Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1912-12-09
GRAVE MISTAKE
TOCAST ISLANDS
ADRlFT On WORLD
Secretary Of War stimson
Makes His Annual Report
on Condition Of Army and
It's Needs.

washington. Dec. s.-Unsparins
condemnation Of those who would from
"misplaced sentimentality or lazy self
interest" cast the Filipinos upon the
world In the state Of helplessness and
before they had acquired the full bene-
fits Of American civilization. 10
strong feature In the annual report Of
Secretary OF War Henry L. Stimson
Many other subjects Of interest are
treated In the report, such ~ the rela-
lions OF the national guard to the
army. the Improvement In the army
tactical methods, the inadequacy Of the
present reserve law. the crying need
Of citizenship for thu Porto Ricans, the
conservation of the national water
powers in navigable streams and the
advisability of amending the Panama
canal tolls act so as to reimpose tolls
on American coastwise shipping leav-
Ing the water way.
Dealing first with purely military
subjects, the secretary states the
strength OF the regular army at the
beginning OF the present fiscal year
at 82,305, an increase during the year
OF 1879 officers and 1884 enlisted men.
He saws the spirit of the personnel of
the army continues to improve. at
trtbutable not only to the work of the
service schools and the general stan.
but to the practical opportunities at
forded 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 as far as possible,
under the applicatory methods VI
modern military training" the secre-
tary declares. In treating OF the NOR
ais of the army, Secretary Stimson as
nerts his belief that the so-called anti
canteen legislation has been re-
sponsible for much vice. statement
which he supports by recital of the
results of his own inspection OF 40 OF
the mobile army posts, where he found
the military reservations ad5oined by
dives and ill-resorts OF the vilest char
acter. These conditions he believes to
DO the ultimate causes, which make
the record Of our army in this respect
shameful beyond that OF the army OF
any civilized nation"
Tho FOREIGN Garrisons,
r,ra.- Oh. hand of reorcan,zat,or ~
~ costs, 90 r,.;son. tha ranort al
go. ..t.n,,os e. 80 hanap,,s ottand-
49, ~. s,,hsti+nt,on ror "a reduced
.1r.rgth ra.,r,ants T., ,ha pb,1,nn,res
~, sorr,sor ~ civ reo,r,a ont. -, rnI,
streneth WITH result,ng saving NJ
ever e. nm ooo nov var The ip,maa,-
ote oon,nIst,o,, nf tia nosts ~ pan.mo
Ga Iot,-,ii ho stronr,,, ,,r-.a n, by
f.r tho r,nst ir,nortont ,+or,s =, ,,,I,.
tor,, oxnana,,,,ra 80 ,ha ,ea,o,.
r,,tvra =, H. sais .t.. ~. Ioo,,s "a
,raohI,o.,s -. po,,a airoa.,,. ,o,,.
$500, ,,z;t;a, 20 ,,,,I,,or
o,u,.,, a., - ,,saa,, go.
- ar.a.an go, oa, ha s.,+ ,,,au w..
w. 80 ro,,,S,,t 80, ~, go ,,..i,
80 -. ..s,atoa for
-, 49,, -
such works should begin at once. On
the other hand, says the secretary, the
base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, is of far
greater stragetic Importance 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
cHcltlNS dttdCh upon any pOTtlOu OF tIo
American Pacific 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 material. and seacoast
guns from falling into the hands of
land attacAers should be pushed TO
completion as rapidly as possible.
The tactical reorganization OF the
army on the basis of three infantry
: divisions. the report shows. has pro-
crossed as far as possible without con-
gressional assistance in the way of pro-
viding for large ample posts. and a
series Of conferences Of the general
officers of the army has been planned
for this winter. AS result, the time
now necessary at the outbreak of war
to organize the regular army, will be
dispensed with.
Period Of Service Too Lonu,
ro,cb,n. ~. .-r,, r...rv. to,v.-a.
vh,ch coner.s, has msIa star, ir
tha nrs.snt anrronr,o,,or Iii ~.
.scr.tarv .o,a that ~ n,ost ..r,o,,.