The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1908-12-11

needs. Especial attention should be paid
10 development of the machine gun. A
iHis she5a ssFT1es corps should be estan,
soiaier mas far too much labor of q non
character to perform.
National Guard.
Now that the organized militia, the Ma
5ional Guard, has been Incorporated with
eile army as a part OF the national forces.
it behooves the government to do every
ieas s}ti aiency Thing IN lis power z to perfect r. + let
instruction and otherwise aided more lib
orally than heretofore. The continuous
oftlcers will ' be- ssse Metiia i in this c connes
ton. Such officers must be specially
lialned at service schools best to qualify
Guard. But the detailing of officers for
ut the service schools and for
duty with the National Guard entails de-
are already greatly depleted by detach-
in.nt Of officers for assignment to duties
4 bill is nov pending before the con-
sress creating a number of extra officers
in the army. which If passed, as it ought
trained as Instructors of National Guard
and assigned TO that duty. In case of
W. var ba II VII y be OF The h.. utmost IN lm y nt,,caS
troops.
a complete plan for organizing the great
body of volunteers behind the regular
army aud national guard when war has
given those VIC are endeavoring to pro-
mote rifle practice s." that our men, in
how 10 use the rifle. While teams repre-
senting the United States won the rife
and revolver CHAMPIONSHIPS OF the world
a OAtnS 4 p a " rnp1Gr in ~, n nd fhfc 1vaa,
II IS unfortunately true that the great
body OF our citizens shoot less and less
%e e ,,ls se's si de p na pee' s among ge s shna;p
boys. and indeed. among all classes, as
well as In the military services. BY every
Otherwise. may We be able 10 assist in
preserving the peace of the world. Fit to
nc h9ld 1b our own against the strong nations ions
carry to the. ends of the earth. Unpre-
pared. and therefore unfit. we mus, sit
protect others. or preserve peace. The
first step-in the direction of preparation
to avert war If possible. and to be fit for
men how TO shoot.
The Navy.
I approve the recommendations OF the
general board for the increase of the navy.
calling especial attention To the need of
additional d%estroyers and Golfers. and
above all, Of the four battieships. 1t is
desirable to complete as soon as possible
~ VI Siel pdSlIcSAlIRS VI AAiC US
existing type. The North Dakota. Della
ware. Florida and Utah will form the first
division OF this squadron. The four YES
sion. 1T will be an Improvement on the
first, the ships being Of the heavy, single
calieer. all big gun type. Al the vessels
should have The same tactical qualities.
that is, speed and turning circle, and as
near as possible these tactical Qualities
should be the same as is in the four YES
sells before named now being built.
l most earnestly recommend that the
general board be by law turned into a gen
eral staff. There is literally no excuse
reau organization OF the navy. The navy
should be treated as a purely military or
originated 20 the one object Of securing
military efficiency. Such military eff.
cheney can only be guaranteed In time of
war If there is the most thorough previous
preparation in time OF peace-a prepara-
ton, 1 may add, which will in all .proba-
billty prevent any need OF war. The sec
have as his official advisers q body OF line
officers who should themselves have the
power to pass upon and coordinate all the
work and all the proposals of the several
bureaus. A system OF promotion by mer-
it, either by selection or by exclusion, or
By :; i; both ont p re ehs on sh9old 9e , i%nnsr9 oasssnt
principle OF promotion by mere seniority is
Kept. 70 expect to get the best results from
old. and stay for too short a time, in the
higll command positions.
Two hospital ships should be provided.
The actual experience of the hospital ship
with the fleet in the Pacific has shown the
Invaluable work which such a ship does.
and has also proved that it is we'll to have
officer. AS was to be expected, all OF The
a%nticipations OF trouble from such a com
mand have proved completely baseless.
1t is as absurd to put a hospital ship under
a line officer as IL would be 10 put a hos
pital on shore under such q command.
This ought to have been realized before.
and fhara 10 no aNtl1Qa for. Failure n real
iZe it now.
Nothing better for the navy from every
cruise of the battle fleet around the world.
The Improvement of the ships in every
way has been extraordinary. and they
tactics than they would have gained if
they had stayed in the Atlantic waters
The American people have cause for pro
excellent condition of the fleet as shown
by this cruise. and in view of the improve
ment the cruise has worked in this al
there is any other service in the world
in which the average of character and
efficiency In the enlisted men Is as high as
is now the case in our own. I believe that
the same statement can be made as to our
officers, taken as a whole; but there must
the highest r~anks-as to which I ave al
ready spoken-and in regard to those who
AVE just entered the service: because we
do not now get full benefit from our eN-
cellent nava school at Annapolis. 1t is
absurd not to graduate the m~idship,nen as
ensigns; to keep them for two years in
such an anomalous position as at present
the law requires is detrimental to them
and to the service. In the academy. itself,
every first classman should be required in
his ability to discharge his duties as such
should he a prerequisite to his going into
the line. and his success in commanding
should largely determine his standing al
graduation. The board of visitors should
be appointed in January, and each mem
l1 ~,,{~ ~ 1t, RS 81
days service. only from one to three days
TO be performed during June week. which
is the least desirable time for the board tG
navy by their observations is concerned.
Theodore Roosevelt.
The White House. Tuesday, December 8,
1913