The Washington herald., 1906-12-05
President Advocaes Comments Upon the Work that Has Been Done

placed by others. and this can 5e done
by well-settlsd programme Of providing
for the building each year Of al least one
fiTst-class battle ship. equal in size and
speed TO any that any nation is at the
same time building; the armament pre-
sumably 10 consist Of as large number
as possible Of very heavy guns Of one
caliber. together with smaller guns 70
repel torpedo attack; while there should
be heavy armor, turbine engines. and in
short, every modern device OF course.
from time to time, cruisers, Golfers, tor
pedO boat destrOyers or torpedo boats.
viii have 70 built also. All this, be Il re-
membered, would not Increase our navy
but would merely keep it AT its present
strength. Equally % 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 compli-
Gated mechanisms intrusted 70 their care
The Workmanship Of our men has so i'm
proved during the last five years that I
deem il within bounds 70 say that the
navy is more than twice as efficient, ship
for ship, as half a decade ago The
navy can only attain proper efficiency II
enough officers and men are provided.
=
the chance (and required TO take ad-
vantage Of iD TO stay continually at sea.
and 10 exercise the fleets singly, and.
above all In squadron. the exercise TO be
| or every kind. and 10 include unceasing
practice at the guns. conducted under
conditions that viii test the markham
ship in time Of war
1 do not believe that in any service
there Is finer body Of enlisted 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 otherwise and everything prac-
ticable done to render the service attrac-
tive to men Of the right type.
West Point and Annapolis already turn
out excellent officers. We do not need
to have these schools made scholastic.
on the contrary, we should never lose
sight OF the fact that the aim Of each
schOol Is 10 turn out man who shall be
above everything else a fighting man.
AT present our men, especially in the
navy, are kept far too long IN the 7,,,iior
grades, and then. at much too advanced
an age. are put quickly through the se-
nior grades, often not attaining 70 these
senior grades until they are too old to be
OF real use in them. and IL they are Of
l
quickly that little benefit 70 the navy
comes from their having been In them at
all
The navy has one great advantage over
the army in the fact that the officers OF
nigh rank are actually trained ln the
continual performance Of their duties;
mat IS, IN the management Of the battle
ships and armored cruisers gathered into
fleets This is rot true Of the army Off
GERS, who rarely have corresponding
chanScz to exercise command over rrooDs
under service conditions. For years prior
10 the Spanish war the Secretaries Of
War were praised chiefly If they prac-
tlced economy; which economy. especially
In connection with the quartermaster,
commissary. and medical departments
was directly responsible for most of the
mlsmanagement that occurred in the war
itself. There sHoUld soon be an increase
IN 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
Tor certain skilled grades. especially in
. TIE coast artillery. Money should be
appropriated 10 permit troops TO be
massed in body and exercised in uaDe1Iy-
ers. particularly in marching. Such *
ereis during the sSmmer Just passed. has
been OF incalculable benefit 10 the army.
and should under no circumstance be
discontinued If, on these practice march
es, and in these maneuvers, elderly off,
GERS prove unable TO bear the strain,
/ they should be retired at once. L is a
real misfortune to have scores of small
company or regimentaI posts scattered
throughout the country. the army should
De gathered in few brigade or division
posts, and the generals should be prac-
uced in handling the men in masses.
Inc readiness and efficiency Of both the
army and navy in dealing with the recent
sudden crisis in Cuba illustrate afresh
their value 10 the nation. This readiness
ana efficiency would have been very much
less had II not been for the existence OF
the General staff in the army. and the
General Board in the navy. The troops
that We're sent to Cuba were handled
haWlessly. It was the swiftest mobiliza-
ton and dispatch of troops over sea ever
accomplished by our government The
expedition landed completely equipped
and ready for immediate service. several
OF its organizations hardly remaining in
havana over night before splitting I'd
into detachments and going to their sew
eral posts. II was a fine demonstration
OF the value and efficiency Of the General
stan The army and navy war colleges
are or incalculable value 10 the services.
and they cooperate with constantly in
creaslng efficiency and Importance.
The Congress has most wisely provided
Tor a National Board for the promotion
OF rifle practice. Excellent results have
already come from this law, but II does
not go far enough. Our regular army is
so small that in any great war we should
nave 70 trust mainly to volunteers: and
IN such event these volunteers should al
ready know how to shoot; for if a soldier
has the fighting edge, and ability 10 take
care OF himself in the open. his efficiency
on the line Of battle is almost directly
proportiOnate to excellence in marksman-
ship We should establish shooting gal
leTies in all the large public and military
schools. should maintain national target
ranges In different parts Of the country.
and should in every way encourage the
formation of rifle clubs throughout all
parts of the land. The little republic Of
Switzerland offers US an excellent ex-
ample in all matters connected with build
ing up an efficient citizen soldiery.
THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
The White House. December 3, 1906
GOVERNMENT AIDING INDIANS.