Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1909-12-07
REDUCTION IN WAR
DEPARTMENT ESTIMATES

In the interest OF immediate econ omy
and because OF the prospect of a deficit
l have required Il reduction in the ssti-
mates of the war department for the
coming fiscal year. which brings the 90
tai estimates down to an amount S45.-
100000 less than the corresponding 4sti-
mates Tor last year, This could only
De accomplished by cutting off new
projects and suspendlng for the period
of one year all progress in military
matters. For the same reason have
directed that the army shall not De
recruited UP to its present authorized
strength. These measures can har5!y
be more than. tcmporary-to last until
our revenues are in better condition
and until the whole question of the
eXpcdiency of adopting a definite mill
tary policy can be submitted to Con-
gress, for | am sure that the interests
of the military establishment are serl-
ouSly in need OF careful consideration
by Congress. The laws regulating the
organization OF our armed forces I'm the
event OF war need to be revised in
order that the organization can be
modified so as to produce a force which
would be more consistently apportIoned
throughout Its numerous branches To
explain the circumstances upon which
this opinion is based would necessItate
a lengthy discussion and / postpone it
until the first convenient opportunity
shall arise to send to Congress a special
message upon this subject.
NEEDED CHANGES.
The secretary of war calls attention
to a number of needed changes in the
army. In all of which ] concur, but
the point upon which l place most em-
phasls is the need for an elimination
bill providing a. method by which the
merits of officers shall have some ef-
feet upon their advancement and by
which the advancement OF all may
be accelerated by the effective elimlna-
ton of definite proportion of the least
efficient. There are in every army. and
certainly in ours, q number of officers
who do not violate their duty in any
such way as to give reason for a court
martial or dismissal, but who do not
show such aptitude and skill and char
acter for high command as TO justify
their remaining In the actIye service 20
by which they should be. retired on
certain proportion OF their paS,aincrcas-
ing with their length OF service at the
time of retirement.
There Is now a personnel law for She
navy which itself needs amendment
and to which / shall make further ref
erence. Such law is needed quite as
illucH AoA VIC amy
COAST DEFENSE.
The coast defcnses OF the United
States proper are generally all that
could be desired, and In some respects
they arc rather more elaborate than
under present conditions arc needed TO
stop an cnemy's fleet from entering the
harbors' defended. There is, however.
one place where additional defense IS
badly needed. and that Is at the mouth
of Chesapeake bay. where it is pro-
posed to make an artificial island for a
fort which shall prevent an eneiny's
fleet from entering this most impor-
tant stIategical base of operations on
the whole Atlantic and gulf coasts. I
hope that appropriate legislation VIII
be adopted to secure the construction
OF this defense.
PHILIPPINE NAVAL BASE.