Woodruff County news. [volume] (McCrory, Ark.) 1901-1910, 1908-12-10

| the time will arrive when the Filtpinos
| can decide for themselves whether it is
| well for them to become independent, or
| to continue under the protection of a
| strong and disinterested power, able to
| guarantee to the islands order at home
and protection from foreign invasion.
Good Work Done in Cuba.
In Cuba our occupancy will cease in
about two months time; the Cubans
| have in orderly manner elected their own
| governmental authorities, and the island
will be turned over to them. Our occu-
| patton on this occasion has lasted lit
| tie over two years, and Cuba has thirty
| en- and prospered under it. Our earnest
| hope and one desire is that the people
| of the island shall now govern them
| selves with justice, so that peace and or
| der may be secure.
The president urges that national
parks adjacent to national forests be
placed under the control of the forest
service of the agricultural depart
ment; he also points out the benefits
derived from pure food legislation.
The National Guard.
Urging continued efforts to in
crease the efficiency of the National
Guard the president continues:
|
| National Guard. has been Incorporated
with the army as part of the national
| forces, it behooVeS the government to
| do every reasonable thing in it's power
to perfect it's efficiency. 1t should be
assisted in its instruction and other
wise aided more literally than hereto
fore. The continuous services of many
| well trained regular officers will be
essential in this connection. A
bill is now pending before the
| congress creating a number of extra
officers in the army, which if passed,
| as it ought to be, will enable more
| officers to be trained as instructors of
| National Guard and assigned to that
| duty. In case of war it will be of the
| utmost Importance to have a large
| number of trained officers to use for
turning raw levies into good troops.
The Army.
AS regards the army I call attention
| to the fact that while our junior off,
| GERS 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 it 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
| part of the public and it's representa-
| tives to understand the great need.
| from the standpoint of the service and
the nation, of refusing to promote re-
| spectacle, 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 COM
| petition no business firm could succeed
! if those responsible for it's mana cement
| were chosen simply on the ground that
| they were the Oldest people in it's en-
| ployment; yet this is the course advo-
| Gated as regards the army and re-
| CURED by law for all grades except
| those of general officer. AS a matter
| of fact all of the best officers in the
| highest ranks of the army are those
| who have attained their present posi-
| ton wholly or in part by process of
| selection.
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 present in
| the elimination of officers for mental,
| physical or temperam entail disabilities.
| But 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 a GER
| tain age, should be retired-for in
| stance. if a man should not attain
| field rank by the time he is IS he
| should of course be placed on the re-
| tired list. General officers should be
| selected as at present, and one-thrd
| of the other promotions should be
| made by selection, the selection to be
made by the president or secretary OF
! war from a list of at least two candi-
1lof fA,~ oh 1Nxr
! 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 Sc
! cure the promotion of officers to Vari-
| GUS grades at reasonable ages through
| a process of selection. by boards of Of
| ficers. of the least efficient for retire.
| ment with a percentage of their pay
| depending upon length of service The
| bill. although not ACCOMPLISHING all
| that should be done. is a long step in
| the right direction; and / earnestly
recommend it's passage, or that of
! more completely effective measure.
Japanese Exposition.
The japanese government has post
| poned until 1917 the date of the great
| international exposition, the action be-
| ing taken as to insure ample tims
in which to prepare to make the expo
sition all that it should be made. Tho
American commissioners nave visited
Japan and the postponement will mere
ly give ampler opportunity for Ameri-
ca to be represented at the exposition.
Not since the first international expo
siton has there been one of greater
Importance than this will be, marking,
as it does. the fiftieth anniversary OF
the ascension to the throne of the en-
peror of Japan. The extraordinary
leap to the foremost place among the
nations of the world made by Japan
during this half century is something
unparalleled in all previous history.
Fer More War Vessels.
The navy is the last subject dealt
with. In that connection the presi-
dent says;
l approve the recommendations of
the general board for the in
crease of the navy. calling especial
attention to the need of addi-
tional destroyers and golfers, and above
all, or the four battleships. 1t is desir-
able to complete as soon as possible a
squadron of eight battleships of the best
existing type.
1 most earnestly recommend that the
general board be by law turned into a