The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1913-09-22

an ordinary business tran-action: ana
icy others endsavored. at some given
crsis wnen our need was treat 20 sell
as inferior vessels at sxorbifanf prices.
tors eu s sss every prss.ure. through sen.-
snsir ends. In one or two Cases they ala
accomplish thsm too until We rot a
reely first-oiass board established 20
enrious sxperiencs was IN connection
vim the point chosen for the startlnr
Tor the expedition against Cuba. 1 had
oov,s uS 49, tess any human being
me standpotnt Of military need. But one
mo<ntnf q WY wealthy and fnflusn TIA
m.n. = rsspectAble and upright man sc-
no era,. 70 nis own lishss. called on me
nc 10 put In plea for . certain other
PORT on the ground that his Railroad
80 enuted TO it's share of the profit
happened 70 know that az this time th,.
very man had kfnfofk with the nrmv
Who served gaiiantiy.A and the circun.
.scss OF his coming to me were such
eretiy and bad no idea that there was
posst I think the facts were merely
ness az the sole object In ME- apA shs ,
ne LACKED the imagination TO enable mir,
20 unoerstand the real nature OF the re-
auest mat he was making; and. more
100 S0S1 F@a3Dn 10 D<18va that
&c OF NE business competitors hsd beer
unduly favored.
Army DeAgnatkon-
The war Department. was in f.y x,n,..
snape than the navy department. The
Point are PRECISELY sz rood a. the younr
IN, turned out from Annapolis. and
m, n, always has been true. But at tina;
edy the worst CONDITION, si5esS az
eyer since the close OF the Civil war,
me conditions weer such that after 4
1 years the army ofrieer stagnated %
when TIE Spanish war broke out ths
navy really was largely on q war foot
M as any navy which is even respect
The adnirels. captains and u,uten.nts
were continually praeticing their profes.
sion IN almost PRECISELY the way that 4,
Exo.n, Dc pract,eed In time of war
OF tne men on board chip went tsroux 4
IN ume or peace practically all that thsy
would have 10 go through in time Of
department. were for the most mart r,en
VINO mad seen sea service. and who ver.
preoaHnG Tor needs witch they them
tho civilian head OF the navy hsS ~
provide for keeping the ships IN A stn :,
OF reasonable erfeiency. and eonsres,
eeuld not hopelessly misbehave Itself
becoming evident.
Tow nigh TO snsvs . ,nals,. Tan.
All THIS was changed so far as tn.
poefible TO decrease the efficiency OF ths
army without being called TO accorn, roi
II. bot the only way in which IN 9 secre,
OF war could sain credit for him.
omy' and the easiest way 70 economic.
was IN connection with somethinK tina,
would not he felt unless war should
arise. The people took no interest what
ever IN the army. denaGogues efas,orer
against y. and, Inadequate though II was
IN size. insisted that ~ should be still
ways appealed 20 the volunteers, n.
regulars had no votes I'd there was nc
point in politicians thinking OF them
Ire chief activity shown by congress.
men about the army was IN getting rpe.
cal army posts built in places wher.
there was no need for them. Even IN.
Work OF The army in its campaigns
against the Indians was OF such a char.
scter that it was generally perfornec
BY small bodies OF nifty or hundre0
men Until a man ceased haing a lieu.
tenant he usually had plenty OF prOfer
sional work to attend 10 and was en-.
pioyed In the field. and, IN snort. Rad
the Same hind or practice that his
brother IN the navy had. and he did his
work Es we'll. But once past this stag,
ne had almost 10 opportunity 20 per.
FORM any work corresponding TO hts
rank. and but little opportunity 10 d
any military work whatever The very
best men. men like Lawton. Young
Chanee, Hawkins and Sumner. 20 men,
ZION only men unGer or beside whom
served. remained good soldiers. soidier.
OF TIC pest stamp. in spite OF the dis
heartening conditions. But Il was not
10 be expected that the average mar
could continue 70 grow when every :.
when tho Spanish war suddenly burst
upon Us. number % inert elderly car.
tains ana neld officers were. much
pitchforksd into the corlmsnd Of req.
mentsi briEasies. and even divisions anc
army corps. OFTEN these men raiI-r
painfully. This was rot their fault: Il
was the fault or the nation. that Is, the
fault OF all OF US. % you. my reader. snr
Or myself. and OF those like US. beraus.
We had permitted conditions 10 Be eucr
mand. Take stout captain OF Al out
of-ihe-Wey two-company poSr v~nerg
nothing !u the world ever occurrei ever
resembling military action. and wner,
Ouvulsed the post 20 RS foundation Wa.
the quarrel between the captain and IN,
guarterma ster as 20 how h!Eh a mule,
tail out 20 be shaved Il an speaking 81
an actual incident. what could he az
pected ~ sIcu a mul. even tough thirty
I'VE ears before 20 had been n gallant
second lieutenant 90 The civil war IT, n
t"- this iEter1 suiuE do-nOthfng period
he WIS suddenly put in oouimarTd or ~ q,
troops IN midsummer campaign 80 ths
tropics
The bureau chiefs were for the most
part elderly lucomuefents. whose idei
was 20 10 their routine duties in such
way a. Q" escape the cersurs Of routine
brrsaucratlc superbors and 20 avoid =
cong ressiOnal invest cation. They mad
not tho slightest conception of preuar
lug The army for var. 70 was irrpos-i-
bic tIa' they could have an such con
ception- The people and the congress
did not wish the army 20 prepa~o fo-
var. and those editors and phiiarthro-
pisis and peace al 0cafer who felt
saR Hsly that if tho army were lrcomre-
tent their principles we're safe atWave
in eiEhed against any proposal % make
50 efficient, cu TIE ground that nj
moved = natural biOpdfhirsfiresz o. the
~ posed. Nten such wee tho oond
fipus. 10 VA ahsoi Iteiy I'm possibie that
either tine = ~ ue apartment cr the ARM
could do vel tn the event Of va Ser
re'arY AlGrr happened 90 10 se~r~tarv
ren var broke O4f ana all tile rsepou-
rIbihtN Tor the shortcomings a the dc
fsrtmeut Wa visited upon hig devoted
head. lie vas made the acaneroaf for
org national fhorfoDufn.s The farf'
HsH not biz. tho faalf and reapoueIhIfif .
To. Vifh ur he people. who for fffrt.
q