The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1905-12-07

or later this government may be in
VOWED in Serious difficulties with for
cigl governments over the island or
else may be forced itself to intervene
in the island in some unpleasant fash
ion.
Army and Navy.
do not believe that any army in the
world has a better average OF enlisted
man or a better type of Junior officer
but the army should be trained ID act
effectively in a mass. Provision should
be made by sufficient appropriations
FOR maneuvers Of a practical kind.
Provision should be made for the pro
motion Of exceptionally meritorious
men over the heads Of their comrades
and for the retirement Of all uyu VINO
have reached given age without get
ting beyond given rank.
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.
The importance of this was shown CON
cluSively in the SpaniSh-Amcricau and
/ the Russ0-Japancse wars. The worl,
/ of the medical departments in the Jap
anese army and navy is especially
worthy of study.
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 a number Of
years to build up our navy, and it
has now reached Il fairly high standard
of efficiency This standard must not
/ only be maintained, but increased. 1t
4 does not seem TO me necessary, how
ever, that the navy should, at least in
the immediate future. he increased he
/ yond the present number Of units.
What is now clearly necessary is to
substitute efficient for inefficient units
as the latter become worn out or rs it
becomes apparent that they are use
less. Probably the result would be
attained by adding 4 single battleship
to our navy each year, the superseded
or outWon vessels being laid up or
broken up as they are thus replaced.
Naturalization.
! On this subject | recommend:
First.-A federal bureau OF naturali-
cation, to be established in the depart
ment of commerce and labor, to sd
pervise the administration of the natu-
ralizatiOn laws and to receive returns
Of naturalizatiOns pending and accom-
plished.
Second. Uniformity Of naturalization
certificates, fees to be charged, and
procedure.
Third.-More eXacting qualifications
for citizenship.
Fourth.-The preliminary declaration
Of intention to be abolished and no
alien to be naturalzed until at least
ninety days after the filing of his pcti
ton.
Fifth. 100 jurisdiction to naturalize
aliens to be confined to United States
district courts and TO such state courts
as have jurisdiction in civil actions in
which the amount in controversy is I'M
limited; in cities of over 100000 inAab-
itants the United States district courts
TO have exclusive jurisdiction in the
naturalization of the alien residents Of
! such cities.
Criminal Laws.
In my last message | asked the at
tentiOn of the congress to the urgent
need of action to make our criminal
law more effective and | most ear.
nestly request that YOU pay heed to
the report of the attorney general on
this subject.
There seems to be no statute of the
United States which provides for the
punishment Of a United States attor-
ney or other officer of the government
who corruptly agrees to wrongfuly do
or wrongfully refrain from doing any
act when the consideration for such
corrupt agreement is other than one
possessing money value. This ought to
be remedied by appropriate legislation.
Legislation should also be enacted to
cover explicitly, unequivocally and be
yOnd question breach of trust in the
shape of prematurely divulging official
secrets by an officer or employee of the
! United States and to provide Il suitable
penalty therefor
Merchant Marine,
To the spread of our trade in peace
and the defense of our flag in war a
great and prosperous merchant marine
is Indispensable. We should have ships
of our own and seamen of our own to
convey our goods to neutral markets
and in case of need to reinforce our
battle line. 1t cannot but be source
of regret and uneasiness to us that the
lines of communication with our sister
republics of South America should be
chiefly under foreign control. 1t is not
good thing that American merchants
and manufacturers should have to send
their goods and letters to South Amer
lea via Europe if they wish security
and dispatch. Even on the Pacific
where our ships have held their own
better than on the Atlantic. our mer-
/ chant flag is now threatened through
the liberal aid bestowed by other gov
ernmentS on their own steam lines. |
ask your earnest consideration Of the
report with which the merchant ma