New-York tribune., 1906-12-05

such circumstances. have ended with our speedy
and overwhelming triumph. But our people dur
Ing those twelve years refused to make any
preparations whatever regarding either the
army or the navy. They saved q million or two
Of dollars by so doing and In mere money paid
hundredfold for each million they thus saved
during the three years Of war which followed
war which brought untold suffering upon our
people, which at one time threatened the gravest
national disaster and which. in spite OF the
necessity of waging 1t. resulted merely in what
was In effect a drawn battle, while the balance
OF dereat and triumph was almost even
1 do not ask that we continue to increase our
navy ask merely that 1t be maintained at its
present strength; and this can be done oniy III
we replace the obsolete and outworn SHIPS oy
new and good ones. the equals OF any anoat IN
any navy. To stop building ships for one year
means that for that year the navy goes pacR
instead of forward. The old battleship Texas
Tor instance would now be of little service ut
a stand-up night with powerful adversary ne
Old double turret monitors have outworn tneir
usefulness, while ii was waste of money 10
build the modern single turret monitors. All
these ships should be replaced by others. ana
this can be done by a well settled programme
of providing for the building each year OF at
least one first class battleshp equal In size ana
speed to any that any nation is at the same
time building; the armament presumably to con-
sist of as large a number as possible or VTrs
heavy guns of one calibre, together with sr,lalier
guns to repel torpedo attack: while there should
be heavy armor. turbine engines and. In short
every modern device. OF course, from time TO
time. cruisers, coiers. torpedo boat destroyers
torpedo boats will have to be built also All
this be it remembered, would not increase our
navy, but would merely keep III at lts plcScHl
strength. Equally Of course. the ships will be
absolutely useless IL the men aboard them are
not 60 trained that they can get the best pos
sible service out Of the formidable but deilcate
and complicated mechanisms intrusted to their
care. The craftsmanship OF our men mas SO
improved during the last five years that deem
1t within bounds to say that the navy fs more
than twice as efficient. ship for ship. as half a
decade ago. The navy can only attain proper
efficiency II enough ofncers ano men are o,.en p.u
the chance (and required to take advantage OF
10 TO stay continually at sea and to exercise tne
fleets singly and above all IN squadron. tne eS
ercise to be Of every kind and to include unceas-
ing practice at the guns conducted under cor
ditions that will test craftsmanship IN tifne Oh
In both the army and the navy there Is urgent
need that everything possible should be done 20
maintain the highest standard for the personnet;; pe;
alike regards the Officers ana tne ehisteu k
men do not believe that IN any service there
is a finer body Of enlisted men and OF junior OF
fcers than we have IN both the army ana the
navy. including the marine corps. All possiv'e nc
announcement to the enlisted men should %
given, in pay and otherwise. and eVerytn,hs
practicable done to render the service attractlVe
to men OF the right type They snouo oe ne.u W
to the strictest discharge OF their duty. ana III
them spirit should be encouraged which de-
mands not the mere performance or duty, put
the performance Of far more than duty. II N
conduces to the honor and the interest or tne
American nation; and In return the amplest
consideration should be theirs
West Point and Annapolis already turn out eN-
cellent officers. We do not need to have these
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 VINO
shall be above everything else fighting man.
In the army in particular 1t is not necessary that
either the cavalry 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 1t confers
But in both services there is urgent need for
the establishment Of a principle of selection
mt a q q
they cannot be promoted from the subordinate
ranks. and which will bring into the higher
ranks fewer men, and these at earlier age.
This principle Of selection Will be objected to by
good men Of mediocre capacity who fitted
to do we'll while young I'm the lower positions.
but who are not fitted to do well when at an ad-
vanced age they come into positions of command
and Of great responsibility. But the desire of
these men to be promoted to positions which
they are not competent to I'LL should not weigh
against the interests of the navy and the coun-
try. At present our men, especially in the navy,
are kept far too long In the junior grades. aud
then. at much too advanced an age. put
quickly through the senior grades often not at
tanning to these senior grades until they are too
old to be of real use In them and il they of
real use. being put through them quickly that
little benefit to the navy comes from their hav-
ing been In them at all.
The navy has great advantage over the
army in the fact that the officers of high rank
are actually trained IN the continual perform
ance of their dutfes-that is I'm the mana cement
of the battleshtps and armOred cruisers gathered
into fleets. This Is not true of the army ofi-
GERS, who rarely have corresponding chances TO
exercise command over troops under service
conditions. The conduct of the Spanish War
showed the lamentable loss Of life. the useless
extravaganza and the inefnciency certain to re-
suit II during peace the high officials of the
War and Navy departments praised and
what cost to the efficiency OF the service and II
the higher officers are given chance what
ever TO exercise and practise command. For
years prior to the Spanish War the Secretaries
Of iSa1
economy. which economy, especially In connec-
ton with the quartermaster. commissary and
medical departments. directly responsible
for most of the mismanagement that occurred
I'm the war ttSelf-and parentheticaly be IL OBJ
served that the very people who clamored for
the mSd;rected economy in the first place We're
foremost to denOunce the nlismana cement, loss
and suffering which were primarily due TO this
same misdirected economy and 70 the lack Of
preparation il involved There should soon be
increase I'm the number of men for our coast
defences; these men should be OF the right type
and properly trained: and there should therefore
be an increase OF pay for certain skilled grades.
especially in the coast artillery. Money should
he appropriated TO permit troops to be massed
In body and exercised In rnanoeUvres, particular
ly in marching. Such exercise during the sum-
ner tUSt passed has been of fncalculable benefit
the army. and should under circumstances
be discontinued. If these practice marches
and in these manpuvres elderly officers prove
una able bear the strain. they should be retired
at once. for the fact is conclusive to their
unfitneSs for war-that is for the only purpose
because of which they SHOULD be allowed to stay
i'm the service. IL is a real misfortune TO have
scores OF small company or regimental posts
scattered throughout the country: the army
should be gathered in few brigade division
posts and the generals should he practised in
handling the men In masses. Neglect TO pro-
vide for all of this TO incur the risk Of
future disaster and disgrace.
The readiness and efficiency OF both the army
and navy in dealing with the recent sudden
crisis in Cuba illustrate afresh their value to the
ma tion. This readiness and efficiency would
have been very much less had it not been for the
existence OF the General Staff in the army and
the General Board III the navy: both essential
to the proper development and use of our MILL