The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1904-12-09
MESSENGER, FRIDAY, DECEMBE 8, 1904.

without fatal impairment OF their aeii-
fey ( fight and neu OF course
ample means must be provided for
enabling the personnel Of the Navy to
oe brought 20 the highest point OF ef-
nciency. Our great fighting ships n
torpedo boats must be ceaseiess.y
rrained-and Unanswered I'm scuadrons-
The officers and men can only learn
their trade thoroughly by ceaseiess
practice on the high seas. In the event
of VA IL would be far better TO have
rru ships at ali than TO nave Shit
a poor n ineffective type. d. snipS
which, however good. were yet man.
ned by unframed and lnskiiled crews
The best officers and men IN a poor
ship could do nothing against fairly
good opponents: and on the other
hand a modern war snip IS useless
unless the officers and men aboard he-
have become adopts in their duties.
The craftsmanship in our Navy has
improved in an extraordinary degree
during the last three years. and on the
whole the types OF our battle ships
are improving; but much remains To
Ibe done. Sooner or later we shall
have Ia provide for some method by
which there will be promotions for
INERT as well as for seniority. or else
retirement OF all those who after =
l~certain age have not advanced beyond
a certain grade: while no erort must
be spared to make the service attrac-
tive tn the enlisted men in order that
they may be kept as long as possihle
lin IL. Reservation public schools
should be provided wherever there
are na~vy-yards.
n Army.
Within the last three years the
limited States has set an example III
disarmament where disarmament was
proper. BY law our Army is fixed ar
a maximum OF one hundred thousand
land a minimum OF sixty thousand men.
when there was insurrection in the
philippines we kept the Army at the
imaximum. came in the Phil
lpines, and our army has been reduced
Ito the minimum at which it is possible
Ito keep il with due regard TO its eff
cheney. The gun now mounted re
quire twenty-eight thousand men, il
the coast Notifications are to be ad-
Iequately name Relatively to the
Nation, II is not now 10 large as the
lpolice force of New York or Chicago
relatively to the population OF either
lefty. We need nor officers; there
lare not enough 70 perform the regular
army work 1t is very important that
1.-THE officers Of the Army should be
accustomed to handle their men In
masses. as 1t is also important that
1.-THE National Guard of the several
ICta +ac chn1117 ha 0ccIStnnon1 fn oNfpa.
field maneuvering, especially in con-
.lnection with the regulars. For this
treason we are to be congratulated
upon h success of the field maneu-
Ivers at Manassas last fall,
I'm which a larger number or Regulars
land National Guard o o part than
was ever before assembled together In
thine OF peace. No other civilized ma
Ition has, relatively to its population.
such a dirninutive Army as ours; and
while the Army is so small we are not
leo be excused If we fail to keep il at
IA Very high grade OF proficiency. Il
must be necessarily practiced; the
standard for the enlisted men should
NE kept very high. while at the same
Irime the service should be made as
attractive as possible; and the tar
Hard for the officers should he KEEP:
even -higher-which, as regards the
upper ranks, can best be lone by in
Producing some system of selection
land rejection into the promotions
I'VE rhnuld be able, in the event OF
some sudden emergency, to PUT into
the field one frst-class army corps,
(which should be, as a whole, at least
1.-THE equal of any body of troops Of like
number belonging TO any other ma
ltion.
Great progress has been, made IN
protecting our coasts by adequate for
ltifcations with sufficient guns. We
SHOULD, however, pay much more
lne-r tHon ar present to the develop
ment Of an extensive system OF float
ling mines for use in all our more
Important harbors. These mines have
lbean proved to be a most formidable
Safeguard against hostile fleets.
Medals of Honor I'm the Navy.
I earnestly call the attention of he
congress to the need of amending the
lexisting law relating to the award OF
congressional medals of honor I'm thu
Navy so as { o provide that they may
he awarded to commissioned officers
Ialu VARIANT ciL1ttS dS "ell oS ~ III
listed men. These justly priced med
jeis are given In the Army alike TO the
iomcers and the enlisted men, and IL
lis most unjust that the commissioned
Officers and warrant officers of the
Navy should not In this respect have
the same rights as their brethren in
line Army and as the enlisted men OF
1.-THE Navy.
The Philippines.
In the Philippine Islands there has
Decn during the past year a continu-
Ition of the steady progress which has
obtained ever since our troops def
nitely got the upper hand Of the insur-
gents. The Philippine people, or. 10
speak more accurately, the many
tribes. and even races, sundered from
lone another more or less sharply, who
Igo to max up the people Of the Phil
lippine Islands. contain many elements
lof good. and some elements which we