The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1906-12-05
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE
TO CONGRESS
CONTINUED from Eleventh Psgs)

have outworn their usefulness, while it
was a waste of money to build the
modern single-turret monitors. All
these ships should be replaced by
others; and this can be done by a we'll
settled program of providing for the
building each year of at least one first
class battleship equal in size and speed
to any that any nation is at the same
time building; the armament pre-
sumably to consist of as large a num-
Der as possible of very heavy guns of
one calibre, together with smaller guns
to repel torpedo attack; while there
should be heavy armor, turbine en-
gines, and in short, every modern de-
vice. Of course, from time to time,
cruisers, GOLFERS torpedo boat de-
stroyers or torpedo boats, will have to
he built also. All this, be it remem-
bered, would not increase our Navy,
but would merely keep it at it's present
strength. Equally of course, the ships
will be absolutely useless if the men
aboard them are not so trained that
they can get the best possible service
out Of the formidable but delicate and
complicated mechansms intrusted to
their care. The craftsmanship of our
men has so improved during the last
five years that I deem 1t within bounds
to say that the Navy is more than
twice as efficient, ship for ship, as half
a decade ago. The Navy can only at
tain proper efficiency if enough officers
and men are provided and if these
officers and men are given the chance
(and required to take advantage of IT'D
to stay continually at sea and to exer-
else the fleets singly and above all in
squadron. the exercise to be of every
kind and to include unceasing practice
at the guns, conducted under condi-
lions that will test Workmanship in
time of war.
In both the Army and the Navy
there is urgent need that everything
possible should be done to maintain the
highest standard for the personnel
alike as regards the officers and the
| enlisted men. I do not believe that in
any service there is finer body of en-
listed men and Of junior officers 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 other
wise, 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 spirit should be en-
couraged which demands not the mere
performance Of duty, but the perform
| ance Of far more than duty if it CON
duces to the honor and the interest 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 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 man
who shall be above everything else a
fighting man. In the Army in particu-
lar 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 morale
which it confers.
But in both services there is urgent
need for the establishment of a 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 at
an earlier age. This principle of selec-
tion will be objected to by good men OF
mediocre capacity who are fitted to dc
well While young in the lower positions
but who are not fitted to do well wher
at an advanced age they come into
positions Of command and of great re-
sponsibility. But the desire of these
men to be promoted to positions which
they are not competent to fill SHOULD
not weigh against the interests Of thu
Navy and the country. At present oul
men, especially in the Navy, are kept
far too long in the junior grades, ant
| then, at much too advanced an age, are
put quickly thru the senior grades
often not attaining to these senior
grades until they are too old to be o
real use in them; and If they are o,
real use, being put thru them so quick
ly that little benefit to the Navy comes
from their having been in them at all.
The Navy has one great advantag,
over the Army in the fact that the off
GERS of high rank are actually trained
4 in the continual performance of theiI
duties that is, in the management o
the battle ships and armored cruiser!
gathered into fleets This is not true
of the army officers, who rarely have
corresponding chances to exercise com
mand over troops under service condt
tions. The conduct of the Spanish wal
showed the lamentable loss of life, the
useless extravaganza. and the ineffi
cheney certain to result, if during peace
the high officials Of the War and Nav!
Departments are praised and reward
ed only if they save money at no mat
ter what cost 10 the efficiency of tn,
service, and if the higher officers ar,
given no chance whatever to exercis
and practise command. For year
prior to the Spanish war the Score
taries of War were praised chiefly i
they practised economy; which eco
nomy especially in connection with tn
quartermaster commissary, and medi