The news=record. [volume] (Enterprise, Wallowa County, Oregon) 1907-1910, 1907-12-12

The mainland. UnIese the IOHgTtss
pared by positive encouragement to secure
proper facilities in the way Of shipping be-
tween Hawaii and the mainland then the
laxed TO prevent Hawaii suffering as II
is now suffering. l again call your attention
TO the capital Importance from every stand
point of making Pearl Harbor available for
the largest deep-wattr vessels and OF suit
ably fortifying the island. |
The Secretary OF War mas gone to the Phil
ppines On his return l shall submit to you
l again recommend that the rights OF citi-
zenship be conferred upon the people OF Porto
A bureau OF mines should be created under
the control and direction OF the Secretary OF
the Interior; the bureau TO have power TO
collect statistics and make Investigations in
| all matters pertaining to mining and par
ticulary to the accidents and dangers OF the |
| industry. II this cannot now be done at
least additional appropriations should be given
study OF mining conditions for the prevention
of fraudulent mining schemes Tor carrying
on tne n wGpk on etho8 for minimiHIsg the ac
cidents and dangers in the INDUSTRY; In short;
call your especial attention to the un;;
satisfactory. condition OF our foreign mail
through foreign lines. and which, particularly
| so far as South and Central America are
| concerned. is done in manner which consti.
| tutes serious barrier to the extension or
| Not only there is not now. but there never
has been, any other nation in the world so
wholly free from the evils OF militarism as
Is ours. There never has been any other
large nation, not even China which for so
long a period has had relatively to Its num-
bers so small a regular army as has ours
Never at any time in our history has this
Nation suffered from militarism or been In
the remotest danger Of suffering from mill
tarism. Never at any time OF our history
has the regular Army been OF size wnlch
caused the slightest appreciable tax upon
the taxpaying citizens Of the Nation. AL
, most always 1t has been too small IN size
| nd n entire history
! has the Nation suffered in the least particu-
| lar because too much care has been given 10
the Army, too much prominence given IT,
: too much money spent upon 1t, or because 1t
l has been too large. But again and again we
have suffered because enough care has not
been given to It, because 1t has been too
small, because there has not been sunicient
preparation in advance for possible war.
Q Every foreign war in which we have en-
gagged has cost us many times the amount.
n which, IL wisely expended during the preced-
ing years OF peace on the regular Army
would have insured the war ending In but
: fraction Of the time and but for fraction
n | OF the cost that was actually the case. Al
) a Nation we have always been shortsighted
X In providing for the efficiency of the Army
e In time Of peace. 1t is nobody's especial in
v terest to make such provision and no one
o looks ahead to war at any period, no mat
: ter how remote. as being a serious posi-
! bility; while an improper economy, or rath
e er niggardliness can be practiced at the ex
= pense OF the Army with the certainty tina
u those practicing 1t will not be called to &C
|
d paid by the unfortunate persons who hap
g pen to be in office when war does actual!
III come.
Is Industry is always necessary. just as wa
is sometimes necessary. Each has It's price
and industry in the United states now ex
al acts. and has always exacted, n far heaVie
OF toll OF death than all our wars put 10
st gether The statistics of the railroads o
at this country for the year ended June ~
OF 1905, the last contained in the annual sta
ne tistical report of the Interstate Commerc
tie Commission. show in that one year tota
at of l0s,324 casualties to persons. of whic
DIS 10.6ls represent the number OF person
he killed. In that wonderful hive of huma
of activity, Pittsburg, the deaths due to indus
ny trial accidents in 1906 were 919, all the re-
he suit of accidents In mills, mines or on raj
as | roads. For the entire country. therefore,
he Is safe to say that the deaths due to indu'
"a trial accidents aggregate In the neighbo
pt hood OF 10000 year. Such record max
be the death rate in all our foreign wars u
as terly trivial by comparison. The number
ng deaths In battle in all the foreign wars p'
he together. for the last century and quartz
be aggregate considerably less than one year
raj death record for our Industries me
I'VE glance at these figures Is sufficient TO hho
full the absurdity Of the outcry against militia
lat ism.
an The Medical Corps should be much larg
the than the needs of our regular Army In WI
Yet at present 1t is smaller than the nee
ing Spanish war occurred less than ten yea
rch ago. The chief loss we suffered In II "
the by disease among the resments when me Nat hei
ea; seemed deeply impressed by this fact; ,
nei ,mJ seemingly It has already been forgotten
he' not the slightest effort has been made
lief to prevent the repetition Of the same d
OF aster on a much larger scale II we shol
WI ever be engaged in a serious conflict. 7
ted trouble In the Spanish War was not W
1ns nsn eT'nE Mas Mh the OF
ties of the people as whole who for the p
ers ceding 50 years. had declined to make u t
,er- ample provision is now made by Songr
,rk to put the Medical Corps where 1t should
Pnd n aTesi the respon.bility M will not lie with th
@ toh then in charge Of the War Department,
,ys- with those who now decline to make
age But the Medical Department Is not
hem only department for which S increased ~ ID p
Ses ees, the Officers should be greatly inereas
c'il, IN there Is no higher type of citizen than
the American regular officer and he e., sho, o
etWt | There sh hould be a relatively even grea
isu nO1d Increase in the pay for the enlisted men
for especial provision should be made for est
rnst fishing grades equivalent to those OF W
uaIs rant officers in the Navy which should
ing. hs. Scientiy long and who do their work W
I've | Inducements should he offered sufficient
ros- encourage really good men to make
,staI Army life occupation The prime me-
re- | OF our present Army IL to secure and ret
mu- competent noncommssoned officers T
difficulty rests fundamentally on the gu
con- tion of pay.
ON The noncommissioned officer does not c
-cels respond with an unskllled laborer, ne cor
here sponds to the best type OF skilled workn
ary or to the subordinate official in civil In
ad- tutons. Wages have greatly Increased
OBJ outside occupations IN the last 40 years
ions the pay OF the soldier, like the pay Of
meT | Officers should be proportionately increai
!; It The first sergeant of company .,,it,,o II 9
and | administrative ability. and such knowle
the OF his trade as to be worth far more Il
nut we at present pay him. The same Is
OF the regimentaI sergeant major. TT
, or men should be men who had fully resol
bar TO make the Army life occupation
re- | they should be able to look forward
'ern- ample reward; whlle only men prop
ghts qualified should be given chance to sec
IS OF these nnal rewards. The Increase over
present pay need not be great In the 10
grades for the first one two enlistme
year but the increase should be marked for
SELF noncommissioned officers of the VI
npie grades who serve long enough to max
siDie SIDE evident that they Intend to stay per
nan ncntly in the Army. while additional
TIid should be given for high qualifications
n OF target practice
alton Among the officers there should be
, the we're examinations to weed out the
tives up to the grade Of Major. From that
laws sition on appointments should be solely
uliar selection and It should be understood
at n man of merely average capacity ci
'rmit mover get beyond the position OF Ma
pun while every man who serves in any ~
,anS a certain length OF time prior to promo
d., | to the next grade without getting the
nos motion 10 the next grade should be 10
stab | with retired The practice marches
and field maneuvers Of the last two or q