New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-12-06

Santo Domingo Every consideration of wise
policy. and, above all, every consideration or
large generosity, bids meet the request OF
Santo Domingo as we are now trying to meet IT,
THE ARMY AND NAVY.
We cannot consider the question of our foreign
policy without 1T the same time treating OF the
army and the navy. We now have a very small
army-indeed, one wellnigh infinitesnai when
compared with the army of any other large ma
ton. OF course, the army we do have should be
as nearly perfect Of its kind and for its size as
is possible. I 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 to act effectively in a mass
Provision should be made by sufficient appro-
priatons for manpuvres 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 made with the
soldier loaded exactly as he would be in an
active campaign. The generals and colonies
would thereby have opportunity of handling
regiments. brigades and divisions, and the COM
mssary and medical 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 marching and en-
barking at some point on our coast and dis
embarlling at other point and continuing
its march. The number of posts in which the
army is kept in time of peace should be ma
terially diminished and the posts that are left
made correspondingly larger. No local inter
ests 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 will permit the best training to
be given to the personnel of all grades, includ-
ing the high officers and staff officers. To ac-
compliSh this end must have not company
or regimental garrisons. but brigade and divi-
sion garrisons. Promotion by mere seniority can
never result i'm a thoroughIv efficient corps of
officers in the higher ranks unless there accom-
panfes 1t a vigorous wedding out process. Such
a wedding out process-that is, such a process
OF selection-is chief feature Of the four years
course of the young officer at West Point There
is no good reason why 1T should stop imme-
diately upon his graduation. While at West
Point he is dropped unless he comes up to
certain standard of excellence and when he
graduates he takes rank in the army according
to his rank of graduation. 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 aver
age officer is unfit to do good work below a
certain grade. Provision should be made for
the promotion Of exceptionally merifcrious men
over the heads of their com; AIDES and for the
retirement of all men who have reached q given
age without getting beyond given rank; this
age 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 reso-
lutte effort to eliminate the aged officers OF
reputable character who possess no special eff
cheney
There should be an increase in the coast ar
tillery force so that our coast Notifications
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 in the fighting line. Only by such
training in advance can we be sure that in
actual field operations and those at sea Will
be carried successfully. The Importance of
this was shown conclusvely in the Spanish
American and the RuSSo-Japanese wars. The
work of the medical departments in the Jap
anese army and navy is especially worthy Of
study renew my recommendation Of jan
uary 9. 1905. as to the medical department OF
the army, and call attention to the equal I'M
portance of the needs of the staff 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 Gallinger
bill Is 39S4 Feb. l. 1900 and the reappor-
f1Pf Of fIa
officers to meet service requirements 1t seems
advisable 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 provide with ample forethought
for the medical needs Of the army and navy, ap
pallng suffering of a preventable kind is sure TO
occur if the country goes to war. 1t is
not reasonable to expect successful admiristra-
ton in time of war of department which lacks
a third OF the number OF officers necessary to
perform the medical service in time of peace.
We need who are not merely doctors they
must be trained in the adminiStra ton Of mill
tary medical service
Our navy must, relatively to the navfes OF
other nations. always be of greater size than our
army, We have most wisely continued for
number of years to build up
NO NEW navy and it has
WARSHIPS reached fairly high stand
NOW NEEDED. ard of efficiency. This stand
ard of efficiency must not
only be maintained, but increased. 1t does not
seem to necessary, however that the navy
shouldn't least in the immediate future-be in
creased 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 it becomes apparent that they
are useless Probably the result would be at
tanned by adding a single batteship 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 turret monitors, built
Immediately after the close of the Spanish War,
for instance, are vessels which would be of
little use in the event of war. The money spent
upon them could have been more usefully spent
in other ways. Thus II would have been far
better never to have built single one of these
monitors and to have put the money into an
ample supply of reserve guns. Most Of the
smaller cruisers and gunboats, though they
serve a useful purpose far they need
ed for interna tional police work, would not add
to the strength of our navy in conflict with
serious foe, There is urgent need Of providing
a large increase in the number of officers, and
especially In the number of enlisted men.
Recent naval history has emphasized certain
lessons which ought not to. but which do, need
emphasis. Seagoing torpedo boats or destroyers
are indispensable, not only for making night at
tacks by surprise upon enemy, but in
battle for finishing already crippled ships. Under
exceptional circumstances submarine boats
would doubtless be of Fast scouts are
needed The main strength OF the navy, how