The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1908-12-10

tiuery are too few in number for our
needs. Especial attention should be paid
to development of the machine gun.
lished. AS things are now, the average
soldier has far too much labor of a nom
naillfary character to perform.
National Guard.
Nov that the organized militia, the Ma
ttonal Guard. has been Incorporated with
the army as a part of the national forces,
it behooves the government to do every
It's isae e%ffaeiency shin e a n als p pc aasis se pf n It's
instruction and otherwise aided more lib
s Services sh az m heTst0f aeii t Tas s=pn regaIas
officers will be essential in this connec-
ton. Such officers must be specially
them as i%astructora Of tn the Naationaal
Guard. But the detailing of officers for.
duty with the National Guard entails de-
taching them from their regiments, which
are already greatly depleted by detaeh-
prescribed by acts of the congress.
bill is now pending before the con-
In the army. which if passed. as it ought
to be. will enable more officers to be
and assigned to hat duty. In case Of
war 1T will be of the utmost Importance
70 nave a large number of trained officers
20 use Tor turning raw levieS into good
troops.
There. should be legislation to provide
body of volunteers behind the regular
army and national guard when wal has
come. Congressional assistance should be
given those who are endeayoring to pro-
mote rifle practice So that our men, in
the services or out of them. may know
senting the United States won the rife
and revolver championships Of the world
t Is u~nfortunately true that the great
body of our citizens shoot less and less
as a5c time s goes s, on. To meet this, we shonld
boys, and indeed. among all classes, as
We'll as in the military services. by every
otherwise, may we be able to assist in
preserving the peace of the world. Fit to
held our own against the strong nations
carry to the ends of the earth. Umpire
RRa amb' a and b 5hGTefore i unit aaf.n we o m,ast sit
protect others, or preserve peace. The
first step-in the direction of preparation
war If it should come-is to teach our
men how to shoot.
Tho Navy.
I approve the recommendations OF the
general board for the increase of the navy,
calling especial attention to the need OF
additional destroyers and Golfers, and
aesiyep all' to Of cd the -four aI ba aaae M nos Il Is
existing, type. The North Dakota, Della
division of this squadron. The four yes
| sells proposed will form the second divi-i
sion. 1t will be an Improvement on the
first, the ships being of the heavy, single
caliber. all big gun type. All the vessels
should have the same tactical, qualities.
near as possible these tactical qualities
should be the same as is in the four YES
sells before named now being built.
l most earnestly recommend that the
general board be by law turned into a gen
eral staff. There is literally no excuse
| YeAjl arpn niy1tinn Of tba navv the nAVV
should be treated as a purely military or
ganization, and everything should be sub
military efficiency. Such military eff
cheney can only be guaranteed in time OF
war If there is the most thorough previous
preparation in time of peace.-a prepara-
ton. 1 may add, which will in all .proba-
bility prevent any need Of war. The sec
rotary must be supreme, and he should
have as hts official advisers a body of line
officers who should themselves have the
power to pass upon and coordinate all the
bureaus. q system of promotion by mer-l
it, either by selection or by exclusion, or
b p IS both oat p oq f5e a, shpu;d b tbe Dressnt
principle CT 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 a time, in the
high positions.
| The actual experience of the hospital ship
with the fleet in the Pacific has shown the
invaluable work which such a ship does,
Htlil has dlSO. proved IilaI II IS wen TO hive
it kept under the of a medical
officer. AS was 10 be expected, all of tho
anticipations of trouble from such a com-
1nand have proved completely baseless.
1t is as absurd TO put a hospital ship under
n line officer IS il would be to put a hos
rital on shore under such a command.
This ought to have been realized before,
and there is no excuse for failure to real
izo ii now.
standpoint has ever occurred than the
cruise of the battle fleet around the world.
The Improvement, Of the ships in every
have gained far more experience in battle
tactics than they would have gained if
The American people have cause for pro-
found qualification, both in view of the
excellent condition of the fleet as shown
by this cruise, and in view of the improve
ment the cruise has worked in this al
ready high condition. do not believe that
| there is any other service in the world
in which the average of character and
efficiency in the enlisted men is as high as
is now the case in our own. | believe that
the same statement can be made as to our
officers. taken as q whole; but there must
be reservation msde in regard to those In
ready spoken-and in regard to those who
have just entered the service; because we
do not now get full benefit from our ex-
absurd not to graduate the midshipmen as
e~nsigns: to keep them for two years in
the law requires Is detrimental to them
and to the service. In the academy itself,
every first classman should be required in
turn to serve as petty officer and officer;
his ability to discharge his duties as such
should be a prerequisite to his going into
the line, and his success In commanding
should largely determine his standing at
graduation. The board of visitors should
be appointed in January, and each mem
her should be required to give at least six
days service, only from one to three days
to be performed during June week, which
is the least desirable time for the board to
be at Annapolis so far as benefting the
navy by their observations is concerned.
Theodore Roosevelt.
The White House, Tuesday, December s.
1905.
BREEDING OF MUTTON SHEEP.