Arizona republican., 1912-12-09
Secretary of War in An nual Report Pleads for Saving National Resource in the Navigablc Streams of the Country.
ATTACKS PANAMA
 CANAL TOLLS ACT
Gives Interesting Figures On Strength of Regular Army. and Disapproves Casting Helpless Filipinos Upon the World.
ASSOCIATED PRESS pIsPATCHI

condemnation of those who would | from .misDlaced sentimentalily or lazy saIf-irterest'' cast the Filipinoa upon the world in the state of helpNtsness and before they had acquired the tull benefits of American civilization, is strong feature in the annual report of Secretary of War Henry L. Stimson. Many other subjects of interest are treated in the report, such as the re- latfons of the National Guard to the army. the improvement in the army tactical methods, the nadequacy of the present reserve law, the crying need o1 citizenship for the Porto Ricans, the conservation of the national water powers in navigable streams and the advisablity of amending the Panama Canal tolls act so as to rein1pose tolls on American coastWise shipping leaN- ing the water way
 Dealing first with purely military subjects. the secretary states the strength of the regular army at the be- ginning of the present fiscal year at S2.3O5. an increase during the year of I89 officers and 1884 enlisted men. He says the spirit of the personnel of the army continues to improve, attribut- able not only to the work of the service schools and the general staff, but to the practically opportunities afforded by the recent maneuyers and changes in organization and methods. Unfit officers are speedily discovered under the searching tests of field conditions. one of the surest ways of getting rid of the dead wood of our army is to f1, r,pSsihla UndpT the applicatorv methods of modern mill tarv training the secretary declares In treating of the morals of the army, Secretary Stimson. asserts his belief that the so-caIled anti-canteen legisla- ton has been responsible for much vice a statement which he supports hv a recital of the results Of his own inspection for forty nine Of the auto mobile army posts. where he found the military reservations adjoinCd by dives and ill-resorts of the vilest character These conditions he believes to be the ultimate causes, which make the rec ord of our army in this respect shame full beyond that of the army of any civilized nation
 finder the head of reorganization Ot the foreign garrisons the report directs attention to the benefits attending the substitution for twelve reduced strength regimens in the Philippines, by a gar rison of si regiments of full strength with a result in saving Of over one million dollars per year. The immedi- ate completion of the posts at Panama and Hawaii, he strongly urged as by far the most important items of mill- tarv expenditure for the immediate future. It is said that the locks and machinery at Panama already have rpched a condition of extreme vulner- ability in case of sudden 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 secretary urges that such works should begin at once. On the other hand, says the secretary, the pase at Pearl Harbor Hawaii, is ot lar greater stragetc 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 serious effective attack upon any portion of teh American Pacific coast, unless it had first reduced the position at Oahu, threatening it's flank. Quarters for the men who are to protect the great stalls, naval material and seacoast guns from falling into the hands Of land attackers 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 prog ressed as far as possible without con- gressional assistance in the way of providing for large ample posts. and q series of conferences If the general p;- ficers of the army hGs been planned for this winter. As 2 result the tim" now necessary at ;nn outbreak Of war to organize the reeuiGr army, will be dispensed with.
 Touching the army reserve, towards which congress has made a start in the present appropriation bill, the secre- tarv said that the most serious defect in the plan is that it creates too long period of service with the colors. The experience of the United States and that of European nations, has shown that the soldier can be adequately trained for his duties in considerably les than three years. A shortening of the period of training with the cOlors says the secretary: would greatly inn
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