The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1910-01-31
TAFT WILL URGE
BOTH NAVAL AND
MILITARY REFORM
President Will Soon Send to
Congress a Special Mes
sage Advocating Some I'M
portant Remedies.
MORE EFFICIENCY is
NEEDED IN SERVICES
President Would Revise the
Retirement Rules and Would
Station Troops Among the
Larger Cities.

Washington. d. G.. Jan. 31.-Presi-
dent Tart will send special message
to congress in the next few days ad-
Nocating measures for bringing about
greater efficiency in the land and ma
val forces of the United States
These measures have been consider
ed with the utmost care by experts of
the two services, and, if enacted into
law. they promise to provide the nation
with more effective means of defense
than it now possesses.
There has been a crying need for
some years for reform OF the person.
mel of the army and navy. In the
army according to the president there
IS imperative necessity for bill pro-
viding method by which the merits
of officers shall have some effect upon
their promotions and by which the ad-
Nancement of all may be accelerated by
the effective elimination of a definite
proportion of the least efficient. This
plan has been in operation in the navy
since 1899 and it has worked with dis
tinct advantage to- the service and the
country.
Would Eliminate Incompetents.
There are in every army and, ac-
cording to the president, certainly in
Ours-a number of officers who do not
violate their duty in such a way as to
give a reason for court martial or dis
missal, but who do not show such apti-
tude and skill and character for high
command as to justify their remain
ing in the active service to be promot-
ed.
The president proposes that officers
of the army compulsorily retired shall
receive certain proportion of their
pay. increasing with their length of
service at the time of retirement
If the plan Mr.. Taft will recommend
IS enacted by congress, officers will
reach the grade of captain at 81 years
Of age of major at A instead of 81 or
more. as at present; Of lieutenant colo
mel at 80 instead of 81, and of colonel
at 81 instead of 80.
Revision Of Organization.
1t also is the purpose of the president
to recommend a revision of the laws
regulating the organization of our arm
ed forces in the event Of war, so as to
produce force which will be more
consistently apportioned throughout it's
numerous branches. This will mean
an increase in the number of officers
an increase which is needed for the
best interests of the service.
The war department also is anxious
for authority to distribute the army
throughout the country. 1t believes
the forces should be so located as to
permit of their being maintained and
administered in the most economical
fashion: that they should be station
ed in positions from which they can
be moved most eXpeditiously and eco
nomical!y to points of concentration
against foreign or domestic enemies.
and that they should be so distributed
as to be of the greatest value in edu-
eating and training the militia and
carrying out plans for raising volun-
teers in case of necessity.
In this connection Secretary Of War
Dickinson made the following obser-
vatiOns in his recent annual report:
Under the first of the consider
atoms referred to above the natural
conclusion would be that the troops
should be stationed near great centers
of production and supply. Under the
second. they should be stationed at
great centers of transportation, and
under the third they should be distri-
buted in the several states in proper
ton to their population and organized
militia.
Cities as Natural Centers.
Each state has one or more centers
OF supply at which troops could be
economically maintained These CEN
ters OF supply, are as rule, centers