The Roswell daily record. [volume] (Roswell, N.M.) 1903-current, 1906-12-04

d~estroyers or torpedo boats, vii
have to be built also. All this, be II
remembered, would not increase ouz
Navy, but would merely keep ii al
its present strength. Equally oil
course, the SHIPS will be absolutely
useless if the men aboard them are
best possible service out of the for
midab1e but delicate and complicated
m~echanisms intrusted to their care
The craftsmanship Of our men has
SO improved during the last five
years hat l deem it within bounds
to say that the Navy is more than
twice as efficient, snip for ship, as
half a decade ago. The Navy can
only attain proper efficiency if
officers and men are provided, and
if these officers and men are given
the chance and required to take ai-
vantage of it, to stay continually at
lsea and to exercise the fleets singly
and above all in squadron, the exer-
| else to be of every kin and to in
clude unceasing practise at the guns,
conducted under conditions that will
test craftsmanship in time of war.
In both the Army and the Navy
there is urgent need that everything
possible should be lone to maintain
the highest standard for the person
mel, alike as regards the officers and
the enlisted men. l do not believe
that in any service there is a fner
body of enlisted men and of Junior
| officers than we have in both the
Army and the Navy, including the
Marine Corps. All possible ncour
agement to the enlisted men should
be given, in pay and otherwise, n
everything practicable done to rem
der 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, but the
performance of far more than duty,
if it conduces to the honor and the
interest of the American nation; and
in return the amplest consideration
should be theirs.
The readiness and efficiency of
both the Army and Navy in dealing
with the recent sudden crisis in Gu
ba Illustrate afresh their value to
the Nation. This readiness and eff
cheney would have been very much
less had it not been for the existence
of the General Staff in the Army and
the General Board in the Navy; bot
are essential to the proper develop
ment and use of our military forces
afioat and ashore. The troops that
were sem to Cuba were handled
fawlessly. 1t was the swiftest mobil-
sea ever accomplished by our Gov
Eernment. The expedition landed
completely equipped and ready for
immediate service, several Of its or
CARNATIONS hardly remaining in Ha-
vana over night before splitting up
into detachments INC going to their
| several posts. 1t was a fine demon
| ~stration Of the value and efficiency
| of the General Staff. Similarly, it
was owing in large part to the Gen
| eral Board that the Navy was able
at the outset to meet the Cuban cri-
| sis with such instant efficiency; snip
| after ship appearing on the shortest
notice at any threatened point, while
| the Marine Corps in particular per-
formed indispensable service. h
Army and Navy War Colleges are
of incalculab1e value to the two ser
vices, and they cooperate with con-
stantly increasing efficiency and i'm
~portance.
h Congress has most wisely pro-
vided for a National Boar for tle
promotion of rifle practice. Excellent
results have already come from this
law. but it Ices not go far enough.
Our regular Army is so small that
in any great war we should have to
trust mainly to volunteers; and In
cuoo ayent these volunteers should