New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-12-06
THE Maryland GUAM.

Officers Of the navy who have been closely as
ISOLATED with Secretary Morton during the brief
period since his appointment have often spoken
with admiration Of his capacity for mastering
the essential business of the department, and
his first annual report bears out their testimony.
The most important parts Of the Secretary s re-
port relate to subjects dealt with in the report
of the chief of the Bureau of Navigation, on
which we have already commented at consider
able length. Mr.. Morton is impressed with the
fact that our naval officers in the higher grades
are much older than officers of corresponding
rank in foreign navies. and earnestly supports
the recommendation that this disadvantage
should be removed by a system of compulsory
retirement applicable TO captains and command
ers who have reached a time of life at which the
presumption is that their promotion would not
enhance the general efficiency Of the navy. This
proposal is likely 10 encounter strong opposition,
but in the light OF foreign experience and COM
parative naval statistics it Is deserving Of at
tentive consideration. The Secretary also adj
vises the creation OF two viceadmrals, and
would fix the limit of age for admission to the
Naval Academy at seventeen.
That part of Mr. MortOn's report which dis
cuSses the affairs Of the island of Guam revlves
recollection of the curious and interesting de-
tendency over which he rules by proxy. There
was a time when Guam occupied a place in the
public eye out of all proportion to its size and
material Importance. BY happy chance the
story of its occupation was so delightfully."- told
that mere speck In the waste Of waters be-
came an object of universal and sympathetic at
tention. and the administration of the ingenious
Captain Leary prolonged the romance. 1t has
never been possible to determine just how much
the fame Of that lamented officer owed to an
amiable eXaggeratton Of his procedures, but it
seems safe TO say that in the long line Oe colonial
governors stretching back through the history
Of the world few have been so fertile and I'M
conventional he. and there was great regret
when Death snatched him away untimely. Since
that initial era In the new life of Guam the ISL
and has dropped out Of sight and hearing. to the
misfortune, as we now learn, of its own peO-
pie If not in equal degree Of ours
Secretary Morton, whose province ii is to fcs-
ter the prosperity and happiness of Guam, IN
forms the country that conditions there leave
much TO be desired, and that we cannot escape
the blame. The fact is that Congress has neg
lected Guam, but thar is partly due to public
fOrgetfulness. Whereas formerly the Spanish
government betrayed four-fifths Of the cost of
the local administration, the people now have TO
bear all the burden themselves, and are conse-
Quently OyertaXed. There used TO be line OF
steamers running twice a month TO and from
Manila, but at present the inha btant5 have to
rely Oil luc irregular anu tAoIDldHL services o.
japanese sailing vessels for the shipment Of
their cOpra, coffee and cocoa. There are not
schools enough and the children have scant op-
portunities 10 acquire knowledge Of the noble
English tongue. The judicial system Is unSatis-
factory and perhaps oppressive owing to the
fact that 10 right Of appeal exists. The people
are docile, and might become thrifty If the had
fair chance. The resources of the island are not
10 be despised. but there is no inducement TO de-
velop them In short the institutions which we
vouchsafe do no. suit the requirements of the
case and ought 10 be overhaued.
1t will be pity and a discredit TO the United
States if something more and better is not done
for Guam. We took it because we had a right
to and needed it in our business 1t did not
want TO come TO u.s. and was astonished on wax
ing up one morning to find that 1t had done So
But ii has never given us any trouble and de-
serves 10 be treated with humane. if not distin-
gulshed, consideration Secretary Morton has
done Well TO remind his fellow citizens in gen
eral and Congress in particular of what is due
and overdue to the tight little island of Guam.