Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1908-12-16


well for them to become independents, -
fsstronS and disinfef cd u6Sget. &ble to
sad protsciioh DO B fdrsi SIS yasion.
Rortb RICO.
a asaia reconineid thS American cit.
izenship % confssrsd dp6n the peopls Of
| Porto Rico.
In Cuba our occupancy win cease In
I about two months time; the Cubans
| have in orderly manner elected their own
| governmental 9uthprities and the Upland
| viii be turned over to them. Our occu-
| patton on, this occasion has TASTED q ait-
| tie over two years. and Cuba has ,thr1y-
EN- and prospefed 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.
Japanese Exposition. rss-
1.-THE JapaHse EbveTntn ahass post
/ Toned until as1A the date 81 ztAal great
Aternasipphe ekbpsftf6n, th8sA6kf5n he-
| ing takeA~so as to insure ample time
in which to prepare to make the expo
-sitio4 all that 1t should be made. The
American Commissioners have visited
Japan and the postponement will mere
/ lyt give -am9ieFs opPprtYaitS for Aineri-
| ca to be REPRESENTED at the exposition.
| Not since the first international expo
sition hasf fhete 6eenl PMS sof greater
the asee1sion eo sa9 throne q tkessl lD-
| peror of Japan. The extraordinary
l leap tosths IoretAos9 place arpong the
nations OF the world made by Japan
unparalleled In, alb pfayious. ihastdES.
1 take this opportunity publicly to
/ state my apprecia tion3 of the1way In
| which in Japan, In Australia, In New
Zealand. End In all the states or SohkA
| America, the battle fleet has been re-
| ceiyed on its practice voyage. around
the world. -sThe-Ameyfcan e government
bean not too strongly express IT'S apprs-
citation of the Astounding and generous
| Hospitality 3shown. our ships lin ever
port they visited.
( =. Il. The Army. r lssc
AS regards the army I call attention
to the fact that while our junior ON.
GERS and enlisted men stand very high,
the present system of promotion by
seniorityS results in bringing into the
| higher grades many men of mediocre
| capacity who have but short time to
serge. No man should regard it as his
| vested right to rise to the highest rank
-in:-the~efrny-any --mere--t hanzin-any
other profession. It is a curious and
I by no means creditaDies fact THAI there
| should be so often a failure on the
| 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-,
1spectable. elderly incompetents. The
higher places shouldf be, given to the
most deserving men without regard to
| seniority; at least senibritW should be
treated as only one constellation. In
the stress Of modern industrial com.
l. petition no business firm could succeed
7 if those responsible for it's management
| were chosen simply on the ground that
| they were the oldest people in its em-
| ployment; yet this is the course advo-
Gated as regards the army. and re-
quired by law for. all grades except
those OF general ofhcef. AS matter
of fact all Of the best officers in the
| highest ranks Off the army are those
| who have attained their present posi-
tton- ~hoilySor2ip part by-a process >of
| selection.
The scope Of retiring boards should
I5.bez extended 80 that. they eceuld I con-
| slider general unftness to command for
any cause, in order to secure far more
rigid enforcement than at present In
| the elimination of officers for mental,
| physical or temperamental disabilities
f-But this plan is recommended only IL
the congress does npt see hti to provide
what in my Judgment Is far -better.
! that is. for selection in promotion. and
fail to attain a certain rank by GER
tain age. should be retired-for in
stance. II man should not attain
field rank by the time he is As he
| should of course be placed on the re-
| tired list! Generals officers should be
selected as at SpreSent, and one-third
of the other promotions should be
made by selection, the selection to BIO
| made by the president or secretary OF
war from list of at least two candf-
dates proposed :fer eaGhSuacancy by
:lsboafd Of officers froTa the; .armrroS the
| service. from which the promotion Is
to be made: A Bill is Ii0Wi before the
/ congress having for it's object to se-
cure the promo ton of cfTieers*t6 4r6rf-
t-eus- grades at-reasonable-a ages through
a process of selection. by boards OF Of
fcerss Of the, least Efficient for retire.
ment with sas5percentage Of their pay
depending upon lenGtfagof service. The
blll, although not accomplishing ali
that should be DONE is a long step in
| the right direction; and 1 earnestly
recommend its passage, or that of q
more completely effective measure.
" National Quart.
Now that the Organized, militia, the
National Guard, has been incorporated
with the army as a. part.of the .patfoffal
forces. 1t behooves the government to
do every reasonable thing in it's power
to peEect its efficiency 1t should be
/ assisted in it's INSTRUCTION and other
wise aided more literally than hereto
fore. The continuous services Of many
| reg uIdT Do
esseptiRl e+aRe this sesnneGuop. ~. A
| Bill Is now pending beforS the
conSTeSs icFeatlng q number 6fsextra
ofhcfrs tr ths army. which IL passed.
as fl 6tEht 10 be- Wilt enaBl IL more
/ officers to be trained as instructors OF
National Guard and assigned to that
duty: In case of war it, Win be, of tho
/ utmost Importance to have a large
I number OF trained officers to use for
turning raw levies iHtokgood hf6ops
The, Naxy.L
| I approve the recommendations OF
the general board ;for the in
crease, of the navy, calling especial
/ attSJtX4Ef to the need +, f64f fAddt-
tiona1 destroyers and colliefsp ana @abovs
| all of the four .battleships It is desir-
a6ie to cehhbaete IA eS69N - %ptAEbfS
! eQuedren Of eight battlaships- of tina best
existing type