The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1906-12-07

vessels engaged I'm pelagic sealing.
Suitable representations regarding the
incident have been made to the govern
ment of Japan, and we are assured mat
all practicable measures Will be taken
by that country to prevent any reCur-
renee Of the outrage.
THE NAVY AND THE ARMY.
The United States navy is the surest
guarantor of peace which this country
possesses it is earnestly TO be Wlshed
that we would profit by the teachings OF
history in this matter. strong ana
wise people will study It's own failures
no less than its triumphs, Tor there -
wisdom to he learned from the study OF
both, Of the mistake as we'll as of the
success. For this purpose nothing couid
be more instructive than a rational study
of the war of lSl2, as IT Is t2la, ior IN IN
only one way In which the war could
have been avoided. If during the preced-
ing twelve years a navy relatively as
strong as that which this country now
has had been built up, and an army pro-
vided relatively as good as that which
the country now has, there never would
have been the slightest necessity OF
lighting the war; and If the necessity
had arisen the war would under Such
circumstances have ended with our
| speedy and Overwhelming triumph.
| / do not ask that we continue to In
| crease our navy. l ask merely that it
be maintained at its present Strength
and this can be done If we replace the
| good ones, the equals of any ahoat IN
! any navy. To stop building ships for
one year means that for that year the
navy goes back instead of forward.
The navy can only attain proper ef-
fciency If enough officers and men are
provided, and II these officers and men
are given the chance tand required TO
take advantage of it, to stay continually
at sea and to exercise the fleets sinGiy
and above all in squadron, the exercise
! to be of every kind and to include un-
! pp1 cip q conducted
| under conditions that will test the
| craftsmanship 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 re-
CARDS the officers and the enlisted men.
| But in both services there is urgent
need for the establishment of a prin-
ciple of selection which will eliminate
men after 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 al
earlier age. This principle of selection
will be objected to by good men Cl
mediocre capacity who are fitted to Dc
well while young in the lower positions
but who are not fitted to do well wheT
at an advanced age they come into posi-
tions of command and of great respon
sibility. But the desire of these men Il
be promoted to positions which they
are not competent to fill should no
weigh against the interests OF the navy
and the country. AT present our men
| especially in the navy, are kept far too
long in the junior grades, and then, n
much too advanced age, are put quickly
through the senior grades, often not at
tanning to these senior grades until the!
are too old to be of real use in them
and If they are of real use, being pu
| through them so quickly THAT lttiC
; benefit to the navy comes from thPi
having been in them at all.
The Congress has most wisely provided
. for a National Board for the promotion
of rife practice. Excellent results hav
: already come from this law, but it zoe
= not go far enough Our repular army il
so small that in any great war W,
should have to trust mainly to volun
teers; and in such event these vulun
t teers should already know how to shoot
; for if a soldier has the fighting edge
5 and ability to take care of himself il
} the open, his efficiency on the line o
} battle is almost directly proportional
4. to excellence in marksmanshipJ w,
! should establish shooting galleries in al
= the large public and military schools
' should maintain national target range
a in different parts of the country, am
= should in every way encourage the for
A nation of rife clubs throughout all part
of the land. The little Republic of Swift
Zerland offers us an excellent cNampl
, in all matters connected with buildin
> up an efficient citizen soldiery.
q THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
e The White House, December B. 1906.