Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-12-05

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 that any army in the
world has a better average of enlisted
man or better type of junior officer,
but the army should be trained to act
effectively in mass Provision should
be made by sufficient appropriations
for maneuvers of a practical kind so
that the troops may learn how to take
care of themselves under actual service
conditions. every march, for instance,
being madC with the soldier loaded ex-
; actly as he would be in an active cam
paign. The generals and coloneIs
/ would thereby have opportunity of
handling regiments, brigades and di-
/ visions, and the commissary and med
I zeal departments would be tested in
/ the field. Provision should be made for
/ the exercise at least of a brigade and
( by preference of a division in march
| ing and embarking at some point Oh
| our coast and discriminating at some
other point and continuing its march.
The number of posts in which the
army is kept in time of peace should be
materially diminished and the posts
that are left made correspondingly lar
ger. No local interests should be al
lowed to stand in the way of assem-
bling 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 regimental garrisons, but
brigade and division garrisOns. Pro
motion by mere seniority can never re-
suit in Il thoroughly efficient corps of
officers in the higher ranks unless there
accompanies it vigorous wedding out
process. Such q wedding out process
that is, such process of selection-is
4 chief feature of the four years
course of the young officer at West |
Point. There is no good reason why |
it should stop Immediately upon his !
graduation. While at West 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 gradua-
ton. The results are good at West /
Point. and there should be i'll the army |
itself something that will achieve the 1
same end. After a certain age has
been reached the average officer is I'M
lit to do good work below Il certain
grade. Provision should be made for
the promotion of exceptionally meri-
toriOuS men over the heads of their
comrades aud for the retirement of all
men who have reached Il given age
without getting beyond Il given rank.
this age of retirement of course chang
ing from rank 10 rank. In both the
army and the navy there should be
some principle of selectiOn-that is, of
promotion for merit-and there should
he reSolute effort To eliminate the
aged officers of reputable character
who possess no special efficiency.
For an Increase In Coast Artillery.
There should he an increase in the
coast artillery force 50 that our coast
can be i'll 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
|
Only by such training in advance can
we be sure that in actual war field OPP
erutions and those at sea will be car
ried on successfully. The Importance
Of this was shown conclusively in the
Spanish and the RusSo-Japa-
leSe wars The work of the medical
departments in the Japanese army and
navy is especially worthy of study. L
renew my recommendation of Jan. {
}. 1903, as to the medical department I
If the army and call attention TO the !
equal Importance of the needs of the |
staff corps of the navy. In the medical 5
department. of the navy the first in i'm 1
)ortance is the reorganization of the
hospital corps ON the lines of the Gal i
niger bill Is. 1884, Feb. l. 1904 and I
he reapportionment of the different {
grades of the medical officers to meet )
service requirements. 1t seems adViS- 5
ible also that medical officers of the :
army and navy should have similar /
ank and pay in their respective grades d
% that their duties can be carried on L
without friction when they are brought V
ogether. The base hospitals of the o
navy should be put in condition to e
meet modern requirements and hospital n
hips be provided. Unless we now pro- Il
Idle with ample forethought for the b
medical needs of the army and navy $
ppalling suffering of a preventable q
ind is sure 10 occur If ever the country Ii
oeS To war. Ii is not reasonable to =
Npect successful administration in G
ime Of war of n department which 9
lcks a third of the number of officers d
ecesSary To perform the medical serv-
,e in time of peace. We need men
tho are not merely doctors. They
aust be trained In the administration &
military medical service
Ships Enough Now n
Our navy must. relatively to the ma q
les of other nations. always be of y
reater size than our army We have e
loSt wisely continued for a number a