The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-02-21

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footing of efficiency the first long
stride taken on the lines marked out
by Washington himself the first sue
cessfu1 effort made to put into effect
Washingtons plea which for one hun
dred and ten years was disregarded by
our people And again the first long
stride has been taken toward the mod
erniza ton, toward increasing the eff
cheney of the army in accordance with
modern methods as devised by General
Sherman over n quarter of a. century
ago 1t takes time and thought and
care to work out necessary reforms
They don't come in a jump All
kinds of distractions OF deliberate pur-
pose distractions of mere inertia, OBJ
structions of carelessness have to be
met with and overcome, but at last
they are overcome If only sufficient
intensity of purpose lies behind those
bacxina the reform And now these
great steps have been taken Methods
have been provided for securing the in
creased efficiency of the army ana IL
rests with the army itself to proht Dy
what has been done.
More and more it has become evident
in modern war that the efficiency of the
unit of the individual officer and the in
diVidual enlisted man IS going TO be the
prime factor in deciding the tate OF
fought fields. The exercises or the par
racks and the parade ground do not
make five per cent Of the soldiers real
work and do not count Tor hVe per cent
in his real efficiency. Ihey are very
snectacuIar serve a good purpose ana
must be well done, but they count for
but the smallest part in the qualities,
the sum of which make the army effec-
tive or ineffective in actual service. Or
hcer and man alike must be trained to
the highest point in the theory and IN
the practice of the profession The
forces of mere truisIn say that II they
are trained in theory without the crown
ing of practice they will amount to
nothing but they must nave the tram
ing and the theory too
They must have that training or
they never can reach the highest stand
ard of perfection IN their art. The army
of the United States and Il is not deslr-
able that it should 5e other than
small army relatively to the population
of the country, but we have right TO
expect that that small army shall repre-
sent for its size the very highest polEt
of efficiency of any army IN the clSiHZ-
ed world (applause) and / have the most
absolute faith that 10 tnat deSree OF Ell
hciency it will attain. and that Z VIII
attain it in no small part because or the
wise and Jealous use it Will make OF
the opportunities Of this very building
loud and continuous applause).
Secretary Root followed the president
after another selection by the band. He
spoke as follows:
SECRETARY ROOTS ADDRESS.
s.Not to promote war, but to preserve
peace by intelligent and adequate prep
aratfOn TO reDeI aggression, this 1nSIl-
tuition is founded 1t is a growth, anu
not a new departure. Tt is natural ana
necessary development Of the views
with which General Grant established
the artillery school at Fortress Monroe
General Sherman established the IN
fantry and cavalry school at forI
LeavenW0rth and General Sheridan es~
tabhshed the school Of application foF
cavalry and light artillery at Fort
EFII0yrf7p nDfiEV-
engineers school Of application, school
OF submarine defense and an army
medical school We're afterwards estab-
lisbed All of these institutions were
practicallv SUSPENDED during the war
with Spain. and in the Philippines.
When the time came for their re-estab
lishment it had become evident that no.
merely restoration, but an advance ano
ENLARGEMENT of military education were
demanded by the enlargement of our
army, the advance and greater com
plexity of military science, the in
7 creased proportion of officers who had
not the benefit of a West Point educa'
ton and the wide range of military
problems which the possibilities Of ou
growth force upon our attention The
growth of separate institutions had
reached point where their efficiency
could be increased and the result OF
their work could be utilized best bs
bringing them into relation as parts OF
a general system of military education
a single co-Ordinating and controlling
body, and by supplementing their work
with a postgraduate course Which
should carry their best men onward
along the lines of research and Of
thought by which experience and theory
combine to the making of skillful COM
manders of armies. Such system the
army is now putting IN force as rapidly
as possible.
The controlling and directing body IS
the war college board, consisting Of five
officers of rank specially detailed and
the chief of engineers, the chief Of ar
tillery the superintendent of the West
Point military academy and the com
mandant Of the I.eaVenWOrth school, alt
under the presidency of that gallant
+ experienced and able soldier, Major
General Samuel B. NJ. Young Under
their direction the school at Fort LeaV-
enworth has been re-established and
TeOrganized as general service ana
staff college. with the school at Fort
Riley as an accessory school of aDpii-
cation The special service schools have
been re-esta bhshed. A system of
schools has been established at the
principal posts and is being extended to
an the considerable posts of the cOun-
try, under which a compulsory course.
following a prescribed curriculum. is
required from all Junior officers. It IS
the design Of the board, already pro
viced by general orders. that the best
men from the post schools shall be
graded I'D to the LeaVenWOrth college
and the special service schools that
+ the best men from the LeavenwOrth
college and the special service schools
shall be graded up to the st-graduate
course of the war college, there to study
and confer upon the great problems OF
national defense of military science
and of responsible command. Tbs
courses Of instructions in all of the
+ schools in all the stages are in the
/ highest degree practical as we'll as theo-
/ retical and military aptitude tested by
the exercise of actual command will
bold leading place in the determina-
+ ton Of merit. To the men thus sifted
the demonstration of superior intelli
gence and devotion to the profession.
I the commander-in-ehi win naturally
/ turn for details to important service
! anl promotion to hlghar ranz ALam-