Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1914-06-10
number Of ships has not largely IN.
creased.
Democrat Nor liberal Now.

number Of ships has not largely m
creased.
Democrats More Liberal Now.
Next year. 1915. marks the time
once set by the Republicans In con
gress to stop appropriating for two
battleships each year. Once when
Roosevelt was in the White House he
recommended the building of four bat
tleships. 1t was generally believed
that the president wanted to make
sure that he would get two, and that
it was for this reason that he recon-
mended four. Then the house naval
committee reported at that time favor
ably on two battleships the Repub
hcan majority went on record as 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
jortty, and the resolution probably was
intended simply as a sort of incentive
for future congresses to do likewise.
The Panama canal win 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. so the chances
seem to be that the navy win be kept
at least at its present strength during
tbs years to come, and it is possible
that it may be added 10 because OF
the increased American merchant ma
rine made possible by the Panama
canal trade. The idea is that coun-
try with growing merchant marine
needs a growing navy to protect it.
OF course this is based on the suppo-
sition that the merchant trade is TO
grow, although there are representa-
tives and senators who say it 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 it safe from
assault The big fortifications at the
entrance to the canal can keep OF
any feet which any nation of the
world can send against II, but there is
nothing to prevent a foreign nation,
| If it secures mastery of the oceans,
| from landing troops north or south OF
the canal, and from making an at
IN n4t hu
across country.
The thought Of the naval authori-
ties is that this country should have
navy big enough to prevent any 9TH
er 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 been
working night and day and Sundays
and the end is not yet in sight.
Brigadier General Mills is the man
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 general
of volunteers. While serving on STAFF
duty Mills was in the thick of things
in front of Santiago He showed hero
ism on the battlefield that won him
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.
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.. 5rigadier
general. United States army, for dis
tinguished gallantry in action near
Santiago de Cuba. July /, 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 Hazlng.
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 il
the year 1879. The position as super
intendent at West Point carried with
it the temporary rank of colonel.
II 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 it its death blow POS