Weekly journal-miner., 1908-12-16

| Nlue the necessary military fort iGca. tons Tor the protection of the islands nut can not too strongly empaasige 'he need Of appropriations for these | purposes of such an amount as will within The shortest possible time make ,hose islands practically imprcgnable. it ls useless to develop the industrial conditions of the islands and establish there bases of supply for our naval ana merchant fleets unless we insure. as Tar as human ingenuity can, their safety from foreign seizure.
 The Philippines.
 Real progress toward self govern. inent IS being made in the Philippine Islands. T1e gathering of n Phillip pine legislative body and Philippine assembly marks a process absolutely new in Asia, not only as regards Asi ate colonies of European powers but as regards Asiatic possessions of other asiatic powers; and. indeed. always excepting the striking and wonderful example afforded by the great Empire or Japan. it opens an entirely new de. parture when compared with anything which has happened among Asiatic powers which are their own masters hitherto the Philippine legislature has acted with moderation and self. restraint. ad has seemed in practical fashion to realize the eternal truth that there must always be government and that the only way in which any body of individuals can escape the necessity of being governed by out sidcrs Is to show that they are able 'o restrain themselves, to keep down wrongdoing and disorder. The Fiji. pino people. through their officials. are therefore making real steps in the direction of government. Ali we can do IS io give them the opportunity to develop the capacity for self gov. crnmcnt. If we had followed the ad. vice of the foolish dOctrinaires who wished us at my time during the last ten years to turn the Filipino people adrift, we would have shirked the plaincst possible duty and have in. ilicted lasting wrong upon tne Fill pino people. We have acted in ex. actly the opposite spirit. We have given the Filipinos constitutional gov. ernment; government based upon justice; and we have shown that we have governed them for their good and
 
 present time. as during the past ten years. the incxorable logic of facts shows that this government must be supplied by us and not by them. We must be wise and generous: we must help the Filipinos to master the dini. cult art of sclfcontrol. which is sim. ply another name for self government. But we can not give them self.gov- crnment save in the sense of govern. ing them so that gradually they may. if they are able, learn to govern themselves.
 Porto Rico.
 again recommend that American citizenship bc conferred upon the pco. pie of Porto Rico.
 Cuba.
 In Cuba our occupancy will cease m about two months time; the Cubans have in orderly manner elected their own governmental authorities. and the island will he turned over to them. Our occupation on this occasion has lasted little over two years, and Cuba has thrivcn and prospered under it. Our earnest hope and one desire is that the people of the island shall now govern themselves with justice, so that peace and order may be secure.
 Tho Army.
 As regards the Army l call attention to the fact that while our junior off cers and enlisted men stand very high, the present system of promotion by seniority results in bringing into the higher grades many men of mediocre capacity who have but short time to serve. No man should regard it as his vested right to rise Co the high est rank in the Army any more than in any other profession. It is a euri. ous and by no means creditable fact that there should be SO often failure on the part of the public and its rep. resentatives to understand the great need, from the standpoint of the ser vice and the Nation, of refusing to promote respectable, elderly ineom petents The higher places should be given to the most deserving men with out regard to seniority; at least sem ioritv should be treated as only one consideration. In the stress of mod ern industrial competition no business firm could succeed if those responsible for its management were chosen sim ply on the ground that they were the oldest people in its employment; yet this is the course advocated as regards the army, and required by law for all grades except those of general officer. Az 4. ,nattar nf fact aIl of the hest