Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-02-04

Pacific division embraces the Pacific states,
Alaska and the Hawaiian Islands. 1t has
two departments, namely, California ana
Columbia. The Philippine division has the
departments of Luzon, of the visayas and
of Mindanao."
Our New Rifles.
'aTell me something about the new rifles
which are being made for the soldiers.
II suppose you mean the Springfield RI
ffes," replied the Secretary. They have
as yet been only issued to the cadets OF
the United States Military Academy, but
we expect that all arms Of the service will
be equipped with them before the end of
the present year. They are now manufac-
turing these rifles at the rate of 800 per
day, and they will soon be making 52o
daily. The Springfield rifle Is shorter and
it weighs less than the Krag-Jorgensen or
the Mauser"
Are there many new things in warfare,
Mr. Secretaryg'
There is always something new
How about automobiles? Will they be
used In the army movements Of the fu-
ture?'
II do not know. General Corbin had
some at our maneuvers this year.
rs there any bullet-proof armor?"
II so | do not know 1t. It has been
written OF in the newspapers, but so far
have not heard of any coat of mail
cloth or steel-that would withstand one
OF those Springfield bullets going forth
miles a minute. 1t would take good cloth
to ward of that"
The Army for American Boys.
would you advise boy to go into the
regular army, Mr.. Secretary"
THAT depends on the boy. If he has a
taste that way and is fitted for it I do not
see why he should not be a soldier. If he
does well he may rise to be an officer, and
at any rate the position Is good one and
fairly well paid
What does it pay, Mr.. Secretary? And
how do our soldiers fare in comparison
with those of other countries?"
"They are far better off than any other
soldiers on earth,'' was the reply. 1.-The
American private receives $13 per month
and his rations. He has fair clothing al
lowance and Is we'll treated. The private
soldier In Russia gets less than half a
cent day and the Japanese cents. The
Austro-Hungarian soldier receives 73 cents
per month. the French sta per month, the
German $3.50 and the British STA. In
other words, the American private Is paid
more than one hundred times as well as
the Russian, more than twenty times as
well as the japanese, more than five times
as Well as the German and almost twice as
well as the soldier of Great Britain
West Point and a Military Aristocracy.
Suppose the boy could get an appoint
ment to West Point and be an army Of
Ger. What then?''
THAT again depends upon the boy and
his ability. The army officer has a good
profession and a very honorable one. with
many possibilities for a promotion. We
always have more applicants for West
Point than we have places
But are not such places usually given
to the sons of army officers? Are we not
fast building up a military aristocracy?'
mo. West Point is filled up from the
ranks OF the people. The appointments
are mostly given by competitive examina-
ton through the congressman. The only
other appointments are those allotted to
the President. He gives them to the sons
of army officers because such officers fire.
quently have no homes, and hence no con-
gressional districts from where their bows
can be appointed by congressman.
The Panama Canal.
The conversation here turned to the Pan
anna canal, and I asked Secretary Taft to
tell me something of his recent visits there
He replied:
Il am not an engineer and I cannot esti-
mate the work from any such standpoint
7 went down to learn something about tho
situation, in order that 1 might know the
lay OF the land and thereby understand
such reports as might be sent to the de-
partment from time to time
What did you find?"
I'm brief" replied the Secretary of War.
there are about twenty miles that involve
the same problems as the SueZ canal being
simply the dredging out of mud and earth
and preparing the ditch as a water high
way Most of this has already been done.
and little more is now needed but to take
out the silt. Then there are perhaps about
fifteen miles where the work is much the
same as that of the Chicago drainage
canal: rms can be eXcavated and the rock
and dirt piled on the banks of the canal
In addition, there is also the Culebra cut
which Is. / should say, about ten miles
long and 100 feet deep and 125 feet or more
wide. 1T IS there that will be the great
work of the canal, the work that will take
a vast deal of time and money. Here the
excavated material cannot be left on the
banks 1t will have to be carried away
on the cars for ten or twelve miles, and
so much has to be done within n short
space that it must take a long time
Twenty Years and S25O,OOO,OOO.
Did you figure on how long it VIII re-
quire to build the canal and what it would
cost?''
Il repeat that am not an engineer, and
cannot speak with any authority from that
standpoint The French, who were work.
ing upon a sea-level canal, after they had
spent $5o,000,00o. estimated that it would
Jake S2oo,UOo,UUu more TO complete 1t. They
put the time at twenty years. Engineer
Wallace tells me they We're not far out OF
the way
But do you think, Mr.. Secretary, that
sea-level canal is preferable to a lock
canal",
Il do not know. That is for the en-
gineers to determine. The canal is to be
for all time and it may be better to spend
more money and more time to build the
best canal for all time
rs there any doubt that the canal can
be built?''
II think not. AS far as I can learn the
problems connected with it, while intricate
and great, are all within the possibilities
of modern engineering. The work WILL OF
course, require the best of engineers and
also men of ability along such lines, who
can organize the work and handle the men.
Indeed the problems are largely those of
executive organization
The Question of Labor.
"Will there be much trouble getting labor
for the work."
Il think not, although it is hard to know
just where it is to come from. l doubt
whether Americans can stand the climate.
The French used Jamaicans to a large ex-
tent, but it is not certain that we can get
Jamaicans if we want them. 1 went from
Colon to that island to investigate the