The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1907-12-03

receiving campaign funds from the
treasury should accept more than O
fixed amount from any individual sub
scrlber or donor, and the necessary
publicity for receipts and expenditures
could without difficulty be provided.
THE ARMY.
The president recommends legisla,
ton TO increase the number OF officers
In the army, especially in the medical
corps. The rate of pay of officers
should be greatly increased. he de.
clarcs There should be a relatively
even greater increase in the rate OF
pay of enlisted men If we are to keep
the army In shape TO be effective In
time Of need The president recon.
mends severe examination OF officers
for promotion up TO the rank Of major
From that point promotion should be
purely by selection. He speaks of the
recent physical test Of army officers
with emphatic appreciation and recon.
mends bill equalizlng the pay OF
officers and men Of the army, navy.
marine corps and revenue cutter serv.
ice.
THE NAVY.
Concerning the navy the president
says:
In my judgment, we should this
year provide for four battleships. But
1t il idle to build battleshlps unless, In
addition to providing. the men and the
means for thorough training, we pro
vide the auxiliaries for them--unless
we provide docks, the coaling stations
the golfers and supply ships that they
need. We are extremely deficient In
coaling stations and docks on the Pa.
cific, and this deficiency should not
longer be permitted to exist. Plenty
Of torpedo boats and destroyers should
be built. Both on the Atlantic and Pa.
cifc coasts Notifications of the best
type should be provided for all our
greatest harbors.
Until our battle feet is much larger
than at present 1t should never be split
into attachments 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 battle fleet should now
and then be moved to the Pacific, just
as at other times 1t 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 1t is built
l earnestly hope that the battle fleet
will be thus shifted between the two
oceans every year or two. The battle
fleet is about starting by the strait of
Magellan to visit the Pacific coast.
Sixteen battleships are going under the
command of Rear Admiral Evans, while
eight armored cruisers and two other
battleships will meet him in San Fran.
cisco. whittier certain torpedo destroy.
ers are also going. No feet of such
size has ever made such voyage, and
ii will be of very great educational use
TO all engaged in 1t. The only way by
which to teach officers and men how
to handle the fleet so as to meet every
possible stSain and emergency in time
of war is 10 have them practice under
similar conditions In time of peace.
The president recommends the in.
creased pay for both officers and enlist
ed men and advises promotion by Sc
lection above the grade of lieutenant
commander.
FOREIGN AFFAIRS.
In foreign affairs, the president says,
this countrys steady policy is to be.
have toward other nations as a strong
and self respecting man should behave
toward the other men with whom he
Is brought into contact. In other words,
our aim is disinterestedly to help other
nations where such help can be wisely
given without the appearance of med.
ding with what does not concern us,
to be careful to act as good neighbor
and at the same time in good natured
fashion to make it evident that we do
not intend to be imposed upon.
The president refers at length to The
Hague peace conference. He believes
1t accomplished much good work.
POSTAL SAVINGS BANKS.
The president says on postal affairs
l commend to the favorable consid'
Grafton Of the congress postal saw.
ings bank system as recommended by
the postmaster general. Timid deposi
tors have withdrawn their savings fol-
the time being from national banks,
trust companies and savings banks, in.
diyiduals have boarded their cash
and the workingmen their earnings, all
of which money has been withheld
and kept in hiding or in the safe de-
posit box to the detriment Of prosper.
ity. Through the agency of the postal
savings banks such money would be
restored to the channels Of trade, to
the mutual benefit Of capital. and labor.
| further commend to the congress
the consideration of the postmaster
generals recommendation for an ex.
tension of the parcel post, especially
on the rural routes. 1t would be
most desirable thing to put the fourth
class postmasters in the classified serv.
ice.
Other recommendations are:
Deepening Of the inland waterways,
especially of the Mississippi river sys.
- IL