The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1908-11-25
NAVAL OFFICERS MUST WALK.

NAVAL OFFICERS MUST WALK.
President Roosevelt, having deter
mined that the army officers must
ride or walk, and thus give proof Of
their physical ability TO appear IN bat
tie, has now turned his attention to
the officers of the navy. lie has ordered
a walking test for them which will di-
rect that "every officer on the active
list OF the navy shall take a fifty
mile walk, the distance 10 be covered
In three consecutive days, and not more
than twenty hours to be consumed, -
That would be walking at the rate of
two miles and half an hour. Not an
unreasonable gait to be sure, but still
one that would make an officer not ac-
customed to much walking "stretch
himself Naval officers AT homo will
DC required to make the test at the sta
tions where they are. Those attached
to ships on. foreign stations will be re-
qUired to make the test at the first port
made by tho vessel to which they are
attached. This viii clearly be a
great hardship on some of the officers;
on those, for instance, whose ships will
arrive at ports in the torrid parts of
the earth. It would be an absolute
cruelty TO compel an officer 10 undergo
q fifty-mile walk under a torrid sun,
with the probability that number of
such officers would be disabled III the
attempt, And how ridiculous it would
appear for naval officers to be wander
ing around In strange country on test
walks at such foreign ports as they
might touch They would be the OBJ
iect of ridicule and commiseration, if
not derision to every one who knew Of
their sad case.
The order is received with much
ridicule and objection in various
quarters The Springfield (Mnssa-
chusetts) Republican, commenting upon
it editorially, has this to say;
The president is indulging in more Of
his physical test nonsense in ordering
that all naval officers shall take a fifty
mile walk TO prove their physical fitness
one time predicted the estabiishment of
q diving and swimming test in the navy,
but the nfty-nile walk on shore is now
preferred, 1t is fortunate for Fighting
Bob" Evans. who has a crippled foot,
that the president waited until after his
retirement before establishing the pedes-
trian endurance stunt for rear -admirals.
as well as for midshipmen and second
lieutenants. Had II been enforced against
Fighting Bob he could never have been
permitted TO take the fleet around South
America 70 the Pacific coast. 1t Is very
RI 01ir raj "a asr,1f io
SO years old when he fought mis- way into
Mobile bay with the federal feet. could
not have walked ffty miles in three sue
cessive days Just before his last great
victory. George Dewey had entered upon
his 6lst year when he smashed the sim
ish squadron at Manila: could he have
when he was ordered 10 sail from Hong
Kong? Who knows? The army and navy
Will heave deep signs OF relief when Mr.
Taft reaches the White house AT least
understand that subjectlng officers of all
ranks and ages and branches of tho serv-
Ice TO the same Identical tests In physical
endurance Is unreasonable, and that ma
turcd judgment, experience and special
training in an officer OF either the army
or the navy may be more valuable TO his
gov eminent than leg action or ability to
ride smartly certain distance across
So far as we have observed, the order
uaS HOI NtI uccn pIoWuGdIE-i Nv INC ]
Secretary Of tho Navy. But before di-
recting that the order be issued, Presi- !
dent Roosevelt is said to have written
to Secretary Metealf, asking if there
was any good reason why the officers
Of the navy should not be compelled |
TO demonstrate their physical fitness. !
Mr.. Metcalf couldn Z think of any
reason, and the order, which will be |
presently promulgated, followed.
We wonder if this order had any.
thing TO do with the i'll health of Sec. |
retary Metcalf which led TO his resip. |
nation. We should think that it
fairly might bring a severe spell of in
upon any officer whose |
fate it might be to have the require
nent put upon him to promulgatc any (
such nonsersical stuff Whatever /
reasons there might be for showing the !
ability Of line officers TO walk and of
ield or cavalry officers to ride, there !
IS certainly no reason TO compel officers
of the navy to take ffty-mile walks. /
If the President desired to provide any [
physical test for the officers of the
navy, clearly he should have done it
IN some line connected with the sea or
MAJ tLelr duties. lie might have re-