Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1906-12-04

to ffli should not weigh against the IN
terests of the navy and the country.
AT present our men. especially IN the
navy. are kept far too long i q the |
junior grades and then. at much too adj /
vanced an age, are pvt quickly through
the senior grades. often not attaining
those senior grades until they are tor
old to be Of real use to them and. If they
are Of real Use. being put through them
SO quickly that little benefit to the
navy comes from their having been in
them DIT all IN jzis:: :.s@55ss
The navy has one great advantage 1
over the army in the fact that the Of
ficers OF high rank are actually trained
In the continual performance of their
duties that is. in the management of
the battleships and armored cruisers
gathered into fleets. This is not true Of
the army officers. who rarely have cor
responding chances to exercise COM
mand over troops under service condi-
lions. The conduct Of the Spanish war
showed the lamentable loss Of life, the
useless extravaganza and the inefn-
cheney certain to result IL during peace
the high officials of the war and navy
departments are praised and rewarded
only II they save money, at no matter
what cost to the efficiency of the serv-
ice. and if the higher officers are given
no chance whatever to exercise and
practice command. For years prior to
the Spanish war the secretaries of war
were praised chiefly if they practiced
economy, which economy, especially in
connection with the quartermaster.
commissary and medical departments,
! was directly responsible for most of
the mismanagementt that occurred in
the war itself. And parenthetically be
1T observed that the very people who
clamored for the misdirected economy
in the first place were foremost to de-
nounce the mismanagement. loss and
suffering which were primarily due to
this same misdirected economy and to
( the lack Of preparation it involved.
, 4 .,s$2E- Coast Defense Needs.
| There should soon be an increase in
I the number Of men for our coast de-
! lenses. These men should be of the
right type and properly trained, and
there should therefore be an Increase
! of pay. for certain skilled grades. es-
| pecially In the coast artillery. Money
should be appropriated to permit
troops to be massed in body and exer-
cised in maneuvers. particularly in
marching. Such exercise during the
summer just past has been of meal
@culable benefit to the army and should
under no circumstances be diseontin.
ued. If on these practice marches and
in these maneuvers elderly officers
prove unable to bear the strain they
should be retired ut once, for the fact
is conclusive as to their un6tness fol
war-that is, for the only purpose be
cause of which they should be allowed
. to stay in the service. 1t is real mis-
fortune to have scores of small com
! pany or. regimental posts scattered
{ throughout the country. The army
i should be gathered in few brigade o.
division posts, and the generals SHOULD
be practiced In handling the men II
masses Neglect to provide for all Of
this means to incur the risk of future
disastersand disgrace. "
The readiness and efficiency of boti
the army and navy in dealing with tht
( recent sudden crisis in Cuba illustrate
afresh their value to the nation. This
5 readiness and efficiency would have
been very much less had it not beer
for the existence of the general stat
In the army and the general board II
the navy. Both are essential to thu
proper development and use OF our mil
itary forces afloat and ashore TIL,
troops that We're sent to Cuba were
handled fawlessly. 1t was the swift
est mobilization and dispatch Of troop
over sea ever accomplished by our GOV
, eminent. The expedition landed con
pletely equipped and ready for immt
! date service, several Of its organize
tons hardly remaining In Havana owe
4 night before splitting up into detacl
, ments and going to their several post
!, 1t was fine demonstration Of til
! value and efficiency of the general stat
Similarly it was owing In large pal
" 1AC ,$CSlCI0A DCdLu lAC AAf
!, was able at the outset to meet the C'
, ban crisis with such instant etficienc,
, ship after ship appearing on the shor
! est notice at any threatened poin
. while the marine corps in particuls
3 performed indispensable service. IT
: army and navy war colleges are Of il
8 calculable value to the two service
t and they cooperate with constantly il
& creasing efficiency and Importance.
4 Shooting Galleries Needed.
I The congress has most wisely pr
Z yided for d national board for the pr
: motion Of rife practice. Excellent i
9 suits have already come from this la'
: but 1t does not go far enough. Q,
= regular army lis 50 small that in AZ
great war we should have to tru
, mainly to volunteers, aud in SUI
{ event these volunteers should alreat
e know how to shoot. for if a soldier II;
Z. the fighting edge and ability to tai
9 care OF himself in the open his eff
cheney on the line Of battle Is almo
$500 -. 4