The enterprise. [volume] (Harlem, Mont.) 1899-1926, 1908-12-09

! we'll for them to become independent. or
| 70 continue under the protection of a
| strong and disinterested power, able to
guarantee to the islands order at home
| and protection from foreign invasion.
Porto Rico.
| I again recommend that American cit
| izenship be conferred upon the people OF
| Porto Rice.
In Cuba Cur occupancy will cease in
| about two months time; the Cubans
! have in orderly manner elected their own
| governmental authorities, and the island
| Will be turned over to them. Our occu-
| patton on this occasion has lasted a lit
| tie over two years, and Cuba has thriv-
| en- and prospered under it. Our earnest
hope and one desire Is that the people
of the island shall now govern them
| selves with justice, so that peace and or
| der may be secure.
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 it should be made. The
American commissioners have visited
| Japan and the postponement VIII mere
| ly give amp1er 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 it does. the fftieth anniversary Of
| the ascension to the throne of the en-
| peror of Japan. The extraordinary
| leap to the foremost place among the
| nations Of the world made by Japan
| during this half century is something
| unparalleled in all previous history.
I take this opportunity publicly to
| state my appreciation of the way In
which in Japan, in Australia. in New
| Zealand, and in all the states of South
America. the battle fleet has been re-
| ceived on it's practice voyage around
the world. The American government
| can not too strongly express it's appre
| citation of the Astounding and generous
| hospitality shown our ships in every
port they visited.
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 a short time to
serve. No man should regard it as his
| vested right to rise to the highest rank
| in the army any more than in any
other profession. 1t Is a curious and
| by no means creditable fact that there
| should be so often failure on the
part Of the public and its representa-
| tives to understand the great need.
from the standpoint Of the service and
| the nation, of refusing to promote re-
| spectacle. elderly tncompetents. The
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
| if those responsible for its management
| were chosen simply on the ground that
| they were the oldest people in it's en-
| ployment; yet this is the course advo-
| Gated regards the army, and re-
| quired by law for all grades except
| those of general officer. AS a matter
| of fact all of the best officers in the
| highest ranks Of the army are those
| who have attained their present posi-
ton 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 far more
| rigid enforcement than at present in
| the elimina ton of officers for mental.
| physical or temperamental disabilities.
| But this plan is recommended only if
| the congress does not see fit to provide
what in my judgment is far better.
!, that is. for selection in promotion. and
| for elimination for age. Officers who
| fail to attain certain rank by GER
| tain age, should be retred-for in
stance, II a man should not attain
| field rank by the time he is 45 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 list OF at least two candi-
| dates proposed for each vacancy by a
| 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
| flcers, of the least efficient for retire.
| ment with 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 1 earnestly
recommend it's passage. or that of
more completely effective measure.
National Guard.
Now that the organized militia. the
National Guard, has been incorpora ted
with the army as a part OF the national
| forces. it behooves the government to
| do every reasonable thing in it's power
to perfect it's 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 officers will be
essential in this connection. 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 large
| number of trained officers to use for
turning raw levies into good troops.
The Navy.
approve the recommended lions of
the general board for the in
| crease of the navy, calling especial
| attention to the need of addi-
tional destroyers and golfers, and above
| all, of the four batteships. 1t is desir
able to complete as soon as possible a
squadron of eight battleships of the best
existing type.
| l 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 mill
tary organization, and everything should
| be subordnated to the one object Of Sc