The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1914-07-03

Roosevelt was In the White House b.
recommended the building OF -four bat
tIeships II was generally believed
that the president wanted to make
sure that he would get two, and that
II was for this reason that he recon
mended four. Then the house navA
committee reported At that time favor
ably on two battleships the Rcpub
lican majority went on record a. In
favor OF two ships each year I'M
I'll the Panama canal should be opened
This resolution Of the Republicans OF
course had no binding effect on sue
ceeding congresses, even those In
which the Republicans were In the ma
]or1ty, and the resolution probably was
intended simply az a sort of incentive
for future congresses to do likewise.
The Panama canal will be opened
next year, but there seems to have
been recently more friendly feeling
among the Democrats toward an en-
larged battleship program than there
was when the party was In the mi
nority In congress. 30 the chances
seem to be that the navy will be kept
at least at Its present strength during
the years to come, and 1t Is possible
that 1t may be added to because Of
the increased American merchant ma
rine made possible by the Panama
canal trade. The idea is that coun-
try with a growing merchant marine
needs a growing navy to protect It,
VI course this is based on the suppo-
s1tion that the merchant trade Is to
grow, although there are representa-
tives and senators who say 1t cannot
grow unless there are subsidies.
Canal Needs Protection.
One reason given by the naval au-
thorities for a considerable increase
In the United States navy Is that the
Panama canal needs protection on
the seas In order to make 1t safe from
assault. The big Notifications at the
entrance to the canal can keep on
any fleet which any nation of the
world can send against 1t. but there is
nothing to prevent a foreign nation.
II 1t secures mastery OF the -~eeans,
from landing troops north or south Of
the canal. and from making an at
tempt to capture 1t by an advance
across country.
The thought Of the naval authori-
ties Is that this country should have
navy big enough to prevent any 9th
err nation from getting control Of the
seas in the vicinity of Panama.
General Mills a Busy Man.
Every army and navy Officer in
Washington since the first sign OF
trouble with Mexico came into sight
has been working over hours. Per
haps two of the Understanding
men in the service are Brig. Gen. Al
bert l.. Mills, chief of the division OF
militia affairs In the war department
and his first assistant, Lieut.. Col
Harry c. Hale of the Seventeenth in
fantry. These officers and their col
leagues in the division have beer
working night and day and Sundays
and the end is not yet In sight.
Brigadier General Mills Is the mar
who broke up hazing at West Point.
When the Spanish war broke out he
was first lieutenant In the First cav
airy. He was given the rank OF cap
tain as an assistant adjutant genera
Of volunteers. While serving on stan
duty Mills was in the thick of things
in front of Santiago. He showed hero
ism on the battlefield that won him a
medal OF honor, an appointment TO
West Point as superintendent with the
rank Of colonel. and later a promotion
to the grade of brigadier general. a
step that advanced him over the heads
OF several hundreds OF senior officers
Here is the short Official record
which tells how Mills won his medal
of honor: mills, Albert L., brigadier
general. United States army. for dis.
tinguished gallantry In action near
Santiago de Cuba. July 1, 1898. in en-
couraging those near him by his brav.
cry and GOODNESS after being shot
through the head and entirely with.
out sight, while serving as first lieu.
tenant, First United States cavalry
and captain, assistant adjutant general
of volunteers"
Stopped West Point Hazlnq.
AS a result of his wound at Santiago
General Mills lost the sight Of one eye
1t was not long after his Cuban expe
rience that he was sent to West Point
to become the superintendent of the
school from which he had graduated
as a second lieutenant of cavalry In
the year 1879. The position as super
intendent at West Point carried with
it the temporary rank OF colonel,
1t was Albert l.. Mills who broke up
hazing at West Point. The system
passed, bewailed. perhaps. by every
graduate Of the academy except the
man who gave 1t its death blow. Pos.
sibly way down In his heart General
Mills was sorry that he was able to
do what many soldier before him
had failed to do. but 1t was a matter
of duty and hazing was drum-headed
and driven out of camp.
The scars of war are on General
Mills, but conspicuous as was his field