The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1905-12-08

officer at West Point. There Is no goa
reason WHY it should stop Immediate,
upon his graduation. While at We
Point he is dropped unless he comes
up To Il certain standard Of excellence
and when he graduates he takes rank
in the ARMY according to his rank OF
graduation. The results are good a.
West Point: and there should be in the
Army itself something that viii achieve
the same end. After a certain age has
been reached the average officer is un-
fit to do good work below a certain
grade. Provision should be made for
the promotion of exceptionally meri-
torious men over the heads of their
comrades and for the retirement oil
all men who have reached a given age
without getting beyond a given rank:
this age of retirement of course chang
ing from rank TO rank. In both the
Army and the NAVY there should be
sc-e principle of selection. that is of
'ntinn for merit. and there should
."~~'ute effort to eliminate the
aGed officers of reputable character
who possess no snecial efficiency.
There should be an increase in the
coast artillery force. so that our coast
Qualifications can be in some degree
adequately manned. There is special
need for an increase and reorganiza-
ton of the Medical Department of the
Army In both the Army and Navy
there must be the same thorough
training for duty in the staff corps as
in the Sighting line. Only by such
training in advance can we be sure
that in actual war field operations and
those at sea will be carried on success
fully. The importance of this vas
shown conclusivelv in the Spanish
American and the Russo-Japanese
vars. The work of the medical de-
Dartments in the japanese army and
navy is especially worthy of study. T
renew my recommendation Of January
8. 1905, as to the Medical Department
of the Army and call attention to the
equal Importance Of the needs of the
staff corps of the Navv. In the Medi-
cal Department of the Navy the first
in Importance is the reorganization of
the Hospital Corps. on the lines OF the
Gallinger Bill Is. 1884. February /.
9O4l. and the reaDpOrtionment of the
different grades of the medical officers
to meet service requirements. It seems
advisable also that medical officers of
the Army and Navy should have SINH.
ar rank and paw in their respective
grades, so that their duties car be
carried on without friction when they
IRE brought together. The base hos
pitfalls of the Navy should be put in con-
49, \ htouSI IeuulIcIIIonlS
and hospital ships be provided. I'm
less we now provide with ample fore
thought for the medical needs of the
Army n Navy appalling suffering Of
a ~Dreventable kind is sure to occur
if ever the country goes to war. It
is not reasonable to expect successful
administration in time of war of q de-
partment which lacks a third of the
number of officers necessary to per
form tho TnnIiooI rnrz - =
peace. We need men who are not
merely doctors: they must be trained
in the administration of military medi-
cal service.
Our Navy must. relatively to the
naV1es of other nations, always be Of
greater size than our Army. We have
most wisely continued for a number of
years TO build up our Navy. and it has
reached a fairly high standard of eff
fciency. This standard Of efficiency
must not only be maintained. but in
eaSed 1t does not seem to me nee
essary. however. that the Navy should
at least in the Immediate future-be
Increased beyond the present number
of units. What is now clearly neces-
sary is to substitute efficient for inef-
ficient units as the latter become worn
out OF a. it becomes apparent that
they are useless. Probably the result
would be attained by adding a single
battle ship to our Navy each year. the
superseded or outworn vessels being
laid I'D or broken I'D as they are thus
replaced. The o. single-turret mon
1tors built immediately after the close
of the Spanish war. for instance. are
vessels which would be OF but little
use in the event of war. The money
spent upon them could have been more
usefully spent in other ways. Thus it
would have been far better never to
nave built a single one of these mont
tors and to have put the one into
an ample supply of reserve guns. Most
of the smaller cruisers and gunboats.
though they serve a useful purpose so
a as they are needed for international
police work. would not add to the
strength of our Navy in a conflict with
a serious foe. There is urgent need
of providing a large increase in the
number of officers. and especially in
the number of enlisted men.
Recent naval history has empha-
sized certain lessons which ought not
to. but which do. need emphasis. Sea-
going torpedo boats or destroyers are
Indispensable. not only for making
night attacks by surprise upon an en-
envy. but even in battle for finishing al
ready crippled ships. Under excep-
tiOnal circumstances submarine boats
would doubtless be of use. Fast scouts
are needed, The main strength of the
Navy. however. lies and can only lie
in the great battle ships. the heavily
armOred heavily-gunned vessels which
decide the mastery of the seas. HEAVY
armed cruisers also play a most useful
part. and unarmed cruisers. If swift
enough. are very useful as scouts. Re
tween antagonists of Approximately
equal w the comparative per
lection of the instruments of war will
ordinarily determine the fight. But il
is of course true that the man behind
the gun. the man in the engine room
and the man in the coming tower. con
sidered not only individually. but es-
pecially with regard to the way ir
which they work together. are ever
more important than h with
which they work. The most formida-
BILE battle ship is of course helpless
against even q light cruiser if the mer
aboard it are unable to hit anvthine
with their guns: and thoroughly we'll
handled cruisers may seriously
in an engagement with much superior
vessels. if the men aboard the lattei
are ineffective, whether from lack al