New-York tribune., 1912-02-06
THEDA VINWA WASHINGTON

vote for the President and In their oes-
peration they are determined TO force inc
hand Of the ex-President. They nave
caused TO be printed every sort OF state
ment declaring that he Will accept tI'e
nomination II forced TO. but they reahZe
only too we'll that something more 5
needed. They want him to say that ne
would regard the denomination OF fresi-
dent Taft as a calamity and that he wants
his friends TO rally to him lhey Su"
believe, or profess TO believe, that theS can
force him to take this step, but those WHO
know him best declare he Will 90 noth'"s
Of the kind, and that he Is not 10 De ieareu
as a rival OF the President. The only 'hlhe
which is to be feared in connection Win
the alleged candidacy of Colonel Roosevelt
Is the lavish use OF money by those VINO
would prefer him to MIR. Taft
NOT SERIOUS.-The proposition of the
Democrats In control of the House to add
10 the army appropriation bill clause re-
ducing the number of cavalry regiments
from fifteen to ten should not be taken
seriously. 1t is merely "a grandstand
play" OF a piece with the provision In the
original Hay bill abolishing the positions
of chief Of coast artillery and chief OF the
division Of militia. II was found expedient
10 Weld the two latter propositions as a
result OF the testimony given by the Sec
retary Of War and others at the hearings
on the army bill, and so the abolition OF
the cavalry regiments has been devised az
a new scheme to be utilized as evidence
that the Democrats are economists. Of
course when the record of the economies
ATTEMPTED by the Democratic House.
blocked by the Republican Senate, Is pro-
claimed from the stump during the ap-
| preaching campaign the amount when
might have been saved by the abolition OF
these cavalry regiments will figure promi-
nentlv in the list and equally, OF course,
the provision will have been killed In the
Senate. as Il should be and as its Demo
cratic authors know it will be- Army Of
Ncers point out that while the proportion
OF cavalry to foot soldiers in the army OF
the United States is larger than Is Gus
tomary in those countries where great
| standing armies are maintained, II Is easily
demonstrated that this should be so in the
case OF small army which must be main
| tanned as the nucleus for an Immensely
larger force to be recruited in time OF need.
II is sufficiently difficult 10 recruit and
| train a great army OF infantry at mo-
ment's notice. but It would be even more
difficult TO recruit drill and obtain mounts
for the five cavalry regiments II is pro-
| posed to abolish The proposed step would
mean the carrying az supernumeraries or
225 officers. ranking from second lieuten-
ants to colonels. but as the Democrats are
merely posing that need occasion no anx-
| iety
PAUL JONES's CRYPT-The approval
OF the design for the crypt OF John Paul
Jones By the Secretary Of the Navy and
his call for bids to be submitted by the
Path inst. will prove an occasion OF relief
: to the many who have been distressed at
the apparent neglect which has left the
body OF the naval hero uninterred ever
since il was brought from France through
the efforts Of General Horace Porter. This
seeming neglect cannot be charged to the
executive branch OF the government. but Is
due to the unwillingness OF Congress TO
provide for a crypt which II was felt should
be erected at Annapolis and which should
ultimately become TO the navy sort or
Westminster Abbey an occasion Of inspi-
ration to all naval officers. and, secondly
TO those neophytes who receive their train
ing at the Naval Academy. Colonel Robert
VI. Thompson who has been most active
In trying to secure the needed legislation.
has consistently urged an Appropriation OF
sl35,ooO for this purpose and the Senate
once appropriate ted that amount, but the
House would not consent. and finally both
houses agreed on an appropriation OF
$1,000. Colonel Thompson has greatly de-
plored the delay. which he regards as any
thing but inspiring, the midshipmen hav-
ing actually joked about the bones lett
under the stairs" and made them the sub
iect OF comic songs u. 6. III.