Fort Mill times. [volume] (Fort Mill, S.C.) 1892-current, 1908-12-10

any otnCF group CT So.,':fricS. These
countries will want cur products III
greatly increased quantities. and we
shall corrcspond.nely need theirs
The International bureau OF The Am
crican Republics is dong a useful
work in making these nations and
their resources better Lnown 10 us
and In ncqaain;ine thoni rot orIy
with us ssi o pcoplo and with our
purposes towards them. brt with
what we have 10 exchange fer their
goods. II is an International insti-
tution supported bv oil the govern
ments Of the two Americas.
Panama Canal.
The work on the Panama Canal
is being done with speed. efficiency
and entire devotion TO duty. which
make it mcdol for all work of the
kind. No task of such magnitude has
ever before been undertaken by any
nation; and no task of the k'rd has
ever been better performed. The men
on the Isthmus. from Colonel Goe-
thals and his fellow commissioners
through the entire list of employees
who are faithfully doing Their duty
have won their right to the umyrudg-
ing respect and gratitude cf TIE Am
orican people.
Ocean Mail Iires.
/ again ommend the extension
of the ocean mail act of 1891 30 that
satisfactory American ocean Ines Ia
South America. Asia the PHILIPPINES.
and Australia may b, established
The creation of such steamship lines
should be the natural oorolln~v of the
voyage of the battle fleet. 1t should
precedc the opening of the Panama
Canal. Even under favorable con
ditions several years must elapSe be-
fore such lines can be put into opera
ton. Accordingly / urge that the
Congress act promptly where fore
sight already shows that action soon
er or later will be inevitable.
The Army.
AS regards the Amy | call atten-
ton TO the fact that while our Junior
officers and enlisted men stand very
high. the present systci, Of promo
tion by seniority result: N bringing
into tho higher grades many men OF
mediocre opacity who have but c
short time 10 serve. No man shculc
regard i; as his vested right 10 rise
10 the highest rank in the Arm any
more than i'll anv other professon
it is curious and by no means cred.
liable fact that there should be SC
often failure on the part of the
public nnd its representatives to mn
ferstand the great need. frcm the
standpoint Of the service nnd the Ma.
tion. of refusing to promote respect
able. elderly incompetcnts. The
higher places should be given to the
most deserving men without regard
10 seniority; at least seniority should
be treated as only one consideration
In the stress of modern industritl
competition no business firm could
succeed if these responsible for It's
management were chosen simply or
the ground that they were the oldest
people i'll its employment; vet this is
The course advocated as regards the
army. and required 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 position wholly or in
part by process Of selection.
The Navy.
/ approve the recommendation of
the General Board for the increase of
the Navy, calling especial attention
TO the need Of additional destroyers
and oolliers. and above all. of the
four battleships. 1t is desirable to
complete as son as possible n squad
ron of eight battleships of the best
existing type. The North Dakota,
Delewnre. Florida and Utah Will form
the first oP this squadron. The four
vessels proposed will form the second
division. 1t will be an improvement
on the first, the ships being of the
heavy, single caliber, all big gun
type. All 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
vessels before named now being
built
The American people have cause
@c' PfpApuiI.E SIutIItcdi.Ol, DOIn ln
view Of the oxceilent condition of the
feet as shown BIZ this cruise and in
view Of the improvement the cruise
has worked in this already high con.
dit!on. do not believe that there is
eny other servieo IN the world in
which the average OF character nnd
efficiency ~ the enlisted men is as
high Gs 10 now the case In our own.
/ believe that the same statement can
be made as TO our officers, taken as O
whole; but there must be a rcscrva-
ton made in regard TO those in the
highest ranks--as TO which have al
ready spoken-and in regard 10 those
who have Just entered ( service {;
because we do not now gc; full bcne-
iii frcm our excellent naval school
at Annapolis. 1t is absurd not to
graduate the midshipmen 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 aca-
DENY itself, every first classman
should be required in turn to serve
as petty officer and officer: his ab:l-