The Holly chieftain., 1908-12-11

l trust that within gener,,,
the time will arrive when the Fiiininon
can decide for themselves whether +,
well for them to become independa,,
to continue under the protection ~
strong and diAinterested power. am Il
guarantee to the islands order at -
and protection from foreign invasion
Good Work Done in Cuba.
In Cuba our occupancy will Cease .
about two months time; the Cub.nn
have in orderly manner elected thatr -
governmental authorities. and the isIara
will be turned over to them Our CO.
patton on this occasion has lasted a II,
tie over two years. and Cuba has thri,,
en- and prospered under 1t. Our earnss,
hope and one desire Is that the peonIs
of the island shall now govern them.
selves with justice. 70 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 depatA
ment; he also points out the benefit |
derived from pure food legislation.
The National Guard.
Urging continued efforts to in.
crease the eniciency Of the Nationl.
Guard the president continues:
Now that the organized militia, tn.
National Guard. has been incorporated
with the army as q part of the national
forces, ii behooves the government to
do every reasonable thing in its power
to perfect its efficiency. 1t should be
assisted In its instruction and other
wise aided more literally than hereto
fore The continuous services of many
weIl-trained regular oficers will be
essential in this connection. A
bill is now pending before the
congress creating a number of extra
officers in the army. which IL 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 1t will be of the
utmost Importance to have a large
number of trained oficers to use for
turning raw levies into good troops.
The Army.
As regards the army 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 1t as his
vested right to rise to the highest rank
in the army any more than in anyS
other profession. 1t is curious andN
by no means creditable fact that there
should be SO often failure on the
part of the publio and its representa-
tives to understand the great need.
from the standpoint of the service and
the nation. of refusing to promote reA
spectacle. elderly tncompetents. Thd
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
il those responsible for its management
were chosen simply on the ground that
they were the oldest people in its en-
ployment; yet this Is the course advo-
Gated as regards the. army. and re-
quired by law for all grades except
of fact all of the best officers in the
highest ranks of the army are those
who have attained their present posi-
tion 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 mentalI
physical or temperamental disabilities.s
But this plan is recommended only IL
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 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 General officers 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 secretary of
war from a list of at least two candi-
dates proposed for each vacancy by
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 long step in
the right direction; and earnestly
recommend its 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 SO as to insure ample time
in which to prepare to make the expo
sition all that 1t should be made. Tho
American commissioners have 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
sition has there been one of greater
Importance than this will be. marking.
as 1t does, the f1ftieth anniversary OF
the ascension to the throne of the en-