Warren sheaf., 1908-12-10

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smucn LABOR q = nonrn1l charactsr
to perform.
National Guard.
Now that the organized militia the
National Guard, has been incorporated
with the army as part of the national
forces. 1t behooVes the government to
do every reasonable thing IN its power
to perfect its efficiency. 1t should be
assisted in It's instruction and other
wise aided more literally than hereto
fore. The continuous services Of many
well-trained regular of11cers will be 4
essential in this connection. Such Of
hcers must be specially trained at ser
vice schools best to qualify them as
instructors Of the NATIONAL Guard. But
the detailing Of officers for training at
the service schools and for duty with
the National Guard entails detaching
them from their regiments which are
already greatly depleted by detach-
ment Of officers for assignment to du-
ties prescribed by acts Of the congress-.
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.
There should be legislation to pro-
vide complete plan for organizing the
great body Of volunteers behind the
regular army and National Guard
when war has come. Congressional ass
sistance should be given those who
are endeavoring to promote rifle prac-
A{a1 4 IL.
out Of them, may know how to use
the rifle. While teams representing
the United States won the rifle and re-
volver erschampionships Of the world
against all comers In England this
year, 1t Is unfortunately true that the
great body Of our citizens shoot less
and less as time goes on. To meet this
we should encourage rife practice
among schoolboys, and indeed among
all classes, as well as in the military
services, by every means in our pow
er. Thus, and not otherwise, may we
be able to assist in preserving the
peace Of the world. Fit to hold our
own against the strong nations of the
earth, our voice for peace will carry
to the ends of the earth. Unprepared,
and therefore unfit, we must sit dumb
and helpless to defend ourselves, pro-
tect others, or preserve peace. The
first step-in the direction OF prepara-
ClOu TO avert war POSSIBLE, anu TO DC
fit for war II it should come-is to
teach our men to shoot
The Navy. @.,g
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 colliers, and above
all, of. the four battleships. It is desir
able to complete as soon as possible a
squadron of eight battleships Of the best
existing type The North Dakota, Della
ware Florida and Utah will form the
first division of this squadron. The four
vessels proposed will form the second di-
vision. It will be an Improvement on the
first, the ships being of the heavy, sin
gle caliber, all big gun type. All the
vessels should have the same tactical
qualities, that is. speed and turning cir
Gle, and as near as possible these tao
tical qualities should be the same as is
in the four vessels before named now be-
ing built. s5.-sz- s. s, 5e..-
I most earnestly recommend that the
general board be by law turned into a
general staff. There IS literally no ex-
cuse whatever for continuing the pres
ent bureau organization Of the navy. The
| navy should be treated as a purely u,ili
tary organization, and everything should
be subordinated to the one object Of Sc
| curing military efficiency. Such military
! efficiency can only be guaranteed in time
| Of war If there is the most thorough pre-
| vious preparation in time Of peace-a
| preparation, may add, which will in all
| probability prevent any need Of war. The
secretary must be supreme, and he
| should have as his official advisers
! body of line officers who should them
/ selves have the power to pass upon and
| coordinate all the work and all the pro-.
| posals of the several bureaus. A system
! of promotion by merit, either by selec-
! ton or by exclusion, or by both
processes, should be introduced. 1t is out
! Of the question, If the present principle
Of promotion by mere seniority is kept,
! to expect to get the best results from the
| higher officers. Our men come too old,
/ and stay for too short time, in the high
command positions
| Two hospital ships should be provided.
l The actual experience of the hospital
shown the invaluable work which
such a ship does, and has also
proved that it is we'll to have it
kept under the command of medical
officer. AS was to be expected, all Of
the anticipations of trouble from such a
command have proved completely base
less. It is as absurd to put hospital
ship under a line officer as it would be
to put hospital on shore under such a
/ command. This ought to have been
realized before, and there is no excuse
| for failure to realize it now
Nothing better for the navy from every
| standpoint has ever occurred than the
| cruise of the battle fleet around the
world. The improvement of the ships in
l every way has been extraordinary, and
/ they have gained far more experience
| in battle tactics than they. would have
gained if they had stayed in. the Atlantic
| waters. The American people have cause
for profound qualification both in view
/ of the excellent condition of the fleet as
shown by this cruise, and in view Of the
| Improvement the cruise has worked in
this already high condition. do not
believe that there is any other service in
| the world in which the average of char
acter and efficiency in the enlisted men
! is as high as is now the case in our own.
/ II believe that the same statement can
/ be made as to our officers, taken as a
/ whole; but there must be a reservation
j made in regard to those in the highest
! ranks-as to which+.I have already spo-
i ken-and in regard to those who have