Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1905-12-05

Point Inere Is no good reason why
it should stop Immediately upon his
graduation. While at West Point he
Is dropped unless he comes up to a
certain standard of excellence, and
when he graduates he takes rank in the
army according to his rank of gradua-
ton. The results are good at West
Point, and there should be In the army
itself something that will achieve the
same end. After a certain age has
been reached the average officer is UNI
At to do good work below certain
grade. Provision should be made for
the promotion of exceptionally meri-
torious men over the heads Of their
comrades and for the retirement Of all
men who have reached given age
without getting beyond given rank,
this age Of retirement Of course chang
ing from rank to rank. In both the
army and the navy there should be
some principle of selection-that is, Of
promotion for merit-and there should
be resolute effort to eliminate the
aged officers Of reputable character
who possess no special efficiency.
For an Increase In Coast Artillery.
There should be an increase in the
coast artillery force SO that our coast
Notifications can be in some degree
adequately manned. There Is special
need for an increase and reorganization
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 fighting line.
Only by such training in advance can
we be sure that in actual war field OPP
erations and those at sea win be car
ried on successfully. The Importance
Of this was shown conclusively in the
Spanish and the Russo-J apa-
nese wars. The work of the medical
departments in the japanese army and
navy is especially worthy Of study.
renew my recommendation Of Jan.
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 navy. In the medical
department Of the navy the first in Inn
portance is the reorganization Of the
hospital corps on the lines Of the Gal
linger bill Is. 1884, Feb. /, 1900 and
the reapportionment of the different
grades Of the medical officers to meet
service requirements. It seems advis-
able also that medical officers Of the
army and navy should have similar
rank and pay In their respective grades
SO that their duties can be carried on
without friction when they are brought
together. The base hospitals of the
navy should be put in condition to
meet modern requirements and hospital
ships be provided. Unless we now pro-
vide with ample forethought for the
medical needs Of the army and navy
appalling suffering of a preventable
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 a department which
lacks third of the number Of officers
necessary to perform the medical serv-
Ice In time Of peace We need men
who are not merely doctors. They
must be trained In the administration
~ service. p
Ships Enough Now.
Our navy must, relatively to the ma
vies of other nations, always be of
greater size than our army. We have
most wisely continued for number
Of years to build up our navy, and It
has now reached fairly high stand
ard Of efficiency. This standard of effi-
cheney must not only be maintained,
but increased. 1t does not seem to me
necessary, however, that the navy
should, at least in the immediate fu-
ture, be increased beyond the present
number Of units. What Is now clearly
necessary is to substitute efficient for
inefficient units as the latter become
worn out or as 1t becomes apparent
that they are useless. Probably the re-
suit would be attained by adding q
single battleship to our navy each
year, the superseded or outworn yes
sells being laid up or broken up as they
are thus replaced. The four single tur-
ret monitors built Immediately after
the close Of the Spanish war, for In.
stance, 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 have built single one
of these monitors and to have put the
money In an ample supply Of reserve
guns. Most Of the smaller cruisers and
gunboats, though they serve q useful
purpose 80 far as they are needed for
international police work, would moi
add to the strength Of our navy III a
conflict with serious foe. There is
urgent need of providing a large In.
crease In the number Of officers and
especially in the number Of enlisted
men. W. II 3Sf #
Recent naval history has emphasized
certain lessons which ought not to, hui
which do, need emphasis. Seagoine
torpedo boats or destroyers are indis.
pensable not only for making night at.
tacks by surprise upon an enemy, but
even in battle tor finishing already
crippled ships. Under exceptional cir.
cumStanco6 submarine heats wnnId