Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1908-12-11

to continue under the protection of q
strong and disinterested power. able to
guarantee to the islands order at homo
and protection from foreign invasion.
Porto Rico.
again recommend that American cit
izenship be conferred upon the people of
Porto Rico.
Cuba.
In Cuba our occupancy will cease In
about two months time; the Cubans
have in orderly manner elected their own
governmental authorities, and the island
will be turned over to them. Our occu-
patton on this occasion has lasted lit
tie over two years. and Cuba has thriv-
en- and prospered under II. Our earnest
hope and one desire is that the people
of the island shall now govern them
selves with Justice, so that peace and or
der may be secure.
Japanese Exposition.
The Japanese government has post
poned until 1917 the date of the great
international exposition, the action be-
ing taken so as to insure ample time
in which to prepare to make the expo
sition all that 1t should be made The
American commissioners have visited
Japan and the postponement will mere
ly give ampler opportunity for Ameri-
ca to be represented at the exposition.
Not since the first international expo
sitlon has there been one of greater
Importance than this will be. marking.
| as 1t does the fftieth anniversary of
| the ascension to the throne of the en-
| 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.
take this opportunity publicly to
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 its practice voyage around
| the world. The American government
| can not too strongly express it's appre-
| citation of the abounding and generous
| hospitality shown our ships in every
| port they visited
The Army.
AS regards the army I call attention
to the fact that while our Junior ofi-
| GERS and enlisted men stand very high.
| the present system of promotion by
seniority results in bringing into tho
| higher grades many men of mediocre
| capacity who have but a short time to
serve, No man should regard 1t as his
| vested right to rise to the highest rank
| in the army any more than in any
| other profession. 1t is a curious and
| by no means creditable fact that there
| should be so often a failure on the
| part of the public and it's representa-
| tives to understand the great need,
| from the standpoint of the service and
| 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 be
| treated as only one consideration. In
| the stress of modern industrial com-
| petition no business firm could succeed
IL those responsible for its management
| were chosen simply on the ground that
| they were the oldest people in it's en-
| 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 a matter
| of fact all of the best officers in the
| highest ranks of the army are those
who have attained their present posi-
tion wholly or in part by a process OF
selection.
The scope of retiring boards should
| be extended so that they could con-
slider general unfitness 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 tempePamental 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 a GER
tain age. should be retired-for in
stance, IL a man should not attain
field rank by the time he is As 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 to be
made by the president or secretary of
war from a list of at least two candi-
dates proposed for each vacancy by
board of officers from the arm of the
service from which the promotion is
to be made. A bill is now before the
congress having for its object to Sc
cure the promotion of officers to vari-
GUS grades at reasonable ages through
a process of selection. by boards of Of
hcers, of the least efficient for retire.
ment with a percentage of their pay
depending upon length of service. The
bill. although not accomplishing all
that should be done, is a long step in
the right direction; and earnestly
recommend its passage, or that OF n
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
| do every reasonable thing in its power
to perfect it's efficiency. 1t should be
assisted in its instruction and other
wise aided more literally than hereto
fore. The continuous services of many
well-trained regular officers will be
essential in this connection A
bill is now pending before the
congress creating number of extra
officers in the army, which II passed.
as 1t ought to be. will enable more
officers to be trained as instructors OF
National Guard and assigned to that
duty. In case of war 1t will be of the
utmost Importance to have q 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 addi-
tional destroyers and colliers, and above
ALL of the four battleships. 1t is desir-
able to complete soon as possible a
squadron of eight battleships of the best
existing type.
most earnestly recommend that the
general board be by law turned into a
general staff. There is literally no ex-
! "a fnr nnnIlnulLR the