Tonopah bonanza. [volume] (Butler City [i.e. Butler], Nev.) 1901-1909, 1906-12-08

also. All lHlo, pC ~
would not increase Il navy, but
would merely keep 1t at its present
strength. Equally of course, the
ships will be absolutely useless II
he men aboard them r not so
trained that they al get the best
nossible service out of the formidable
hut delicate and complicated mechan-
intrusted to their care. The
craftsmanship of our men has SO inn
proved during the last five years that
/ deem it within bounds to say that
The navy is more than twice as eff
cient. ship for ship, as half a decade
ago. The navy can only attain prop
Or efficiency if enough officers and
men are provided, and if these Off
GERS and men are given the chance
fand required to take advantage of
it) 10 stay continually at e and to
exercise the fleets singly and above
all in squadron, the exercise to be
Of every kind and to include unceas-
ing practice at the guns, conducted
under conditions that will test
craftsmanship in time of var
In both the army and the navy
there is urgent need that everything
possible should be done to maintain
the highest standard for the person
mel, alike as regards the officers and
the enlisted men. ] do not believe
that in any service there is a finer
body Of enlisted men and junior Off
GERS than we have in both the army
and the navy, including the marine
corps. All possible encouragement
to the enlisted men should be given,
in pay and otherwise, and everything
practicable done TO render the SER
vice attractive to men of the right
type. They should be held to the
strictest discharge Of their duty, II
it conduces to the honor and the in
terest of the American nation; and in
return the amplest consideration
should be theirs.
West Point and Annapolis already
turn out excellent officers. We do
not need to have these schools made
more scholastic. On the contrary we
should never lose sight OF the fact
that the aim Of each school Is to
turn out a man who shall be above
everything else a fighting man. II
the army in particular it is not nee
essary that either the cavalry or in
fautry officer should have special
mathematical ability. Probably in
both schools the best part Of the
education is the high standard of
professional morale which 1t cond
fers.
But in both services there is ur-
gent need for the establishment OF
a principle Of selection which will
eliminate men after a certain age Il
they can not be promoted from the
subordinate ranks, and which will
bring into the higher ranks fewer
men, and these at an earlier age.
This principle of selection will be
objected to by good men of medi-
ocre capacity who are fitted to do
well while young in the lower posi-
tions, but who are not fitted to do
well when at an advanced age they
come into positions Of command and
of great responsibility. But the
desire of these men to be promoted
to positions which they r not com
petent to fill should not weigh
against the interests of the navy aud
the country. At present our men.
especially in the navy, are kept far
too long in the junior grades, and
then, at much too advanced an age
are put quickly through the senior
grades, often not attaining to these
senior grades until they are too old
to be of real use in them; and II
they are of real use. being put
through them so quickly that little
benefit to the navy comes from theil
having been in them at all.
The navy has n great advantage
over the army in the fact that th'
officers of high rank are actual!
trained in the contiual performance
OF their duties; that is, in the nan
agement of the battle ships and ar
mored cruisers gathered into fleets
This is not true of the army officers
who rarely have corresponding
chances to exercise command owe
troops under service conditions. Tn.
conduct of the Spanish war snowel
the lamentable loss of life, the use
less extravaganza, and the inetticienc
certain to result, II during peace tn
high officials of the wal and navy de
partments are praised and rewarde
only II they save money at no matte
what cost to the efficiency of tn
service, and II the higher officer
are given no chance Whatever to eS
ercise and practice command. Fo
years prior to the Spanish war tn
secretaries Of war were praise
chiefly If they pacticed economy
which economy, especially in come,
ZION with the quartermaster, con
missarr, and medical department
was directly responsible for most {
the mismanagement that occurred /
the war itself-and parentheticall
be 1t observed that the very peopl
who clamored for the misdirecte
economy in the first place were for,
most to denounce the mismanag,
ment, loss, and 'suffering which wei
primarily due to this same misd
rected economy and to the lack {
preparation 1t involved. There shoul
soon be an increase in the numbC
of men for coast defenses; thes
men should be of the right type an
properly trained; and there shoul