The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-12-09

In Cuba our occupancy will cease in about two months time: the Cubans have in orderly manner elected their own gov- ernmental authorities, and the Island will be turned over to them Our occupation on this occasion has lasted little over two years, and Cuba has thriven and prospered under it. Our earnest hope and one desire Is that the people of the island skall now govern themselves with jus tiee, so that peace and order may be se- cure. We will gladly help them to this end; but l would solemnly warn them to remember tho great truth that the only way a people can permanently avoid be- ing governed from without is to show that they both can and will govern them selves from within.
 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 exposition all that 1t should be made. The Ameri- can commissioners have visited Japan and the postponement will merely give ample opportunity for America to be represented at the exposition. Not since the first international exposition has there been one of greater importance than this will be, marking as 1t does the Both anniversary of the ascension to the throne of the Emperor of Japan. The extraordinary leap to a foremost place among the nations of the world made by Japan during this half cen tury is something unparalleled In all previous history. This exposition will fitly commemorate and signalize the giant progress that has been achieved. It is the first exposition of It's kind that has ever been held in Asia. The United States because of the ancient friend- ship between the two peoples, because each of us fronts on the Pacific, and because of the growing commercial re- lations between this country and Asia, takes a peculiar interest in seeing the exposition made a success in every way.
 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 cannot too strongly express it's appre- ciation 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 of ficers 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 1t as his vested right to rise to the highest rank in the army any more than in any other profession. It is a curious and by no means creditable fact that there sh ould be so often a failure on the part of the public and its representatives to under stand the great need, from the stand point of the service and the nation, of refusing to promote respectable, 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 competition no business firm could succeed if those responsible for it's management were oh osen simply 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. As matter of fact, all of the best of ficers in the highest ranks of the army are those who have attained their pres- ent position wholly or in part by process of selection.
 The scope of retiring boards should be extended so that they could consider general unftness 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 BHt this plan is recommended only if 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 a certain rank by certain age should be required-for instance, if a man should not attain field rank by the time he is 45 he should of course be placed on the retired list. General officers should be selected as at pres- ent, and one-third of the other promo tions should be made by selection, the selection to be made by the President or the Secretary of War from a list of at least two candidates proposed for each vacancy by a board of officers from the ar moi the service from which the promotion is to be made. A Dill is now before the Congress having for it's object to secure the promotion of officers to various grades at reasonable ages through a process of selection, by boards of officers. of the least efficient for retirement with a percentage of 
 service. The bill although not accom- plishing all that should be done, is a long step in the right direction; and I earnestly recommend its passage, or that of a more completely effective measure.
 The cavalry arm should be reorganized upon modern lines. This is an arm in which it is peculiarly necessary that the field officers should not be old. The cavalry is much more difficult to form than infantry and 1t should be kept up to the maximum both In efficiency and in strength for it cannot be made in a hurry. At present both infantry and ar tillery are too few in number for our needs. Especial attention should be paid to development of the machine gun. A general service corps should be estab- lished. As things are now the average soldier has far too much labor of nonmiltary character to perform,
 National Guard.
 Now that the organized militia. the na- tional guard has been incorporated with the army as part of the national forces 1t behooves the government to do every reasonable thing in its power to perfect It's efficiency. It should be as- sisted in its instruction and otherwise aided more literally than heretofore. The continuous services of many well-trained regular officers will be essential in this connection. Such officers must be spe- ciaily trained at service schools best to 1duality them as instructors of the na- tional guard. But the detailing officers for training at the service schools and for duty with the national guard entails detaching them from their regiments