The San Francisco call., 1908-12-09
MORE WARSHIPS
OF HIGHER TYPE
Roosevelt Demands an Adequate
Navy for Service in Both
Oceans
Cruise of Fleet to Pacific Is
Declared to Be Best Thing
That Ever Happened

Continued from page
mately be called a marvellous success IN
giving them government which marks
en- the part OF those in authority both
the necessary understanding of the peo-
pie and the necessary purpose TO serve
them disinterestedly and in good faith.
i trust that within a generation the
time viii arrive when the Philippines
can decide for themselves whether il ! 5
well for them 10 become Independent,
or 10 continue under the protection Of
q strong and disinterested power. able
70 guarantee TO the islands order at
home and protection from foreign in
VaSiOn. But no one can prophesy the
exact date when II viii be wise to con-
slider Independence as fixed and def
mite policy. Tt would be worse than
folly 10 Try TO set down such a date In
advance. for IL must depend upon the
way in which the Philippine people
themselves develop the power of self
mastery.
again recommend that American cit
izenship be conferred upon the people
Of Porto Rico.
IN Cuba our occupancy viii cease in
about two months time: the Cubans
nave IN orderly manner elected their
own governmental authorities, and the
island VIII be turned over TO them. Our
occupation on this occasion has lasted
little over two years, and Cuba has
rhriven and prospered under II. Our
earnest hope and one desire is that the
people OF the island shall now govern
themselves with justice, so that peace
sno order may be secure. We viii
gladly help them 10 this end; but I
would solemnly warn them to -remenn-
ber the great truth that the only way
n people can permanently avoid being
governed from without is TO show that
they both can and viii govern them
selves from within.
AS regards the army I call attention
10 the fact that while our Junior Of
hcers and enlisted
seniority Not s,.ste,,, s.5sn ne pr'.n Presell
Best hor army tion by seniority
results in bringing
into the higher grades many men of
mediocre capacity who have but a short
Time 10 serve. No man should regard
X as his vested right to rise 10 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 should be so often
failure on the part Of the public and its
representatives to understand the great
need. from the standpoint Of the service
and the nation OF refusing to promote
respectable. elderly incOmpetents. The
higher places should be given to the
most deserving men without regard to
seniority; at least seniority should he
treated as only one consideration. In
the stress Of modern industrial compe-
tition no business firm could succeed if
those responsible for its management
were CHOSEN simply on the ground that
they Were the oldest people in its en-
piOymeut, yet this is the course adVo-
Gated as regards the army, and required
by law FOR all grades except those Of
general O11cer. At 8 matter of fact, all
Of the best officers in the highest ranks
OF the army are those who have at
tsined their present position wholly or
in part by a process Of selection.
The scope of retiring boards should
be extended so that they could con-
slider general un-
Scope of Army man6 for any
.e, = i Do-AEus cause, in order TO
- -- 1iSid secure e5fo1reI1,.oI q dar more
than at present in the elimination of
officers for mental. physical or tempera-
mental disabilities. But this plan is
recommended only II the congress does
not see ft 70 provide what in my judg
ment is far better; that is, for selec-
tiOn in promotion. and for elimination
for age. Officers who fail TO attain
certain rank by a certain age should be
retired-for instance. II a man should
not attain field rank by the time he is
As he should Of course be placed on the
retired list General officers should be
selected as at present. and a third
Of the other promotions should be
made by selection, the selection to be
made by the president or the secretary
OF war from q list of at least two can
board OF officers from the arm Of the
service from which the promotion is TO
be made. A bill is now before the con-
gress having for its object to secure
the promotion Of officers to various
grades at reasonable ages through
process Of selection, by boards of Of
hcers, Of the least efficient for retire
ment with a percen tage of their pay
depending upon length Of service. The
bill. although not accomplishing all
that should be done. is q long step in
the right direction, and earnestly rec
ommend its passage. or that of a more
completely effective measure.
The cavalry arm should be reorgan-
lied upon modern lines. This is an arm
in which IL is peculiarly necessary that
the field officers should not be old. The
cavalry is much more difficult to form
than infantry, and it should be kept up
10 the maximum both in efficiency and
in strength, for it can not be made in
a hurry. At present both infantry and
artillery are too few in number for our
needs. Especial attention should be
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 a nonmiltary character TO perform
The japanese government has post
poned until 1917 the date of the great
international ex-
Praises Japan t;on 9oS,'ighl' Iei,e S"e +a,sen o.
and Comments 50 as IA ins,re am
on NfBPOn's Fair pie time in which
TO prepare to make
the exposition all that it should be made
The American commissioners have Wis
tied Japan and the postponement viii
merely give ampler opportunity for
America. TO be represented at the expo
sition. Not since the first international
exposition has there been one, Of greater