The Washington times., 1908-12-08
SHOULD BE FIXED.


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 pres
ent in the elimination Of officers FOR
mental physical, or Iemperamental dis
abilities. But this plan is recommended
only If the Congress does not see lit
To provide what in my judgment Is
far better. that Is. TO- selection m pro
motion, and for elimination for age
Officers who fail 10 attain a certain
rank By a certain age should be re-
tired-for instance. if man should
not attain field rank by the time he
is fOrty-hve he should, OF course. be
placed on the retired list
General officers should be selected as
at present. ami Onc-third of the other
promotions should be made by selec-
tion. the selection 10 be made by the
President or the Secretary Of war from
a list Of at least two candidates pro-
posed for each vacancy by board OF
officers from the arm OF the service
from which the promotion IS To be
made.
A bin is now before the Congress hav-
ing for its object 10 secure the pro-
motion Of offic rs to va TlOus grades az
reasonable ages through process ID.
selection by boards Of Officers, OF Jhe
least efficient for retirement with =
percentage Of their pay Depending upon
length OF service. The bin. aitnDu-
not accomplishing all tha, should be
done, is a long step IN the right dlrec-
tiOn: and / earnestly recommend JUS
passage, or that OF a more coWple-tis
The cavalry arm should be reorgan-
lied upon modern lines This Is an arm
in which IL is peculiarly necessary that
the field officers should not be old
The cavalry Is much more difficult %
form than infantry, and II should pe
kept uD to the maximum both IN efhcl-
ency and In strength, for IL can not be
made IN a hurry. At present both in
fantry and artillery are tCC few in num-
ber for our needs. ESPECIAL attention
should be paid to development or the
machine gun
tablished. As things are now the av-
erage soldier has far too much labor
Of a nonmiIitary character 70 perform
THE NATIONAL GUARD.
Now that the organized militia, the
National Guard, has been incorporated
with the army as a part Of the national
forces, L behooves the Government "a
do every reasonable thing IN its power
TO perfect its efficiency. L should be
assisted in its instruction and otherwise
aided more literally than heretofore
The continuous services Of many we'll
trained regular officers viii be essen
tial in this connection SUCH O-ncers
must be specially trained at service
schools best To qualify them as instruct
ors OF the National Guard
But the detailing Of officers for train
ing at the service schools and for duty
with the National GiaTd entails detach-
ing them from their regiments which
are already greatly depleted by detach-
ments of officers for assignment tC
duties prescribed by acts OF the Cen
grfSS.
4 bill is now pending before the Con
gresS creating a number Of extra of
ficers in the army, which if passed
as it ought TO be- VIII enable more Of
ficers to be trained as instructors OF
National Guard and assigned to thai
duty. In case OF war 1t viii be OF the
utmost importance 10 have a larEr
number Of trained officers to use FOL
turning raw levies into good troopers
There should be legislation to pro-
vide a complete plan for organizing the
great body of volunteers behind the
regular army and National Guard
when war has come. Congressional as
sistance should be given those who are
endeavoring 20 promote rifle practice
50 that our men, in the services or out
OF them, may know how to use the
rife While teams representing the