Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1908-12-11

to continue under the protection Of A
strong and disinterested power. able ~
guarantee to the islands order ct honnoi
and protection from foreign invasion.
Porto Rico.
again recommend that American cioss
izenship be conferred upon tho peopls Cd
Porto Rico.
In Cuba our occupancy win ceaso 81
about two months time: the CubanS
have in orderly manner elected their oWl
governmental authorities. and the lslanA
will be turned over to them. Our ooc0a
patton on this occasion has lasted . NJ
tie over two years, and Cuba has thltVS
en- and prospered, under Il. Our earnoG9
hope and one desire IL that the pss0oA
OF the island shall now govern theue
selves with Justice, 70 that peace and d
der may be secure.
Japanese Exposition.
The Japanese government has posG@
poned until 1917 tho date Of the great
international exposition. the action BE-
ing taken so ~ to insure ample time
in which to prepare to make the expo>
sition all that it should be made. The
American commissioners have visito1
Japan and the postponement viii mere$
ly give ampler opportunity for Amer1>
ca to be represented At the exposition.
Not since the first international oxpos
sition has there been one Of GreateQ
importance than this will be. marking.
Al it does, the f1ftieth anniversary al
the ascension to tho throne of the enc
peror of Japan. The extraordinary
leap to the foremost place among the
nations of the world made by Japan
during this half century is something
unparalleled in all previous history
I take this opportunity publicly T.
state my appreciation of the way in
which in Japan, in Australia. in New
Zealand, and in all the states Of South
America, the battle fleet has been re-
ceived on it's practice voyage around
the world. The American government
can not too strongly express its appro>
citation of the Astounding and generous
hospitality shown our ships in everH
port they visited.
The Army. I
AS regards the army call attention.
to the fact that while our junior od1>
GERS and enlisted men stand very high.
the present system Of promotion BIZ
seniority results in bringing into tho
higher grades many men Of mediocre
capacity who have but q short time to
serve. No man should regard it ~ his
vested right to rise to the highest rank
In the army any more than In any
other profession. It is curious ana
by no means creditable fact that there
should be so often failure on the
part Of the public and it's represented
tives to understand the great need!
from the standpoint OF the service ana
the nation of refusing to promote re.
spectacle. elderly incompetents. The
higher places should be given to the
most deserving men without regard to
seniority; at least seniority should ba
treated as only one consideration. II
the stress of modern industrial come
petition no business firm could succeed
if those responsible for it's management
were chosen simply on the ground that
they were the Oldest people in it's enc
ployment; yet this is the course advo>
Gated as regards the army, and re-
quired by law for all grades except
those of general officer. AS matter
of fact all of the best officers in the
highest ranks Of the army are those
who have attained their present posi-
ton wholly or in part by a process OF
selection.
The scope of retiring boards should
be extended so that they could con-
slider general unfitncss to command for
any cause, in order to secure a far more
rigid enforcement than at present in
the elimination of officers for mental.
physical or temperamental disabilities.
But this plan is recommended only il
the congress does not see fit to provide
what in my Judgment is far better.
that is, for selection in promotion. and
for elimination for age. Officers who
fail to attain certain rank by q GER
tain age. should be retired-for in>
stance, if a man should not attain
field rank by the time he is Is he
should of course be placed on the re-
tired list. General officers should be
selected as at present. and one-third
Of the other promotions should be
made by selection. the selection 10 bo
made by the president or secretary Of
war from a list OF at least two candi>
dates proposed for each vacancy by q
board of officers from the arm of the
service from which the promotion IL
to be made. A bill Is now before the
congress having for its object to So
cure the promotion of officers to vari-
Gus grades at reasonable ages through
a process of selection. by boards of OF
icers, of the least efficient for retire.
ment with a percentage of their pay
depending upon length Of service Tho
bill. although not accomplishing all
that should be done, is a long step in
the right direction; and I earnestly
recommend it's passage, or that Of q
more completely effective measure.
National Guard.
Now that the organized militia, the
National Guard, has been Incorporated
with the army as part OF the national
forces. it behoOves the government to
GO every reasonable InlNS IN lIS power
to perfect it's efficiency 1t should b
assisted in it's instruction and other
wise aided more literally than hereto
fore. The continuous services OF many
well-trained regular officers will b
essential in this connection. A
bill is now pending before the
congress creating a number of extra
officers in the army, which If passed,
as it ought to be, will enable moro
officers to be trained as instructors Of
National Guard and assigned to that
duty. In case Of war it will be Of the
utmost importance to have a large
number of trained officers to use for
turning raw levies into good troops.
The Navy. !
approve the recommendations Of
the general board for the in.
crease of the navy, calling especial
attention to the need OF addt-
tional destroyers and GOLFERS, and above
ALL of the four battleships. 1t is desir-
able to complete as soon as possible 4
squadron of eight battleships of the best
existing type. |
I most earnestly recommend that the
general board be by law turned into q
general staff. There is literally no ex-;
yhofo no