The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1906-12-07

IlTTEI IIsOAiEkbT- EdNs 9AANo AEt
usefulness. while il was n waste Of
money TO build the modern single
turret monitors All these ships
should be- replaced By others: and this
can be done by q well-settied program
Of providing for the building each year
Of al least one first-claSS battle ship
equal in size and speed to any that
any nation is at the same time build
ing: the armament presumably to con-
sisr Of rs large a number n possible
of very heavy guns Of one Caliber. to-
ecther with smaller guns to repei tor
redo attack: while Their" should be
heavy armor. turbine engines. and in
short. every modern device. OF course.
from time TO time. C~risers. golfers. tor
pedoboat destruyers or torpedo boats.
will have 10 be built also. All this,
be il remembered. would not increase
our navy. but would merely keep it at
its present strength. Equally OF
courSe. he ships will be absolutely
useless IL the men aboard them are
not so trained thar they can get the
bes' possible service out of the formi-
dali hut delicate and complicated
me ianis.ns intrusted to their care.
Tt workmanship OF our men has so
i'm owed during the last five years
th. | deem il within bounds to say
thu; tbs navy is more han twice as
! efficient. ship for ship, as half a de-
ca6e ago. The nav can only attain
proper efficiency If enough officers and
men are provided. and If these officers
and men are given the chance tand
require dto take advantage of it, TO
| stay continually at sea and TO exercise
| the fleets singly and above all in
| squadron, the exercise To be of every
| kind and TO include u~nCeasing practise
at the guns, conducted under condl-
tons that will test craftsmanship in
| time of war.
In both the army and he navy there
is urgent need that everything posi-
| BILE should be done to maintain h
! highest standard for the personnel,
! alike IS regards the officers and the
| enlisted men. | do not believe that in
any service there is a finer body OF
| enlisted men and of junior officers
than we v in both the army and
| the navy. including :he marine corps.
] All POSSIBLE encouragement TO the en-
| listed men should be given. IN Il and
| otherwise. and everything practicable
done to render the service attractive
to men Of the right type. They should
be held to the Strictest discharge Of
their duty. and in them a spirit should
be encouraged which demands not the
| mere performance Of duty. out the
performance of far more tina duty,
if it conduces to the honor and the
- 80 vi Mn 80 49, $1,000
in return the amplest consideration
West Foint and Annapolis alrcaiy
turn out excellent officers. We do not
need 10 nave these schools more
scholastic. On the contrary We should
never lose sight of the fact that the
aim of each IS to turn out n man
who shall be hove everything else a
fighting man. In the army in partic-
ular it is not necessary that either the
cavalry or infantry officer should
have special mathematical ability.
Probably in both schools the best part
OF the education IS the high standard
of character and of professional mo
raIe which it confers.
But in both services there is urgent
need for the establishments Of q prin-
ciple Of selection which will eliminate
men after a certain age if they can
not be promoted from the subordinate
ranks, and which will bring into the
higher ranks fewer men, and these al
an earle" age. his principle Of Sc
t:on will be objected to by good
II of mediocre capacity who arr
ulted to do we'll while young in the
lower positions, but who are not fitted
to do well when at advanced age
they cor1e into positions of command
and Of great responsibility. But thu
desire Ct these men to Ire promoted t
positions which they are not compe
tent to fill should not weigh agains
the interests Of the navy and the coun
try. At present our men, especially IL
the navy, are kept far too long in tn
Junior grades, and then, at much to-
advanced age, are put quickly thru tn
senior grades, often not attaining Z
: these senior grades, until they are to-
, old to be of real use in them: and l
they are of real use, being thru then
so quickly that little benefit to tn
navy comes from their having been i
them at all.
The navy has one grea advantag
I over the army in the fact that the of
2 fcers of high rank are actually train
! ed in the continual performance O
, their duties; hat is. in the manage
ment of the battle ships and armore
cruisers gathered into fleets. This
I not true of the army officers, VIII
rarely have corresponding chances
s ~~vnrcise command over troops unde
! service conditions. The conduct of tn
g parish war showed the lamentabl
r '0ss of life, the useless extravaganza
md the ineficiency certain TO resul
= # during peace the high officials
+'ne war and navy departments al
"a sed and rewarded only If they say
v one at no matter what cost to til
y '&oioncy of the service. and if III
: -:~hor officers are given no chanC
y -vhatcver TO exercise and practise con
and. For years prior to h SPANS
- me secretaries of war were praise
+ Nief7y If they practised econom!
HIGH economy. especially in come
y on with the quartermaster. commi
g nv and medical departments, was d
"ct'v responsible for most or the mi
management hat occurred in h W:
't~elf-and parenthetically be it o.
eyed that the very people who clan
II -~n1 for the m~isdirected economy
40 arpt place were foremost to d
"a c""cn the r1ismanagement, loss. ar
infer ng which were primarily due
~. rs same misdirected economy and
100 lack of preparation ii involve
"a ~or~e should soon he an increase
- 10 number of men for u "a d
'~~ecs: these men shouid be OF II
'~ht tyne and properly trained; al
eco should therefore be an increa
:, ~ nav for certain skilled grades. e
-~;a11v III the coast artillery. Mon
- Mould be appropriated 10 perm
. --oo-- 70 10 good in hOdy and exc