The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1908-12-11

present both infantry and artillery are
too few in number for our needs. Els
pecial attention should be paid to de-
of the machine un. A gen.
eral service corps should be establish
ca: AS things are now the average
soldier has far too much labor of a
nonmilitary character to perform.
National Guard.
Now that the organized militia, the
national guard. has been incorporated
with the army as a part of the nation
al forces, it hehooVes the government
to 90 every reasonable thing in its
} over to perfect it's efficiency. Ii
S'ou'd be assisted in its instruction
aud otherwise aided more literally
IMAM heretofore. The continuous serv-
ices of many well-trained regular Of
llcors will be essential in this connec-
t1"n. Such officers must be especially
trained at service schools best to
qualify them as instructors of the na-
tional guard. But the detailing of Of
flcers for training at the service
schools and for duty with the national
guard entails detaching them from
th"lr regiments which are alreadv
Ereatiy depleted by detachment of Of
ilcerS for assignment to duties pre-
scrlbed 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 II ought to be-. viii enable
off1c"rs to be trained as instructors
national guard and assigned to the,:
duty.
There should bc legislation to pro
VIDE Il complete plan for ORGANIZING
the great IOUN OF volunteers behind 1hp
regular army and rational guard wher
war has come. Congressional assist
afce should b" given thosr who ave
'~ideaN"rins to ro1n0t rife practice
so that our men, in the services .rr
out of them. MAY know how to use the
fife. While teams representing The
tnit"d states won the rife and re
NotF'r championships of tho worl.i
against all corners in ENGLAND this
Near. ii is unfortunately true that the
great body of our citizens shoot less
and less as time goes on. To meet this
we should rifle mactice
among schoolboys. and indeed arnong
all classes, ms well as in the military
services, by every means in our power
Thus. and not otherwise, may we Re
able TO assist in preserving the peace
or the world. Fit to hold our own
against the strong nations of the earth,
our voice for peace viii! carry to the
ends OF the earth. Tnprcparc1. and
therefore unfit. we must sit du,rh ana
helpless to defend ourselves. protac,
others, or preserve peace. Tie fri
step-1n the direction of preparation
to avert war if possible, and to he g,
for war if it should come-is to teach
u men to shoot.
The NAVY.
| approve the recommc~dAtirr 1T
the general board for the increase of
the navy, calling especial attentio, tn
the need of additional d~ostrovers and
golfers. and above all. of the four
b~attleships. 1t is desira Bile to con-
piete az soon as possible a squa1 ror
Of eight hattleships of the best cx
listing type. The North Dakota. Dp7a-
ware, Florida, and Utah will forn ~:
FIRST division or this squadron. The
four vessels proposed will form the
second division. 1t will be al i'm
rr"Vement on the first. the ships being
OF the heavy, single caliber. all big
gun type. All the vessels should have
the same tactical qualities. that is.
speed and turning circle, and as near
as possiE!e these tactical Qualities
should be the same as is in the four
vessels before named now being built.
| most earnestly onm that
the general board he by law turned
INTO a general staff. There is literal
~ no excuse whatever for continuing
the present bureau organization OF tn.
The navy should be treated as
a purely military cr~o~izatior, and
everything should be suhordinated to
the one object of securing military
efficiency. Such military "f1ici@rcv c;r
be guaranteed in time Of war II
there Is the most thorough nrevfous
preparation in time of peace-a pre-
may add, which vii, in all
pr obabtlfty prevent any need of war
The secret ary must b. supreme. snd ne
shouio have as his official advisers "A
body OF line officers who shou'd thom-
selves have the power to pass unn
ana coordinate all the work and an
the proposals of the several h,reau~
A system OF promotion by merit either
hN selection On by exclusion. or Inv
ooth processes. should be Introduced
IL Is out Of the question, If the pres
INT principle Of promotion by moro
Is kept. to expect to pct tn.
best results from the higher officers
Dur men come too old. and stav f.r
zoo short a time, in the high command
posit
Two hospital ships should he n~o.
The actual experience Of th.
hospital ship with the feet in She
'n"ihc has shown tho invaluahle p-o~b
when such a ship does. and has alec
oroVcd that it is well to hav" II kent
inder the command of a medical Of
!ter. AS WAS TO be expected. all aS
NV hIti'iidli't oI tFDltla from Sfipl
/ command have proved comntotelr
1t is as absurd TO PAT -
hospital ship under q line cficcr az il
would be to put a hospita' on shore
lna@r such a command. This oleh,
o have been realized before. and thor.
S no excuse for ailur to realize II
low.
Nothing better for the navy from
very standpoint has ever occurred
nan the cruise of the battle nes;
round the world. The Improvement
] the ships in every way has been
extraordinary, and they have gained
ar more experience in battle tactics
nan they would have game if thcy
stayed in the Atlantic waters. The
merlcan people have cause for pro-
ound qualification. both in view II
he excellent condition of the fec,
5 shown by this cruise, and in view az
re improvement the cruise has work
l in this already hig condition.
not believe that there is any Other
irS1ro IN, tho xx,nr1l s~ L:,