The San Francisco call., 1903-12-08
Improvement Noted
in Frn1y and Navy
.Mancu0erS on Land and Sea
Add Greatly to the ExPe-
rience and Skill Of the
Defenders of the Nation

The effect OF the laws providing a general
staff for the army and for the more effective
use Of the National Guard has been excellent
Great Improvement has been made In the eff
schools as those erected at Fort Leavenworth
and Fort Riley and the institution of fall ma
neuver work accomplish satisfactory results
The good effect OF these maneuvers upon the
National Guard Is marked. and ample appro-
priation should be made to enable the guards
rnen Of the several States to share in the
benefit The Government should as soon a.
possible secure suitable permanent camu sites
for military msne1vsrs IN :he various sections
not only TO the regular army. but to the Ma
tfonai Guard Of the several States. Will be
tiveIv small expense We should not rest sat
ished with what has been done. however. The
only people who are contented with system
OF promotion BY mere seniority are those who
over excelIence On the other hand system
which encouraged the exercise Of social or po-
Ift1cal favorftfsm in promotions would be even
worse But il would surely be easy TO devise
a method OF promotion from grade 70 grade in
which the opinion OF the higher olncers OF the
service upon the candidates should be decisive
upon the standing and promotion OF the latter.
lust such q system now obtains at West Point.
ire quality OF each years work determines the
zfandinv of that years class. the man being
dropped or graduated into the next class in the
relative position which MS millssny zi. super1ors
In other words ability. energy, ndelity and
all other similar qualities determine the rank
n 2 year after year IN west EOint, ana
his standing in the army when he graduates
from West Point: but from that time all
effort TO find which is best or worst. and
reward or punish him accordingly, Is aban-
doned: no brilliancy. no amount Of hard work.
no ca gerness in the performance OF duty,
advance him. and no slackness or indifference
that falls short OF a court-martial ofense can
retard him Until this system is changed we
cannot hope that our officers viii be OF as high
grade as we have right to expect considering
the material upon which we draw. Moreover,
when man renders such service Captain
Iershine rendered last spring in the Moro
campaign il ought to be possible to reward
him without at once jumping him TO the grade
OF brigadier general
Shortly after the enunciation Of that famous
principle OF American foreign policy now known
as the Monroe Doctrine" President Monroe.
in a special message to Congress on January 30
1924 spoke as follows. The navy is the arm
from which our Government will always 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
shfps Of each class. their condition and the
pronptltude with which We may bring them
into service. and viii pay due consideration to
that argument.
heartily congratulate the Congress upon the
steady progress in building up the American
navy. We cannot afford e 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 fighting strength of the fleet
Meanwhile the Navy Department and the off,