Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-12-03
The Message of the President to the Sxeth Congress-

are necessary so that the navy may be
fOotloose.
Must Be Kept Together.
In time of war there Is sure to be de-
rnand under pressure of fright, for the
SHIPS to be scattered so as to defend al
KIND OF ports. Under penalty Of terrible
disaster, this demand must be refused
me ships must be kept together. and
tneir objective made the enemies feet
Iortlncat1ons are sufficiently strong, nc
modern navy will venture to attack them
50 long as the foe has in existence q
hostile navy Of anything like the same
size or efficiency. But unless there EXISTS
sucn a navy then the Notifications are
powerless by themselves to secure the VIC
Tory. For. OF course, the mere deficiency
ne Means tnat any resolute enemy can at
ms leisure combine all his forces upon
one point with the certainty that he can
take it. ~--'
Until our battle fleet is much larger
IMAM at present it should never be split
INTO mo, detachments so far apart that they
could not in event of emergency be
speedily united. Our coast line is on the
racine just as much as on the Atlantic
The interests of California, Oregon and
washington are as emphatically the in
terests of the whole Union as those of
Maine and New York, of Louisiana and
Texas.
The battle fleet should now and then he
moved to the Pacific, just rs at Other
t ZINES 1T should be kept in the Atlantic.
Wnen the 1sthmian canal is built the tran
sit of the battle fleet from one ocean to
the other will be comparatively easy I'm
III 1t is built l earnestly hope that the
nattle fleet will be thus shifted between
me Two oceans every year or two. The
craftsmanship on all our ships has i'm
proved phenomenally during the last five
years. Until within the last two or three
years 1t was not possible to train a battle
meet IN squadron maneuvers under service
conditions, and it is only during these last
two or three years that the training under
these conditions has become really ef-
| fective
| Another and most necessary stride in
advance is now being taken. The battle
Magellan to visit the Pacific coast Six
teen battleships are going under the COM
mand of Rear Admiral Evans. while eight
armored cruisers and two other battle
ships will meet him at San Francisco,
whittier certain torpedo destroyers are
also going, No fleet of such size has ever
made such voyage. and it will be of very
great educational use to all engaged in it.
The only way by which to teach officers
and men how to handle the feet so as
to meet every possible strain and emer-
gency In time of war is to have them
practice under similar conditions in time
OF peace. Moreover, the only way to
ilnd out our actual needs is to perform in
time Of peace whatever maneuvers might
be necessary in time of war
After war is declared it is too late to
find out the needs; that means to invite
disaster. This trip to the Pacific will
show what some of our needs are and will
enable us to provide for them. The proper
place for an officer to learn his duty is
at sea. and the only way in which a
navy can ever be made efficient is by
practice at sea, under all the conditions
which would have to be met If war ex-
listed.
Close to American Hearts.
I bespeak the most liberal treatment for
the officers and enlisted men of the navy
1t Is true of them, as likewise of the Of
ficers and enlisted men Of the army,
that they form a body whose interests
should be close to the heart of every
good American. In return the most rigid
performance of duty should be exacted
from them. The reward should be ample
when they do their best: and nothing less
than their best should be tolerated. It is
idle to hope for the best results when
the men in the senior grades come to
those grades late in life and serve too
short a time in them. Up to the rank
of lieutenant commander promotion in
the navy should be as now. by seniority,
After the grade of lieutenant COM
mander, that is, when we come to the
grade Of command rank, the unfit should
be eliminated in sucfomanner that only
sea service should be principal test of
fitness. Those who are passed by should.
after certain length of service In their
respective grades be retired. OF given
number of men it may well be that al
most all would make good lieutenants and
most of them good lieutenant command
ers, while only a minority will be fit to
be captains. and but three or four to be
admirals. Those who object to promotion
otherwise than by mere seniority should
reflect upon the elementary fact that no
business in private life could be success
fully managed If those who enter at the
lowest rungs of the ladder should each in
turn, if he lived. become the head of the
firm, its active director, and retire after
he had held the position a few months.
On it's face such scheme Is an absurdity.
Chances for improper favoritism can be
minimized by a properly formed board;
such conscientious and excellent work in
elimination.
Time for Beginning.
If all that ought to be done cannot
now be done, at least let a beginning be
made. In my last three annual mes
sages, and in a special message to the
last Congress. the necessity for legisla-
ton that will cause officers Of the line
of the navy to reach the grades Of cap
tain and rear admiral at less advanced
ages and which will cause them to have
more sea training and experience in the
highly responsible duties Of those grades
SO that they may become thoroughly
skillful in handling battleships, divisions,
squadrons and fleets in action, has been
fully explained and urgently recommend
cd Iynnn this cllhipct the Secretary nf
the Navy has submitted detailed and
cAved my approval, and which, If en-
Immediately necessary. and will, as COM
Of more than 100000 during the next
seven years. The navy personnel act of
1899 has accomplished all that was ex-
pected of it in providing satisfa Glory
periods of service in the several subordi-
nate grades. from the grade of ensign to
the grade of lieutenant commander. but
the law is inadequate in the upper grades
and will continue to be inadequate on
account of the expansion Of the per-
sonnet since its enactment. Your at
tention is invited to the following quota
tions from the report Of the personnel
board of 1906, of which the assistant
secretary Of the navy was president:
Congress has authorized considerable
increase in the number of midshipmen
at the Naval Academy. and these mid
shipmen upon graduation are promoted
to ensign and lieutenant Uunior grade).
But no provision has been made for a