exercise command
at sea.
The establishment or a naval base
In the Philippines ought not TO be Ion.
ger postponed. Such base is de.
sirable in time of peace; In time OF
war II would he indispensable, and It's
lack would be ruinous. Without II our
fleet would G helpless. Our naval
experts are agreed that Su & bay is
the proper plac for the purpose. The
national l. terests require that the
work OF fertilization and development
Of naval station at Subig bay be be-
gun at an early date rcr Under the
best conditions 4 Is a work which will
consume much time.
II IL eminently desirable. however.
that there should be provided q ma.
val general stan on lines similar to
those OF the general stah lately Great
ed for the army Within the navy de-
partnent itself the needs OF the ser.
vice have brought about q system un.
der which the duties OF a general
bureau OF navigation has under its d.
rection the war college, the office OF
naval intelligence, 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 stan.
and nave not sufficient scope to insure
a proper readiness for emergencies.
We need the establishment OF a law
by body OF trained officers. who
shall exercise control OF the mill
tary affairs OF the navy, and be auth
orized advisers OF the secretary con-
corning II.
isthmian Canal.
BY the act OF June 2S, 1902. the con.
gress authorized the president TO en-.
ter into treaty with Colombia for the
building of the canal across the 18TH
mus OF Panama; II being provided
that In the event OF failure to secure
Sutu Lltdty HilfT tut lapse Oi u Eth-
sonable time, recourse should be had
TO building a canal through Nicaragua
II has not been necessary to consider
this alternative, as | am able to lay
before the senate treaty providing
for the building OF canal over this
route. The question now, therefore,
is not by which route the isthmian
canal shall be butt. for that question
has been definitely and .rrevocably
decided. The question Is simply
whether or not we shall have an 18TH
milan canal.
When the congress directed that We
should take the Panama route under
treaty with Colombia. the essence If
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
lay, not to the name which for the
moment the territory bore on the
map The purpose OF the law was TO
authorize the president TO make
treaty with the power in actual con-
troll OF the lsthmus )f Panama. ~
which treaty II was provided that the
government and citizens OF the Unit.
ed States should always have free and
open right OF way or transit across
the lsthmus Of Panama by any modes
of communication that might no rom.