Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1905-12-09


the treaty chaos win follow. and sooner
or later this government mas BE- 10.
volved In serious difficulties with Tor.
eign governments over the Island or else
may be forced Itself 80 intervene Ia ths
island in some unpleasant fashion.
ARMY AND NAVY.
/ do not believe that any army b TN
world has a better average 81 enlisted
man or n better type 81 junior officer.
but the army should be trained @ ACT
effectively In a mass. Provision should
be made by sufficient appropriations
FOR maneuycrs OF a practical kind
Provision should be made fer the pre-
motion Of exceptionally meritogions
men over The beads Of their comrades
and for the retirement 81 All men who
have reached a given age without get
ting beyond given rank
There should be an Increase in lhe
coast artillery force SO that our coast
Notifications can be ID some degree
adequately manned There is speeiai
need for m increase aud Reorganization
Of the medical department 81 the army
In both tho army and navy there must
be the same thorough training for duty
in the stan corps as In the fighting line.
The Importance OF this was shown eea.
elusiycly in the Spanish.Americau and
the Russo-Japanese wars. TIE work
OF the medical departments ia the Jap.
anese army and navy IS especially
worthy Of study.
Our navy must. relatively IL the ma
vies Of other nations. always be %
greater size than our army We have
most wisely continued for number II
years 10 build up our navy, and Il
has now reached fairly high standard
OF efficiency This standard must not
only be maintained, but Increased It
does not seem 20 me necessary, bow
ever. that the navy should. at least in
the immediate future. be Increased be-
yond the present number of units.
What is now clearly necessary IL to
substitute Efficient for inefficient units
as the latter become worn out or as II
becomes apparent thar they are use
less Probably the result would be
attained by adding single hattleship
TO our navy each year, the superseded
or outworn vessels being laid up or
broken up as they are thus replaced
NATURALIZATION.
On this subject recommend;
Ifnst-A federal bureau OF NATURAL
zation, TO be established In the depart.
ment OF commerce and labor. to su.
pervise the administration Of the nntu.
radiation laws and TO receive returns
of AUTHORIZATIONS pending and accom-
plished
Second Uniformity IT naturalization
certificates, fees 70 be charged and
procedure.
Third. More cxacting qualifications
for citizenship,
Fourth. THE preliminary declaration
of intention TO be abolished and 40
alien 10 be naturalized untll III least
ninety days after the fling Of his peti.
ton.
Fifth. - Jurisdiction 10 natufulize
aliens 10 be confined TO United States
district courts ana to such state courts
as have jurisdiction HI civil actions IN
which the amount IN controversy IL I'M
limited; in cities OF over 100000 inhab.
itants the United States district courts
to have exclusive jurisdiction in the
naturalization Of the alien residents Of
such cities.
CRIMINAL LAWS.
In my lasI message ! asked the at
tention of the congress to the urgent
need of action to make our criminal
law more effective, and j most eur.
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 United States attor-
ney or other officer OF the government
who corruptly agrees to wrongfully 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, uneQuivocaily 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 a suitable
penalty therefor.
MERCHANT MARINE
To the spread Of our trade Ia peace
aud 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 a 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
a 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 orr ships have held their own