The St. Lucie County tribune. (Fort Pierce, St. Lucie County, Fla.) 1905-1920, 1910-12-09


present number Is convenient Dnt |
do not know that IN increase OF two
members would be objectionable,
| recommend that congress eStaDliSh
a commission to determine rs early ~
practicable II comprehensive policN Tor
the orga nization. mobilization ana al
miniStration Of the regular army the
organized militia and the volunteer
forces IN the event OF war
Need For Additional Officers.
One Of the great diiicul'ir, In ih"
prompt organization ana mohlilmGnA
! of militia and volunteer forces l. the
absence OF competent officers Of the
rank of captain to teach the ne" army.
| by the unit of The company, the bHH
ness of being soldiers aud Of taking
care Of themselves 80 ~ Ia render -,
fective service. This need Of ARMY
officers can only he supplied hy pro-
visions Of law AUTHORIZING the Anpol!t'
ment Of greater Numhel AZ army -!
fcers than are needed Ia SNppl! 'tlr
commands of regular army troops ROW
enlisted in the service
In order that the militia Of eanh
state should be property drilled ana
made more like the regular army reg
ular army officers should be detailed
to assist the aaiutant general nf rarh
state in the supervision Of the state
militia. But this is impossible unless
provision is made by congress for
very considerable increase in the mum.
Der of company and field officers of
the army.
Fortifoatons.
have directed that the estimates
for appropriation for the Improvement
Of coast defpnseS In the United States
should be reduced to minimum.
while those for the completion Of the
needed Notifications at COrregdor, IN
the Philippine Islands. and at Pearl
Harbor in the Hawaiian Islands,
should be expedited as much as posi-
BILE.
Philippine Islands.
During the last summer at my re-
quest the secretary of war visited the
Philippine Islands and has described
his trip In bis report. He found the
Islands in II state of tranquility and
growing prosperity, due largely to the
change In the tariff laws which has
opened the markets Of America to the
products Of the Philippines and has
opened the Philippine markets to
American manufactures.
Panama Canal.
At the instance Of Colonel Goothals.
the army engineer officer In charge of
the work on the. Panama canal, | have
just made visit to the isthmus, to In
spect the work done and to consult
with him Oh the ground as to certain |
problems which are likely to arise IN
the near future. The progress of the
work is most satisfactory If no un
expected obstacle presents itself the |
canal will be completed weX within the
time fixed by Colonel Cocktails to wit.
Jan. |. l9l5-and within the estimate
of cost. S315.OOOOOO
Among questions arising for present
solution is the decision whether the
canal shall he fortified. | have already
stated TO the congress that | strongly
favor fortitication. and now reiteraic
this opinion and ask your consideration
OF the subject in the light of the report
already before you made by cOmpe
tent board.
IT In our discretion we believe mod
ern Notifications to he necessary to the
adequate protection and policing OF the
canal. then II Is our duty to cOnstrur
them. We have built the canal It /,
our property, BY convention we have
indicated our desire for and indeed IN /
dertaken It's universal and equal use
1t Is also we'll known that one. Of lhr
chlef objects In the construction OF the
canal has been to increase the military
Of our navy.
Failure to fortify the canal would
cave the attainment of both these
aims In the position of rights and oh
igatiOns which we should he powprlesy
% enforce and which could never in
my other way be absolutely safeguard
I'd against a desperate and irresponsi
Die enemy r.
In determining what the tolls In the
'anal should be we certainly ought not
10 insist that for good many years
% come they should amount to enough
% pay the interest Oh the Investment
II $40O.OOOOOO which the United
States has made in the construction
II the canal. We ought not to do this.
irst, because the benefits to be derived
y the United States from this ex.
'enditure are not to be measured solely
" a return upon the investment.
My own Impression Is that the tolls
ught not to exceed 81 per net ton. On
Ian. !, 1911. the tolls In the Suez canal
re to be- francs and % centimes for
mo NOT ton hv Ci,a1 conul ,,,,o.,,,o |