The Washington times., 1905-12-05
ARMY AND NAVY
Provision Should Be Made Promotion According to
Merit Maneuvers Land and Sea in Time
of Peace Vitally Important

We cannot consider the question OF
our foreign policy without at the sam,
time treating of the army and navy.
We now have very small army-in-
deed, one well-nigh inhnitesimai when
compared with the army Of any other
large nation. OF course the army We
do have should be as nearly perfect OF
its kind and for its size as is possible.
do not believe tl.at any army q The
world has = better average of enlisted
man or a better type Of junior officer;
but the army should be trained to act
effectively in MACS.
Provision should be made by sufficient
appropriations for maneuve-s of a prac-
teal kind so that the troops may learn
how To take care OF themselves under
actual service conditions; every march.
for instance. being made with the sol
der loaded exactly as he would be in
an active campaign
The generals and colcncls would there
by have opportunity Of handling regi-
ments. brisades and divisions and the
commissary and medical departments
would be tested I'm the field. Provision
should be made fo- the exercise at
least Of "A brigade and by preference Of
a division IN marching and embarking
at some point on our coast and disem-
barking at some other point and con-
tinUinE its march The number Of posts
I'm which the army is kept in time of
peace should be materially diminished
and The posts that are left made cor
respondingly large-
No local interests should be allowed
TO stand in the way Of assembling the
greater part OF the troops which would
at need form our field armies in stations
OF such size as Will permit the best
training to be given TO the personnel OF
all grades, including the high officers
and staff officers. To accomplish this
end we must have not company or regi-
mental garrisons. but brigade and di-
vision garrisOns.
Wedding Out Necessary.
Promotion by mare seniority can
never result in a thoroughly efficient
corps of officers in the higher ranks
unless there accompanies It a vigorous
weedins-out process.
Such a weeding-out process-that is
such a process Of selection-is a chief
feature Of the four years course of the
young officer at West Point There is
no good reason why it should stop i'm
mediately unon his graduation. While
at West Point he is dropped unless he
comes up TO certain standard Of ex-
cellence. and when he graduates he
takes rank IN the army according to
his rank Of graduation. The results are
good al West Point: and there should
be in the army Itself something that
viii achieve the same end. After a GER
tain age has been reached the average
officer is unfit to do good work below
a certain grade.
Provision should be made for the
promotion Of exceptionally nneritorioug
men over the heads OF their comrades,
and for the retirement OF all men who
have reached a given age without get
ting beyond a given rank; this ego OF
retirement, OF course, changing 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 a resOlute effort TO elm
mate the aged officers of reputable char
acter who possess no special efficiency.
More Coast Artillery.
There should be an increase in the
coast artillery force. so that our coast
fortificatiOns can be in some degree ade-
quateIy manned.
There is special need for an Increase
and reorganization OF the medical de-
partment Of the army. In both the
army and navy there must be the same
thorough training for duty in the starf
corps as In the fighting line. only by
such training in advance can we be
-, a.
and those at sea viii be carried on sue
cessfully The Importance of this was
shown conclusively In the Spanish
American and the Russo-Japanese wars.
The work OF the medical departments in
the Japanese army and navy IS especial
Iy worthy OF study.
! renew nay recommendation Of jan
uary g. 1906. as TO the medical depart
ment OF the army and call attention to
the equal Importance Of the needs Of
the stan corps of the navy. In the
medical department Of the navy the first
in importance is the reorganization Of
the Hospital Corps, on the lines Of the
GaIlinger bill Is. 1854, February 1, 1900.
and tne reapportionment Of the different
grades Of the medical officers 10 meet
service requirements
It seems advisable also that medical
officers Of the army and navy should
have similar rank and pay in their re-
Bpective grades, SO that their duties
can bo carried on without friction
when they are brought together.
The base hospitals OF the navy should
be put I'm condition to meet modern re-
quirements and hospital ships be provid
ed. Unless we now provide with ample
Cor the medical needs Of
the army and navy appalling suffering
OF a preventable kind is sure TO occur If
ever the country goes 70 war. II is not
10 expect successful admins
tration In time OF war of a department
which lacks a third Of the number Of
officers necessary TO perform the medi-
cal service In time OF peace. We need
men who are not merely doctors; they
must be trained in the administration OF
military medical service
Navy Must Be Ehcient.
Our navy must, relatively TO the
navies of other nations. always be of
greater size than our army. We have