Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1908-12-08

retired list General Ofhcers should
be selected as at present. and one
third of the other promotions should
be made by selection, the selection
to be made by the President or the
Secretary of War from list of at
least two candidates proposed FOR
each vacancy by a board of officers
from the arm of the service from
which the promotion Is to be made.
A bill is now before the Congress
having for its object to secure the
promotion of officers to various
grades at reasonable ages through
process of selection, by boards OF OH
GERS, OF the least efficient for retire.
ment with percentage OF their pay
depending upon length of service.
The bill. although not accomplish
ing all that should be done. Is
long step in the right directions; and
/ earnestly recommend its passage,
or that of more completely effec-
tive measure.
The cavalry arm should be reor-
ganized upon modern lines. This Is
an arm in which 1t Is peculiarly
necessary that the field officers should
not be old. The cavalry Is much
more difficult to form than infantrys
and II should be kept up to the
maximum both in efficiency and In
strength. for 1t can not be made in
hurry. At present both infantry
and artillery are too few In number
for our needs Especial attention
should he paid to development of the
machine gun. A general service
corps should be established. AS
things are now the average soldier
has far too much labor of nom
military character to perform.
NATIONAL GUARD.
Now that the organized militia,
the National Guard, has been incor-
porated with the army as part of
the national forces, 1t behooves the
Government to do every reasonable
thing in its power to perfect its ell
cheney. 1t should be assisted in its
instruction and otherwise aided more
literally than heretofore. The con-
tinuous services OF many well-train-
I'd regular officers will be essential
in this connection. Such officers must
be specially trained at service schools
best to qualify them as instructors
of the National Guard. But the de-
failing of officers for training at
the service schools and for duty with
tho National Guard entasls detachinp
them from THAR repiments which ara
already greatly depleted nv detach.
ment of officers for assignment to
duties prescribed nv acts of the
Congress.
A bill is now pending before the
Congress creating number of extra
officers in tho army. which ~ passed.
as A. ought IN no will enable NOR,
officers TO be trained AS instructors
of National Guard and assigned to
. that duty, In case of war II will
be of the utmost Importance to have
. a large number of trained officers
. to use for turning raw leyies into
, good troops.
: There should be legislation To pro.
> vide n complete plan for organizing
: the great BODY of volunteers behind
: the regular army and national guard
r when war has come. Congressional
, assistance should be given those who
9 are endeayoring TO promote rife prac-
b. tice so that our men. in the services
: or out of them, may know how to
, use the rifle. While teams repre-
: senting the United States won the
: rife and revolver CHAMPIONSHIPS OF
5 the world against all corners in Eng
I land this year. II is unfortunately
E true that the great body of our citi-
: zens shoot less and less as time goes
, on. To meet this we should encour-
5 age rifle practice among schoolboys,
q and indeed among all classes, as well
: as in the military services, by every
$ means in our power. Thus, and not
= otherwise. may we be able to assist
=. in preserving the peace of the world
Fit to hold our own against the
Y strong nations of the earth, our voice
Y for peace will carry to the ends o
a the earth. Unprepared. and there.
s fore unfit, we must sit dumb and
I helpless to defend ourselves. protect
: others. or preserve peace. The first
: step--in the direction of preparation
: to avert war; possible, and to be
@ fit for war II Il should come-is to
v teach our men to shoot.
Y THE NAVY.
I approve the recommendation OF
the General. Board for the increas.
: of the Navy. calling especial atten