The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-09
Idea Strong Feature in An nual Report of Secre-
 tary of War
SPIRIT OF PERSONNEL
 OF ARMY IMPROVES
Favors Conservation of National Watcrpowers In All Navigable Streams-Citizenshi for the
 Porto Ricans Urged

Washington. December S.-tspecial.> ! Cnsparing condemna,io of those who would from misplaced sentimentality or lazy self1interest cast the Fili- pinos upon the world in the state of heIplessness and before they had ac- quired the full benefits of American civilization, is strong feature in tha annual report of Secretary of War Henry L. Stimson. Many other subjects of interest are treated in the report. such as the relations of the National Guard to the army, the improvement in the army tactical methods, the in- adequacy of the present reserve law, the crying need of citizenship for the Porto Ricans, the conservation of the national water powers in navigable streams and the advisability of amend ing the Panama canal tolls act so as to reimpose tolls on American coastwise shipping leaving the water way.
 Improvements in Army
 Dealing first with purely military subjects, the Secretary states the strength of the regular army at tho beginning of the present fiscal year at S2,305, an increase during the year of
 
 says the spirit of the personnel of the army continues to improve, attribut- able not only to the work of the ser vice schools and the general staff, but to the practical opportunities afford ed by the recent maneuvers and changes in organization and methods Unfit officers are speedily discovered under the searching tests of field con- ditions. "One of the surest ways of getting rid of the dead wood of our army is to work 1t s far as possible, under the applicatory methods of mod ern military training" the Secretary declares. In treating of the morals of the army. Secretary Stimson, asserts his belief that the so-called anti-can- teen legislation has been responsible for much vice, a statement which he sup ; ports bya recital of the results of hts own inspection of 49 of the mobile army posts, where he found the mill 1aiy reservations adjoined by dives anl ill-resorts of the vilest character. These conditions he believes to be the ulti- mate causes, which make the record of our army in this respect shameful beyond that of the army of any civilized nation"
 Under the head of reorganization of the foreign garrisons the report directs attention to the benefits attending the substitution for 12 reduced strength
  rison Of six regiments of full strength with resulting saving of over s1,00o,- 900 per year. The immediate comple- tion of the posts at Panama and Hawaii, he strongly urged by far the most important items of military expenditure for the immediate future. 1t is said that the locks and machinery at Pan anna already have reached a condition of extreme vulnerability in case of sud- den attack, yet no greater force can be sent there than the one regiment now on guard until new quarters are constructed for them and the Secre- tary urges that such works should be- gin at once. On the other hand. says the Secretary, the bal SC a Pearl harbor Hawaii. is of far greater stragetic inn portance for the protection of the entire Pacific coast from attack than any of the positions on that coast now so strongly fortified. No naval enemy could make a serious effective attack upon any portion of the American Pa cific coast, unless 1t had first reduced the position at oahu, threatening its flank. Quarters For the men who are to protect the great stalls, naval ma terial and seacoast guns from falling into the hands of land attackers should be pushed to completion as rapidly IS possible.
 The tactical reorganization of the army a the report shows, has progressed as far as possible without congressional assist ance in the way of providing for large, ample posts and a series of conferences of the general officers or the army has been planned for this winter. As re- suit, the time now necessary at the out break of war to organize the regular army will be dispensed with
 Touching the army reserve, toward which Congress has made a start in the present appropriation bill. the Secretary said that the most serious defect in the plan is that it creates too long a period of service with the colors. The experience of the United States and that of Euro pean nations has shown that the soldier can be adequately trained for his duties in considerably less than three years. A shortening of the period of training with inc colors, says the Secretary would greatly improve the character of the young men who will go into the army. . and in no way diminish the effectiveness of their training.
 Military Pay Bill
 A strong plea Is made for the passage of the military pay bill now pending, be- cause the 100000 men now,in the National ;uard. eager and ambitious to be of ser vice in case of war. are practically un- available under present conditions. These men, the Secrets.ry says should not only be trained fot war in time of neace and paid by tine national govern ment but it must be possible to transfer them immediately into the general mili- tarv force and not militia in time of war.
 (Continued on Page Ten.)