The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-10-08
ROOSEVELT HAS
WAR PROGRAM
President Wants More War
ships and 600 Additional Of
ficerS for the Army.
MORE PAY TO BE PROVIDED
SENATE EXPECTED TO RAISE
OBJECTIONS.
Especial to The Herald.)

Especial to The HERALD
Washington, Oct. Though President
Roosevelt has been awarded the Nobel
peace prize, and is hailed by The Hague
conference as one of the foremost adyo-
Gates of the peace movement, he adheres
to the old belief that the best way to in
sure peace is to be 'eternally ready for
war. Proceeding on that theory, the ad-
ministratiOn will lay before congress next
winter program that will, if carried out.
largely increase the efficiency of the
American army and navy, anG make this
country better prepared 10 meet any nos
tile nation in the event that future diff
ferences can not be amicably adjusted.
To begin with. the president will rec
ommend the construction of two new bat
tleships, instead of one. as originally in
tended He will recommend the conStruc
ton of two ships to be the equal of any
IN existence today, of course leaving the
plans to naval experts. The senate has
not been disposed to greatly increase the
navy in late years. and it will probably
oppose the presidents policy at the COM
ing session. but in the end, if the admin
istration makes an especial effort. ii is
quite probable that the senatorial oppo-
nents of a larger navy will bow to the
chief executive, and vote the money which
the house of representatives is sure to
provide without material objection.
More Pay Necessary.
army show that there is dire need of
greater pay, not only for officers. but for
enlisted men, in order that the army may
be kept up to its authorized size, and
more particularly that its personnel may
be improved. The pay of an enlisted man
today is only S13 a month at the outset,
though the government provides his
meals. clothing dF,l quarters. Yet even
with these items, the inducements offered
by the army are not sufficiently great to
induce men of the best type to enter or
remain in the service. Other trades and
professions which pay more are getting
the best element The only way the army
can be maintained on high standard,
and keep its ranks filled is by increasing
the pay of enlisted men, and il is the
unanimous opinion of commanding off
GERS that this item should be materially
increased. The president, who manifests
the deepest interest in the army and navy,
has taken pains to look into this question
and il is his opinion that there should be
an increase. He will so state in his mes
sage to congress, and if need be, will
make this the subject of a special com
municatiOn
While there is not the same difficulty in
obtaining officers as enlisted men, II is
still true that the pay of officers, particu-
larly those of the lower grades, is map
propriate. The demands upon them are
heavier than the demands upon men of
similar pay In the business world and
their salaries are not commensurate with
their work and their responsibilities
Then, too, officers. like enlisted men. are
taxed heavily at times for transportation
of their families and household goods
when ordered from one post to another
This is an expense that must be met by
the officers or men; the government
transports merely officers and enlisted
men; not their families or personal eff
fects.
Not So Urgent in the Navy.
What is true of the army is equally true
of the navy, except as to the matter of
transportation. That item does not cut
much figure with either officers or men
on the warships. for it is impossible for
them to take their families with them and
1t is therefore seldom that their families
change residence The only instances are
" here officers are transferred from Amer
lean waters to the orient, or from the At
lantic to the Pacific, or vice versa. Some
times, under those conditions, if the trans
fer be a permanent one, it is necessary
to remove officers families, but there is
not the same reason for moving fami-
lies of enlisted men, for they are constant
ly subject to change of station. For this
reason there is not as great demand for
increased pay in the navy as in the
army, though more liberal salaries must
be allowed to keep the navy recruited to
its full strength, and insure a high class
of men.
AS the army is now conducted there is
scarcity of officers on active duty
Many regiments are sorely in need of COM
manders. This is due to the detail sys-
tenn, which appears to be necessary. In
the navy there are enough officers to COM
mand all the ships. and to carry on de-
tailed work, as well, for naval officefs
serve time at sea, and then have an
equal period of shore duty, during, which
time they can attend to departmental Or
other detail work. In the army there is
no such rotation. There are only enough
officers to fill out the various regiments
and staff positions. When any officer
goes on detail duty he leaves a vacancy in
his regiment or on the staff. Yet this de-
tail duty must be done by army men, The
consequence is that troops are not given
that attention they should have, and