The Yale expositor., 1907-12-06

But the medical department is not the
only department for which increased pro-
vision should be made. The rate OF pay
for the officers should be greatly in
creased; there is no higher type OF citizen
than the American regular officer, and he
should have a fair reward for his adj
mirable work. There should be a rela-
lively even greater increase in the pay for
the enlisted men. An especial provision
should be made for establishing grades
equivalent to those OF warrant officers in
the navy. which should be opsn TO the
enlisted men who serve sufficiently long
and who do their work well. Inducements
should be offered sufficient to encourage
really good men to make the army life
occupation. The prime needs Of our pres
ent army Is to secure and retain compe-
tent noncommissoned officers. This diff
Guilty rests fundamentally on the ques-
ton OF pay. The noncommissoned ofhcer
does not correspond with an unskilled Ia
borer; he corresponds to the best type Of
skilled workman or to the subordinate
official in civil institutions Wages have
greatly increased in outside occupations
i'm the last 40 years and the pay OF the
soldier, like the pay OF the officers. should
be proportionately increased. The hrst
sergeant of a company, If good man.
must be one of such executive and ad-
mnistrative ability. and such knowledge
of his trade, as TO be worth far more than
we at present pay him. The same is true
OF the regimental sergeant major. These
men should be men who had fully re-
solved to make the army life occupa-
ton and they should be able TO look for
ward TO ample reward; while only men
properly qualified should be given
chance to secure these final rewards The
increase over the present pay need not
be great in the lower grades for the hrst
one or two enlistments, but the increase
should be marked for the noncommis-
stoned officers of the upper grades who
serve long enough TO make II evident that
they intend to stay permanently in the
army. while additional pay should be
given for high qualifications in target
practice.
Among the officers there should be
severe examinations to weed out the
unfit up to the grade OF major. From
that position on appointments should
be solely by selection and IL should be
understood that a man OF merely aV-
erage capacity could never get beyond
the position OF major. while every man
who serves in any grade a certain
length OF time prior to promotion to
the next grade without getting the
promotion to the next grade should be
forthwith retired"
President Sees Need OF
Largely Increased Navy.
The president asks for continuous
increase in the navy. and asks present
congress for appropriations for four
new battleships. and says:
1--WE need always to remember that
in time OF war the navy is not to be
used TO defend harbors and sea-coast
cities; we should perfect our system OF
coast fortifcations. The only efficient
use for the navy is for offense. The
only way in which II can efficiently pro-
tect our own coast against the possible
action OF a foreign navy is by Destroy
ing that foreign navy. For defense
against n hostile fleet which actually
attacks them. the coast cities must de-
pend upon their forts. mines. torpedoes,
submarines and torpedo boats and de-
stroyers. All OF these together are et-
fcient for defensive purposes, but they
in no way supply the place or thor
oughly efficient navy capable OF acting
on the offensive; for parrying never yet
won fight. II can only be won by
hard hitting, and an aggressive sea-go-
ing navy alone can do this hard hitting
of the offensive type But the forts
and the like are necessary so that the
navy may be footloose. In time or war
there is sure TO be demand, under pres
sure OF fright, for the ships TO be scat
tered so as to defend all kind OF ports
Under penalty of terrible disaster. this
must be kept together. and their OBJ
| iective made the enemies fleet II
| fortifications are sufficiently strong. no
modern navy will venture to attack
| them so long as the foe has in exist
| ence a hostile navy OF anything like
| the same size or efficiency. But unless
| there exists such navy then the forth
| fications are powerless by themselves
| to secure the victory. For OF course
| the mere deficiency means that any
| resolute enemy can at his leisure COM
| bine all his forces upon one point with
| the certainty that he can take 1t.
Gives Reasons for Despatch
| OF Fleet 10 the Pacific.
Until our battle fleet Is much larger
| than at present IL should never be split
| into detachments so far apart that they
could not in event OF emergency be
| speedily united. Our coast line is on
| the Pacific Just as much as on the At
| lantic. The interests OF California
| Oregon and Washington are as en-
| phatically the interests OF the whole
union as those of Maine and New York
! of Louisiana and Texas. The battle
| fleet should now and then be moved &c
! the Pacific just as at other times II
should be kept in the Atlantic. When
the isthmian canal is built the transit
OF the battle fleet from one ocean to
! the other will be comparatively easy
| Until IL is built I earnestly hope that
the battle fleet will be thus shifted be-
tween the two oceans every year OF
! two. The craftsmanship on all ouI
| ships has improved phenomenally dur
| ing the last FIVE years. Until within
| the last two or three years IL was not
| possible to train a battle fleet in squad
| ron maneuvers under service conditions
and il is only during these last two oil
| three years that the training under
| these conditions has become really eff
! fective Another and most necessary
| stride in advance is now being taken
The battle fleet is about starting by
! the Straits of Magellan to visit the
Pacific coast. Sixteen battleships are
going under the command Of Rear Ad-
| miral Evans. while eight armored
| cruisers and two other battleships will
meet him at San Francisco. whittier
certain torpedo destroyers are also GO
| ing. No fleet OF such size has ever
made such a voyage. and IL will be OF
very great educational use TO all en-
| gagged in It, The only way by which "a
teach officers and men how 20 handle
| the fleet so as TO meet every possible
strain and emergency in time OF war is
| 10 have them practice under similar
conditions in time OF peace. Moreover
| the only way to find out our actual
needs is to perform in time OF peace