Waterbury evening Democrat., 1907-08-29
TAFT PRAISES ARMY.
Says Our Officers Are Superior t < Any in the World.

\ Washington. Aug. "Ohicers o
 our army are better equipped in al
 respects and are more efficient thar
 American army officers ever were IL
 the history of the country. In mill
 tary skill and ability they are super.
 ior to any officers of the armies ot
 the world"
 ; Secretary Taft, before starting on
 his tour of the world, took pardon.
 able pride in making this statement
 It was made in no boastful way, but
 was uttered merely as a statement
 of fact which careful inquiry and com parison have made evident.
 The secretary went on to say thai
 American army officers now know
 more about their business than they ever knew before; that they are more thoroughly trained than any officers
 heretofore have been. and he yentur-
 ed the assertion that American off.
 cers fare better equipped In lntelli.
 gence and, efficiency than the officers
 of any other army in the world" Secretary Taft made 1t clear thay
 the real embarrassment under which the American army labors at present is lack of experienced enlisted men. At present." said he, i've have an army of only ffty-five thousand men.
 We ought to have sixty-five thousand, as provided by law. Of course l understand the argument that Is used in support of small army: We nave no need at the moment for large army and 1t is urged that if war should break out, we could raise, quickly an immense volunteer force. the civil war is indicated as an ex- ample of what we may do with a volunteer army.
 Mind you, I am not looking for war. It may be a long time before this country becomes involved In war, but We ought to be prepared for even fatalities. We cannot raise, equip and discipline an army in a few hours or a few weeks. The armies which comprised the union forces during the, civil war constituted the best volun- teer- fighting force ever assembled on earth, but it required months-even years-for them to become immured to the trials and hardships and fire Of real war. Of course, we could raise volunteer army, in an emer- gency, but that would take time. Meanwhile. we ought to keep the regular. army up to it's maximum strength, under the law. To do this, 1t will be necessary to make tho ser- vice attractive. Conditions must be made such in the service as to bring into the military establishment the highest standard of men m any army. in order to bring about this result, perhaps some changes will have 10 be made in the laws. providing for more pay for the enlisted men and other changes in conditions"
 No secret Is made of the fact that vigorous effort is to be made in the near future to induce congress to authorize the re-establishment of the ,anteen in the army. It is maintain- ad by army officers who have studied he situation that the abolition of the ,anteen has done more to render army fife unattractive to the enlisted men han any other one thing, From Secretary Taft down, practically every official of the war department md every officer of the army favors he restoration of the canteen. They xnow from practical, everyday ex- ,erience what the situation is and here is not a department or post in the service who has not declared that the present conditions n the vicinity of army posts are de- and intolerable. By the establishment of the canteen. these conditions substantially would be discipline in the ser ice would be improved and the ser- rice itself made more attractive.