The Weekly Times-Journal. (Oklahoma City, Okla.), Vol. 17, No. 31, Ed. 1 Friday, December 6, 1907 Page: 3 of 8
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ex<VNsi\e or inipro|*r benefits are
conferred thereby, that pn>|tor reve-
nue is provided, and that our foreign
trade la eucournged.
itures, $.1,275,000,000. The net excess
of Income over expend it urea, includ-
ing iu the latter the fifty millions ex-
pended for the Panama canal, was one
...T."'? "f" ™,r8 "1,h hundred wul ninety millions dollars
tho 1st Of July last, tlir total expradl- for Uic six jinrs. an a v.Tase of about
^vrrn"miitr0eirl'|1^dvr°'nfhfi,.",,*i<!?a|l t*Ur,'"onc millions a yinr. nils rep- dors remains, of course, uneliangvd.
,c 0u resents an am>rojiiinaUnn between In- .
re\enue9, were, In round numberx, como and outgo which it would be
revenues, $3,405,000,000, mid expend- Imrd to In,prove.
Oklahoma lias become a state,
standing on a full equality with her
elder sisters, and her future Is as-
sured by her great nutural resources.
The duty of the luitional gowrainent
to K>uml the |>cr*onul and property
rights of the Indians within her bor-
invoked atfaJnst Wealthy offenders.
There is no such complaint now. The
court of the department of Justice
during the last few years has been
such us to make it evident tliat no
man stauds above the law, that no
corporation Is so wealthy tliat It can-
not bo held to account.
tluit some way may be devised which
will limit tile abuse of injunctions and
protect these rights which front time
to time it unwarrantably invades.
A few years ugt> there was loud
complaint that the law could not be
I earnestly commend fo the atten-
tion of the congress this matter, so
It is well to provide that <x>rpora-
tions shall not contribute to president-
ial or luUJonal i-aunimigiis, and fur-
thermore to provide for the publica-
tion of both contributions and expen-
ditures. There is, however, always
The eemmlttes has mule very eatlsfae-
tory progress. Antiquated practices and
bureaucratic ways have been abolished,
and a general renovation of departmental
methods has been Inaugurated. All that
oan be done by Executive order ban al-
ready been" accomplished or will be put
Into effect In the near future The work
of the main committee and Its several as-
sistant committees has produced a whole*
soma awakening on the part of the groat
body of officers and employes engaged
In Government work. In nearly every
Department and office there has been a
careful self-Inspection for the purpose of
remedying any defects bef
be made the subject of ad
This has led individuals to a wider study
of the work on which they were engaged,
and this study lias resulted in Increasing
their efficiency in their respective lines of
Work. There are recommendations of
special Importance from the committee
on the subject of personnel and the clas-
sification of salaries which will require
legUlattvo action beforo they can be put
Into effect. It Is my Intention to submit
to the Congress In the near future a
special message on those subjects.
Corporation Contributions
to Campaign Expenses.
Under our form of government voting
Is not merely a right but a duty, and,
moreover, a fundamental and necessary
duty If a man is to be a good citizen.
It Is well to provide that corporations
shall not contribute to Presidential ur
National campaigns, and furthermore to
provide for the publication of both con-
tributions and expenditures. There is,
however, always danger in lawn of this
kind, which from their very nature are
difficult of enforcement; the danger being
lest they be obeyed only by the honest,
and disobeyed by the unscrupulous, so
as to act only as a penalty upon honest
men. Moreover, no such law would ham-
per an unscrupulous man of unlimited
means from buying his own way into of-
fice. There Is a very radical measure
which would, I believe, work a substan-
tial improvement In otrr system of con-
ducting a campaign, although I am well
aware that It will take seme time for
people so to familiarize themselves with
such a proposal as to be willing to con-
aider its adoption. The need for collect-
ing la rare campaign funds would vanish If
Congress provided an appropriation for
•jhe proper and legitimate expenses of
each of the great national parties, an ap-
propriation ample enough to meet the
Necessity for thorough organization and
Machinery, which requires a large ex-
i eridlture of money. Then the stipula- i
tlon should be made that no larty re-
ceiving campign funds from the Treasury !
shoulfl accept more than a fixed amount 1
from any Individual subscriber or donor; j
and the necessary publicity for receipts I
and expenditures could without difficulty
be provided.
There should be a National gallery of
art established in the capital city of this
country. This Is important not merely
to the artistic but to the material wel-
faro of the country; and the people are
to be congratulated on the fact that the
movement to establish such a gallery is
tailing definite form under the guidance
of the Smithsonian Institution. So far
from there being a tariff on works of
art brought into the country, their im-
portation should be encouraged In every
way. There have been no sufficient col-
lections of objects of art by the Govern-
ment, and what collections have been ar-
qulred are scattered and are generally
placed In unsuitable and Imperfectly
lighted galleries.
danger in laws of this kind, which
from this \cr> nature arc difficult « f
enforcement; the danger being lest
they Ik* obeyed only by the honest niul
disobeyed by the uusccupuloiis, s<> as
to m-t only us a |>ctuilty upon honest
. .No growth of cities, no growth of
wealth, can nutke up for any lo .«, in
either tlio number of the diame ter of
1151, but even at that time the act was
known to be inadequate in various par-
tioulars. Since that time events have
moved rapidly In our history. We have
acquired Hawaii, the Philippines, and
lesser islands in the Pacific. We are
BtfHdlly prosecuting the great work of
uniting at the isthmus the waters of the
Atlantic and the Paclllc. To a greater
extent than seemed probable even a
dozen years ago. we may look to an
American future on the sea worthy of
the tradition of our past. As the flrst
step In that direction, and the step most
Ml. . . . . , - - - j feasible at tho present time, I recommend
.... . thf":' ooultl I the extension of the ocean mall act of
riticisni. j 1891. That act has stood for some years
free from successful criticism of Its prin-
ciple and purpose it was based on theo-
ries of tho obligations of a great mari-
time nation, undisputed in our own land
and followed by other nations since the
beginning of steam navigation. Prietly
those theories are, that It Is the duty of
a first-class Power so far as practicable
to curry Its ocean malls under its own
flag, that the fast ocean steamships and
th«*lr crews, required for such mall serv-
ice, are valuable auxiliaries to the sea
power of a nation. Furthermore, the
Construction of such steamships insures
the rnaintenar ce in an efficient condition
of the shipyards in which our battleships
must be built.
The expenditure of public money for
tho performance of such necessary func-
tions of government Is certainly war-
ranted, nor la it necessary to dwell upon
the Incidental benefits to our foreign
commerce, to the shipbuilding Industry,
and to ship owning and navigation whi h
will accompany the discharge of these
urgent public duties, though they, too,
should have weight.
The only serious question is whether at
this time we can afford to improve our
ocean mail service as It should bo im-
proved. All doubt on this subject is re-
moved by the reports of the Poet-Office
Department. For tho fiscal year ended
June SO, 1907, that Department estimates
that the postage collected on the articles
exchanged with foreign countries other
than Canada and Mexico amounted to
16,579,043.48, or $H,637,22'i.81 more than
the net cost of the service exclusive of
tho cost of transporting tho articles be-
tween the United States exchange post-
offices and the United States postofflees
at which they were mailed or delivered.
In other words, the Government of the
United States, having assumed a monop-
oly of carrying tho mails for the people,
is making a profit of over $3,600,000 by
rendering a cheap and inefficient service.
That profit I believe should be devoted
to strengthening our maritime power in
those directions where It will best pro-
mote our prestige. The country Is fa-
miliar with the facts of our maritime
Impotence In tho harbors of the great
anil friendly Republics of South America.
Following the failure of the shipbuilding
bill we lost our only American line of
steamers to Australasia, ond that loss on
the Pacific ban become a serious embar-
rassment to the people of Hawaii, and
has whoily cut off tho Samoan Idandi
from regular communication with the
Pacific coast. Puget Sound, in the year,
hns 1.-st over half (four out of seven) of
its American steamers trading with the
Orient.
We
The Biological Survey Is quietly work
Ing for the good of our agricultural in
terests, and is an excellent example of a
Government bureau which conducts orig-
inal scientific research the findings of i
which are of much practical utility. For
more than twenty years It has studied j
the food habits of birds and mammals 1
that are injurious or beneficial to agri-
culture. horticulture, and forestry; has
distributed Illustrated bulletins on the j
subject, and has labored to secure legls- ;
iatlve protection for the beneficial spe- !
cies. The cotton boll-weevil, which has
recently oversprend the cotton belt of
Texas nnd is steadllv extending its range, ,
Is said to cause an annual loss of about I
$3,000,000. The Biological Survey has as- j
certained and given wide publicity to the
fact that at least 43 kinds of blrde prey |
upon this destructive insect. It has dis-
covered that 67 species of birds feed
upon scale-Insect*—dreaded enemies of
the fruit grower. It has shown that
woodpeckers as a class, by destroying
the larvae of wood-boring Inseots, are so ;
essential to tree life that it Is doubtful
If our forests could exist without them. I
It has shown that cuckoos and orioles
are the natural enemies of the leaf-eat- |
Ing ci terpillars that destroy our shade
and fruit trees; that our qualls and
sparrows consume annually hundreds of
tons of seeds of noxious weeds; that
hawks and owls as a class ''excepting
the few that kill poultry and game birds)
are markedly beneficial, spending their
lives In catching grasshoppers, mice, and
other pests that prey upon the products
of husbandry. It has conducted field ex-
perlmer ts for the purpose of devising and
perfecting simple methods for holding in
check the hordes of destructive rodents
rats, ml«e. rabbits, gophers, prairie
dog" and ground squirrels—which an-
nually destroy crops worth many mil-
lions of dollars; and it has published
practical directions for the destruction of
v !•. s and coyotes on tho stock ranges
cf 11 e West, resulting during the past
year In an estimated saving of cattle and
sheep valued at upwards of a million
dollars.
It hns Irau-urnted a system of inspec-
tion at the principal porfs of entry on
both Atlantic and Pacific coasts by means
of which the introduction of noxious
mammals ,-nd birds Is prevented, thua
keeping out the mongoose and certain
bli I- v ' ich n re as much to be dreaded
rs the previously Introduced English
' I •* betlSS ruts and mice, v ,
In the Interest of name protection It
' with i • al Officials in ev- j
ery KV.fo In the Union, has striven to
promo* • uniform legislation in the sev-
ernl : •" * a t has rendered Important serv-
ice 111 • . f i Ing the Federal law regulat- !
Ir.K Inter stale traffic In game, end has
ahovi how game protection may be made
to yield a large revenue to the state—« !
Ing In the case of llll- j
to lili'.ooo In a single year.
T ■ biological Survey has explored
the fi.ur.ns and floras of America with
ref. dice to the distribution of animals
nnd i ' < i;f ■ it has defined and mapped
"• natural Ufa areas—areas in which.
It n f prevailing climatic condl-
t| M 0S1 • la kinds of unlmals and plants
r ar.d lias pointed out the ndapt-
•t.i if. of the:o areas to the eultlvatlon
f I ci ! • r crops. The results of these
It ■ • fens t«re not only of high edu-
• it) >roi vsliic but are worth each year
tie i : gre« ive farmers of the country
times « <• coat of maintaining the
Survey. which, It may be added, la ex-
of ■_ •!! I recommend to Cen«
<-:r ti • t thin l-itrenu, whose usefulness
iloit'K handicapped by lack of funds,
1 <■ "'an 1 a> oroprlation In some do
ith the Importance
pay under the act of 1891 f I
a statute mile outward to 20-knot Amer-
ican mail steamships, built according to
naval plans, available as cruisers, and
manned by Americans. Steamships of
that speed are confined exclusively to
trans-Atlantic trade with New York. To
steamships of 16 knot3 or over only $2 a
mile can be paid, and it Is steamships of
j this speed and typo which are needed to
meet tho requirements of mail service to
1 South America, Asia (Including the Phil-
ippines) and Australia. I strongly rec-
ommend, therefore, a simple amendment
to the ocean mail act of 1891 which shall
authorize the Postmaster-General In his
i discretion to enter into contracts for tho
transportation of malls to the Republics
of South America, to Asia, the Philip-
| plnos, and Australia at a rate not to ex-
ceed $4 a mile for steamships of 16 knots
! speed or upwards, subject to the restric-
tions and obligations of the act of 1891.
The profit of 53,600,000 which has been
mentioned will fully covor the maximum
annual expenditure involved in this rec-
ommendation, and it is believed will in
time establish the lines so urgently need- |
ed Tho proposition Involves no new
principle, but permits the efficient die- !
now exacts, and has always exacted, a
far heavier toll of death than all our
wars put together. The statlstlca of the
ruilrcads of this country for the year
ended June 80, 1906, the last contained in
the annual statistical report of the In-
terstate Commerce Commission, show In
that one year a total of 108,324 casualties
to persons, of which 10,618 represent tho
number of persons killed In that won-
derful hive of human activity, Pittsburg,
tho deaths due to Industrial accidents In
1906 were 919, all the result of accidents
in mills, mines or on railroads. For the
entire country, therefore, it Is safe to
say that the deaths due to industrial ac-
cldonts aggregute in the neighborhood
of twenty thousand a year. Such a rec-
ord makes the death rate In ull our for-
eign wars utterly trivial by comparison.
Tho number of deaths In liattle In all
the foreign wars put together, for the
last century and a quarter, aggregate
considerably less than ono year's death
re ord for our industries A mere glance
at these figures is sufficient to show the
absurdity of hie.outcry against militar-
ism.
The Army Mcdical Corps
% Should be Much Larger.
Hut again and again in tho past our
littlo Regular Army has rendered service
literally vital to tho country, and It
[ may at any time have to do so in the
| future Its standard of efficiency and
j instruction is higher now than ever in
the past. But it Is too small There
are not enough officers; and it is im-
possible to secure enough enlisted men.
We should maintain in peace h faJrly
complete skeleton of a large army. A
great and long-continued war would
have to be fought by Volunteers. But
moutltf Would pass before any large
body of efficient volunteers could be put
in the field, and our Regular Army
should be large enough to meet any im-
mediate need. In particular it is essen-
tial that we should possess a number of
extra officers trained in peace to per-
form efficiently the duties urgently re-
quited upon the breaking out of war
Tho Medical Corps should be much
greater than the neods of our Regular
Army in war. Yet at present It is small-
er than the needs of the service demand
even in peace. The Spanish war oc- i
cut ted less than ten years ago. The
chief loss wc suffered In It was by dis-
ease among tho regiments which never
left tho country. At the moment the
Nation seemed deeply lmpressd by this
fact; jet seemingly It has already been !
forgotten, for not the slightest effort
has been made to prepare a medical
corps of sufficient Blze to prevent the
repetition of the samo disaster on a
much larger scale If wo should ever be
engaged In a serious conflict. Tho
trouble in the Spanish war was not with
the then existing officials of the War
Department; It was with the reprssen- '
tatives of the people as a wbole who,
for the preceding thirty years, had de-
clined to make the necessary provision
f«>r the Army. Unless ample provision
is now made by Congress to put the
Medical Corps whero It should be put ,
disaster in the next war ia inevitable,
and the responsibility will not lie with
those then in charge of the War De-
partment, but with those who now de-
cline to make the necessary provision. A '
well organised medical corps, thoroughly
trained before the advent of war In all
the Important administrative duties of
a military sanitary corps. Is essential
to the efficiency of any largo army, and
especially of a large volunteer army. '
Such knowledge of medicine and surgery
as is posnesH'*d by tho medical profes-
sion generally will not alono suffice to
make an efficient military surgeon, lie
must have. In addition, knowledge of
the administration and sanitation of
large field hospitals and cam; s. in ordor
to safeguard tho health and lives of men
intrusted in great numberu to his care.
A bill has long been pending before the
Congress for the reorganisation of the
Medicul Corps; Its passage is urgently
needed.
But the Medical Department is not the
only department for which increased pro-
vision should be made. The rate of pay
for the officers should be greatly In-
creased; there is no higher typo of citizen
than the American regular oflicer, and he
should have a fair reward for his ad-
mirable work. There should be a rela-
tively even greater increase In the pay for
the enlisted men. An especial pn
the farming population. We cannot
afford U> lose that pre-eminently typ-
leal American, the farmer who owns
his own metlhim-sized farm. To have
Ills xilace taken by either a cIumh of
saiall peasant proprietory <«• by u
class of great landlords with tenant-
furmcd cMates would be u rorltablo
calamity.
'■ n°< «' r"r •">' PO'ltton, after a«r thnt only «*• enntrlMfmwtr M wr«M
ns has beoome a colonel. Hefore he has , remain, and sea service should be a prin-
ceeome a colonel the need for physical cipal teHt of fitness. Those who are
J- ffl]cpr 18 great passed try should, after a certain length
as in the enlisted man. I hope speedily of service in their respective grades, bo
to aee introduced Into ths Army a far retired Of a given number of men it
rl*id and thorough-going test of may well be that almost all would make
horsemanship for all Held officers than at j good lieutenants and most of them good
present. There should bo a Chief of Cav- lieutenant-commanders, while only a mln-
airy Just as there Is a Chief of Artillery, ority will be fit to be captains, and but
remaps the most importsnt of all leg- three or four to be admirals Thote wl.o
islaUon needed for tho benefit of ths object to promotion otherwise than by j
Array Is njaw to equalize and Increase the | mere seniority should reflect upon the >-
pay of officers and enlisted men of the
Army. Navy, Marine Corps, atid Rovenue-
Cutter Service. Such a bill ms been pre-
pared, which it is hoped will meet with
your favorable consideration. The next
most essential measure is to authorize a
number of extra officers « mentioned
above. To make the Army more attract-
ive to enlisted men. It is absolutely essen-
tial-to create a service corps, such as ex-
ists in nearly every modern army In th«
world, to do the skilled and unskilled la-
bor. Inseparably connected with military
administration, which is now exacted,
without Just compensation, of enlisted
men who voluntarily enter the Army to
do acrvlce of an altogether different kind.
There are a number of other laws neces-
sary to so organize the Army us to pro-
mote its efficiency and facilitate its rapid
expnnslon in time of war; but the above
are the most important.
President Sees the Need of
A Largely increased Navy.
It wa.n hoped The Hague Conference
might deal with the question of the lim-
itation of armaments. But ev-n before
it bad assembled Informal Inquiries had
developed that ns regards naval arma-
ments, the only ones in which this coun-
try had any interest, it was hopeless to
try to devise any plan for which there
was tho slightest possibility of securing
the assent of the nations gathered at The
Hague. No plan was even proposed which
would have had the assent of more than
one first class Power outsido of the United
Statee. The only plan that seemed at all
feasible, that of limiting the slae of bat- i
tleshlps, met with no favor at all. It Is
evident, thsrefnro, that it Is folly for this
Nation to baee any hope of securing
peace on any international agreement as |
to the limitation of armaments. Such
being the fact it would be most unwise
for us to stop the upbuilding of our Navy.
To build one battleship of the best ami I enactment"
most advanced type a year would barely j "
keep our fleet i p to Its present force. This
is not enough. In my Judgment, we should
this year provide for four battleships But
it Is idle to build battleships unless in
addition to providing tho mon. and the
means for thorough training, we provide
the auxiliaries for them, unless wo pro-
vide docks, ti/- coaling stations, the col-
liers and supply ships thnt thev noed.
We are extremely deficient In coaling sta-
tions and docks on the Pacific, ar.d this
deficiency should not longer be permitted
to exist. Plenty of torpedo boats and de-
stroyers should be built. Both on tho At-
lantic and Paclt, , asta, fortifications of
the best typo should be provided for all
our greatest harbors.
Wo need always to remember that In
time of war the Navy is not to be used to
defend harbors and sea-coast cltics; we
should perfect cur system of coast forti-
fications. The only efficient use for the
Navy is for offeree The only way In
which it can efficiently protect our own
coast against the possible action of a for-
eign navy Is by destroying that foreign
navy. For defense against a hostile fleet
hich actually attacks them,
mentary fact that no business in private
life could be successfully managed If
those who enter at the lowest rungs of
the ladder should each In turn, if he lived,
become tire head of the firm, its active
director, and retire after he had held the
position a few months. On Its face such
« scheme is an absurdity. Chances for
Improper favoritism can bo minim M I M
a properly formed board; such as the
board of last June, which did such con-
scientious and excellent work in ellinlna-
reached, and resolutions were adopted ' provide for eleotlo
marking the progress made In matters air expectation n
Upon which agreement was not yet surfi- year to be mi •• t
dently complete to make conventions a^iin to a •. \ en
practicable. I peiiple th,.mif;
The delegates of the United States Is no s . v t<
were Instructed to favor nr. agree , c„t permit Cut.i uriln
for obligatory arbitration, the establish- dltlon ftom wi ld,
ment of a permanent court of a at!..- th t we mk of tho
tlon to proceed Judicially in tho hearing they be t.v .rni
and decision of international causes, tho thfmselv. \i«? /.
prohibition of force for tho collection of *iu| to t!
contract debta alleged to bo due from t.f the A> t i ,
Island and
the c mlng
nts
citiz
tries until after arbitration a
tlce and amount of the drbt
and manner of payment, tho
private property at sea, the i
tlon of the rights of neutr
ease any measure to that «r
Introduced, the limitation of
In tlie field of peaceful db
ternatlonal differences se\o,
advances were mode. First
other
Tokyo from
sml In whir
the world Ml
liga
utloi
Alt I
Wants More Rapid Promo-
tion for Navy Officers.
If all that ought to be done cannot now
be done, at least let a beginning be made.
In my last three annual Messages, and
in a special Message to tho last Con-
gress. the necessity for legislation that
Will cause officers of the line of the Na\ y
to teach the grades of captain and rear-
admiral at less advanced ages and which
will cause them to have more sea train-
ing nnd experience in the highly respon-
sible duties of those grades, so that they
may become thoroughly skillful In han-
dling battleships, divisions, squadrons, and
fleets in action, has been fully explained
and urgently recommended. Upon this
subject tho Secretary of the Navy has
submitted detailed and deflnlto recom-
mendations which have received my ap-
proval, and which, If enacted into' law,
will accomplish what is immediately nec-
essary. and will, as computed with exist-
ing law, make a saving of more than live
■ millions of dollars during the next seven
I years The navy personnel act of ls 9
I has accomplished all that was expected of
it In providing satisfactory periods of
i service in tb" several subordinate grades,
. from the grade of ensign to the grade of
lieutenant-commander, but tho law Is In-
adequate in the upper grades and will
; continue to be Inadequate on account of
• i.. panslon of tho personnel since Its
tlon is Invited to
following quotations from the report
of tho personnel board of 1906, of which
the Assistant Secretary of the Navy was
president:
"Congress has authorized a considerable
Increase In the number of midshipmen at
the Naval Academy, nnd these midship-
men upon graduation are promoted to en-
algn and lieutenant (Junior grade). But
no provision has been made for a corre-
sponding increase In the upper grades,
the result being that the lower grades
will become so congested that a midship-
man now In one of the lowest classes at
Annapolis may possibly not be promoted
to lieutenant until ho Is between 45 nnd
60 years of age. So it will continue un-
der the present law. congesting at the top
and congesting at the bottom. The coun-
try fails to get from the officers of the
servlco tho best that is In thern by not
providing opportunity for their normal
development and training. The board be- j
Uevcs that this works a serious detri-
ment to the effloiency of the Navy and Is
a real menace to the public safety."
As stated in my special Message to the
last Congress: "I urn firmly of the opin-
ion that unless the p
tloi
obligatory
i follows:
it did
arhitri
"It Is unanimous: (1) In
principle for obllga
in declaring that certain differences
notably thore relating to the Inlet pr
tlon nnd application of international
ventlon.nl stipulations are susceptii h
being submitted to obligatory arbitral
it any i
strlctlo
fact thnt as a result
the discussion the vote upon the detlnl
treaty of obligatory arbitration, whlc
was proposed, stood In favor to
against the adoption of the treaty, the:
can be little doubt that the great rrii
Jorlty of the countries of tho world ha\
readied a point where they are now rem
to apply practically the principles tin
unanimously agreed upon by the Confei
ship wl
•ti them
of Jnpu
tuully beneficial
The
id adva
the
use of force
ery st-
ela
oiler t io
to pie In the pr
. nnd
production,
ty goodwill
iloti of mu-
ill unite In
♦ that this
I heartily
ia will pro-
th e repre-
and Its peo-
tract debts. Your
the paragraphs upon this subject in
Message of December, 1006, nnd to
resolution of the Third American C<
ference at Rio In the summer
The convention upon this subject
by tho Conference substantially
posed by the American delegates li
follows:
"In order to avoid between natlom
armed conflicts of a purely pecuniary or-
igin arising from contractual debts clalmec
of tho government of one country by th<
government of another country to be du<
to Its nationals, the signatory 1'oweri
agree not to have recourse to aimed fon t
for the collection of such contractual
debts.
Wa
' l i)ti. | by Presld
dopted 1895; nnd i
pro- aary to su
apt to
ary for
es. The invita-
tion of 1900 was
of the Cnnwsa
In December,
>e delavs neces-
tiint the period
ln-
id a half which the
nplrs.
"Howev
appllca hie
or leaves
red
n shall
State r
offer to
efus
of the
Reciprocal Tariff Agreement
With the German
The adoption of a new tariff by Ger-
many, accompanied by conventions for r«-
clproeal tariff conoenlona betw«en that
country and must of tlm other countrloo
of continental Kurope. led tho (iermon
notice necessary
cities must flepend upon their foVts, miner , J*/, tighrr coTmiMlon^^reonn^'ta"?^!
>rpedo boats j tilled by Judicious legislation th« fntnra
charge of public /unctions now lnada- should bo made for establishing ui-ades
; It Is
otog
ent In the
Mall Service.
tlon to the un-
inail act of March I,
| quately performed or not performod at
all.
Asks for increase In
the Army Appropriation*
Not only there la not now. but there
never has been, any other nation In the
world so wholly free from the evils of
mllltariem as is ours. There never has
been any other large nation, not even
China, which for so long a period has had
relatively to its numbers so small a reg-
ular army as has ours. Never at any
time In our history has this Nation suf-
fered from militarism or b«on in the re-
motest danger of suffering from militar-
ism. Never at any time of our history
has the Regular At my been of a size
which caused the slightest appreciable
tax upon the tax-paying citizens of the
Nation. Almost alwa>s it has been too
small in size and underpaid. Never in
eur entire history has the Nation suffered
In the least particular becnuse too much
care has been given to the Army, too
much prominenece given It, too much
money spent upon It, or because It has
been too large. But again and again wa
have Buffeted because enough care has
sot been given to it. because it has
been too email, because thore has not
been sufficient preparation in advance for
possible war. Every foreign war in
which we have engaged his cost us many
times the amount which, If wisely ex-
pended during the preceding years of
peace on the Hegular Army, would have
Insured the war ending In but a frac-
tion of the time and but for n fraction of
the cost that was actually the case. As
a Nation we have always been short-
sighted In providing for the efficiency of
the Army in tlmo of peace. It is no-
body's especial interest to make such
provision and no one looks ahead to war
at any period, no matter how remote,
as being a serious possibility; while an
Improper economy, or rather niggardli-
ness, can be practiced at the expense of
the Army with the certainty that those
practicing It will not be called to account
therefor, but that the price will be paid
by the unfortunate persons who happen
to be in office when a war does actually
acme.
I think It Is only lack of foreslghht that
troubles us, not ar.y hostility to the
Army. There aro, of oourse, focllsh peo-
ple who denounce any ca:e of the Army
or Navy as "militarism," but I do not
think that these peeple are numerous
This country has to contend now, and
has had to contend in the rast, with
many evils, and there is ample scope for
all who would work for reform. But
there Is not one evil that now exlsta, or
that ever has existed in this country,
which is, or ever has been, owing in the
smallest part to militarism Declamation ;
against militarism has no m re serious
placo In an tamest and Intelligent move-
ment for righteousness in this country
than declamation tgainst the worship of
Baal or Astarolh. It is declamation
against a non-sxlftent erll, or.e which
never has agisted In this country, and
which has rot the allghtsst chance of
appearing here. We are glad te help
In any movement for international peace,
but this la because we sla-erfly believe
Mint it If 0'jr tUty U help all such move-
ments pro\lded thsy are sane end ra-
tional. and not baoaua* thsre Is any ten-
derer toward militarism oo our jart
fchlcn needs to be cured. The evils we
have to fight are these In connection
with industrialism, not militarism. In- '
dustry Is always neeessary, just as war J
Is sometimes necessary. Each lias Ita
prke, and industry In the Uaited State!
equivalent to those of warrant officers in
the Navy, which should ba open to the
enlisted men who serve sufficiently long
and who do their work well. Inducements
should be offered sufficient to encourage
really good men to make the Army a life
occupation. The prime needs of our pres-
ent Army is to secure and retain compe-
tent noncommissioned officers. This diffi-
culty rests fundamentally on the ques-
tion of pay. The noncommissioned officer
does not correspond with an unskilled la-
borer; he corresponds to the best type of
skilled workman or to the subordinate
official In civil institution*. Wages have
greatJy Increased in outside occupations
in tho Isst forty years and the pay of the
soldier, like the pay of the officers, should
be proportionately increased. The first
sergeant of a company, if a good man,
must be one of such executive and ad-
ministrative ability, and such knowledge
d his trade. to be worth far more than
we at present pay him. The same la true
of the regimental sergeant major. These
m«n should be men who had fully re-
I solved to make the Arn.y a life occupa-
I tlon and they should be able to look for-
ward to ample rewawl; while only men
properly qualified should be given a
chance to secure these final rewards The
Increase over the pfesent pay reed not
■ te great in the lower grades for the flrst
| one or two enlistments, but the increase
! should be marked /or the noncommls-
i sloned officers of tho upper grades who
! serve long enough to make it evident that
they Intend to stay permanently in the
Army, while additional ray should be
given for high qualifications in target
practice. The position oi warrant officer
should be established and there should
be not oaly an Increase of pay. but an in-
arease of privileges and allowancea and
dignity, so as to make the grade open to
noncommissioned officers capable of fill-
ing them dos!table from every standpoint.
The rate of desertion in our Army now In
time of peace 1« alsrmlng The deserter
should be treated by public opinion as a
man guilty of the greatest crime; while
on tho other hand the men who serves
Steadily in the Army should be treated a
what he 1s. that is. as pre-eminently one
of the best citizens of this Republic.
After twelve years" service In the Army
my own belief is that the man should be
given a preference accordlrg t his abil-
ity for certain types of office over all
civilian applicants without examination.
This should also apply, of course, te the
man who have served twelve yeara in the
Navy. A apcolal corps should be pro-
vided to do the manual labor now neces-
sarily demanded of the privates them-
selves.
Would Wesd Out the
Unfit Among ths Officeet.
Among the officers there should be se-
vere examinations to weed out the unfit
up to the grade of major. Fr jtxi that po-
sition on appr intmer.ta Bh^niid be solely
by selection and It should be understood
that a man of m-rely average capacity
eould nevir pet beyond the position of
major, while every man who serves In
grade a certain $f time prlcr
torpedoes, submarines, and
and destroyers. All of these together
efficient for defensive purposes, but they ' Jg^d'
in no way supply the place of k thor- I '•
oughly efficient navy capable of acting I
on the offensive; for parrying never yet 1
won a fight. It can only be won by hard j
hitting, and an aggressive sea-going navy i
alone can do this hard hitting of the of- 1
fenslve type. But the forts and the like
aro necessary so that the Navy may be ;
footloose. In time of war there is sure j
to be demand, under pressure of fright, i
for the ships to be scattered so as to j
defend all kind of ports. Under penalty '
of terrible disaster, this demand must be '
refussd. Tho ships must be kept to- |
get her. and their objective made the ene- I
roles' fleet. If fortifications are Huffl- 1
cicntly strong, no modern navy will ven- \
ture to attack them, so long aa the foe !
haa In existence a hostile navy of any-
thing like the same size or efficiency. But
unless there exists such a navy then the
fortifications ar« powerless by them-
selves to secure the victory. For of course
the mere deficiency means that any reso-
lute enemy can at his leisure . u.Une ail
his forces upon one point with the cer-
tainty that he can take it
Qlves Reasons for Dsspstch
Of Fleet to the Paclffo.
Navy will bo gravely
It is also urgently necessary "to In-
crease the efficiency of the Medical Corps
of the Navy. Special legislation to this
end has already been proposed; and I
trusl It may be enacted without delay.
It must be remembered that everything
done In the Navy to fit it to do well In
time of war must be done in time of
pcace. Modern w«/s are short; they do
not last the length of time requisite to
build a battleship; and it takes longer to
train the office™ and men to do w-Il on
a battleship than it takes to build It.
Nothing effective can be done for
Navy once the war has begun, and
result of the war. If the combatants
otherwise equally matched,
upon which power has prep
time of peace. The Unltod States Navy
Is the best guaranty the Nation has that
Its honor and interest will not be neglect-
ed; and In nddltlon *lt offors by far the
best insurance for peace that can by hu-
man Ingenuity be devised.
Course of Study Changed
at the Naval Academy.
I call attention to the report of the
official Board of Visitors to the Nitval
Academy at Annapolla which has been
forwarded to the Congress. The report
Until our battle fleet is much larger contains this paragraph
"a" * islon should be made
trate, or, in case of i
Impossible to formulate the terms of sub-
mission. or, after arbitration, falls to
comply with the award rendered
"It is further agreed that arbitration
here contemplated shall be In conformity,
as to procedure, with Chapter III of the
Convention for the Pacific- Settlement of
International Disputes adopted nt 'Hie
Hague, and that it shall determine, it. so
far as there shall be no agreement be-
tween tho parties, tho Justice and tha
amount of the debt, the time end mode
of payment thereof."
Such a provision would hnve prevented
much injustico and extortion in the past,
and I cannot doubt tliat Its effect in the
future will be most salutary.
Notable Progress Made In
6ettlemont of Dlaputes. 1
A third advance has been made In
amending unci perfecting the convention
of 18'J« for the voluntary settlement «,r In-
ternational disputes, and particularly the
extension of those parts of that conven-
tion which relate to commissions i f In-
quiry. The existence of those provisions
enabled the Governments of Great Hrit.nn
and Russia to avoid war, notwitluending
great public excitement, at the time of
the Dogger Bank incident, nnd the new
convention agreed upon by the* Conference
gives practical effect to the exp. ilei. ..
the I sained In that Inquiry.
the | Substantial progress was also ntade to-
la the creation of a permanent Jndi-
iilnate
eclp
ical
clal
agreement with this country proclaim...
July 13. 1900. The notice was to take
effect on the 1st of March, 15*0fl, nnd In
default of some other arrangements this
Would have left the exports from the
United States to Oermany subject to the
general German tariff duties, from 25 to
BO per cent higher than the conventional
duties Imposed upon the goods of most
of our competitors for German trade.
Under a special agreement made be-
twt . rr the two Governmenta In February,
1908, the German Government postponed
the operation of their notice until ths
80th of June. 1907. In tho meantime,
deeming It to be my duty to make every
effort to
between tho Un
PJc
nt
ind
arlff
any
lerslandlng by either
iltk-iis existing In the
pon tho invitation of
it, I sent to Berlin
ed of i
Labor. This
several nioi
similar comtn
npetent ex-
id adminlstra-
from the Do-
ry and Corn-
rdlng the tariffs of the United
full
than at present It should never be epllt
Into detachments so far apart that they
could not In event of emergency be speed-
ily united. Our coast line ia on the Pa-
oiflo Just as much as on the Atlantic. The
interests of California, Oregon and Wash-
ington are aa emphatically the interests
of the whole Union as those of Maine
and New York, of Louisiana and Texas.
The battle fleet should now and than be
inovod to the Paclflo, Just as at other
times It should be kept in the Atlantic.
When the Isthmian Canal is built the
transit of the battle fleet from me ocean
to the other will be comparatively easy.
Tfntli It le built I earnestly h'rj e that the
batclo fleet will be thus shifted between
the two ocoana every year or two. The
marksmanship on all our shl; 3 hna Im-
proved phenomenally during the last five
yaais. Until within the last two or three
yoars It was not possible to train a battle
fleet in squadron maneuvers under serv ice
conditions, and it is only during these last
two or three years that the training un-
der these conditions has become really
effeotlve Another and most necessary
Stride In advance Is now being taken The
battle fleet is about starting by the Straits
of Magellan to visit the Paolf"i coast. Six-
teen battleships are going under the com-
mend of Resr-Admiral Evan., while eight
armored orulspra und two other battle-
ships will meet him at San Francisco,
whither eertalr- torpedo destroyers are
also going. No fleet of such al re his ever
made such a voyage. anS t will be of
very great edueetional uae to ail engaged
in It. Tli* only way by which to teach
officer* and men how to hand!' the fleet
so as to meet every possl! ntraln and
emergency in time of war la to have
them practice under similar - • d tlor * in
time of peace. Moreover, th
)f ths
courses of study and methods of conduct-
ing and marking examinations ns will de-
velop and bring out the average all-
round ability of the midshipman rather
than to give him prominence in any one
particular study. The fact should be kept
In mind that the Naval Academy is not a
university but a school the primary ob-
ject of which is to educnte bojH to be
efficient naval officers. Changes In cur-
riculum, therefore, should be in tho dl-
reotion of making the course of Instruc-
tion less theoretical and more practical.
No portion of any future class should ba
graduated In advsnee of the full four
yearn" course, and under no olrcumstancea
should the standard of instruction be
lowered. The Academy In almost all of
lt. departments la now magnificently
equipped, and it would be vary unwl.-e
to make the course of Instruotlon leas
exa< ting than It le today."
Acting upon this suggestion I desig-
nated three seagoing offl. ers, Capt Rich-
ard Wainwright. Commander Robert S.
Griffin, and Lieut. Commander Albert I
Key. all graduates of the Academy, to In-
vestigate conditions nnd to ronornmend to
mo the best method of tarrying into effect
this general recommendation. These of-
ficers performed the duty promptly and
Intelligently. *nd. under the personal dl- |
rectlon of Capt Charles J Badger. Su-
perintendent of the Academy, such of ths
proposed changes as w«r« deemed to ha
at present advisable, were put Into effect
at the beginning of the academic year
October 1 last The results, I am confl- j
dent, will bo most beneficial to tho Acad-
11 depend I rJal tribunal for the determlna
d best In j ternatlonal causos. There wi,
discussion of the proposal ft
court und a general agreement
reached In favor of Its crea
Conference recommended to the
Powers the adoption of the <
which It agreed for the orgar
the court, leaving to be deterr
the method by which the Judi
bo selected. This remaining
question is plairfly ono which
good temper will Solve.
A further agreement of the
portanc e was that for the crea
International prize court. The constltu
tlon, organization and procedure of h h!)
a tribunal wore provided for in detail.
Anyone who recalls the Injustices under
which this country suffered as a neutral
power during the early part of the ini-t
century cannot fail to nee In this provi-
sion for an international prize court the
great advance which the world Is . akli.g
towards the substitution of the rule of
reason and Justice In plaics
force. Not only will the international
prize court be
flist im-
the Inte
ata
itrals,
itself a step towards the c
more general court for the
ternatlonal controversies tn
ence ban Just been made,
tion and action of such a pr
not fall to
it Is In
>n of the
the
ubmlaslo
tho dedal
the
Navy
In foreign sffslrs this
nd to the
out
time of p«
ctual
After war is
the
whatev
ry in ti
i' is to
per-
The
aster.
what scn>e of < ur needs arc .
able us to provide for then
place for rn officer to learn hi
aea and the only way In w
can ever be made efficient I-
I bespeak the most libera
for the officera arid enlist) i
Navy. It Is true of them, u
the officers and enlla'cd mer,
that they form n b 1y wh
should be close to the heai
good Amerce- In return .
performance of duty she uld
from them. Tha reward shon
n the;
which Work of geooi
aim is disinterestedly
Ions where such help
n without the appear-
1th what does not con-
eful to act as a good
at The Hague.
I*. to t
to nrom Mon to thA nasi grid-* Without than their beat «r .uld
g*tt!*g the promotion to the next grede ' Mie to hop* for I •• best
Sheuld be forthwith retired. Tho practice rr.nr. in the acnlo* srid<
marches field maneuveia of ths last
two or three yes a hive been lnvnluable
to the Army They ahou d be continued
and extended. A rlpid nnd nd a perfunc-
tory ttamlnstlon of phvaicial taradty has
been provided for th* higher aradt. off!
cers. This will work well. Unless an
officer has a geed physique, unlet* he can
stand hardPhlg, ride well, and walk iai-rjjr,
Co
i did not
f;r
gradea late In
t'me in then
ant -command*
however, to such rigid tests
eliminate the unflt A :<rr,t < h
lieutenant oommj^tgin-, that
gulre yet In many directlona lm
• tens were taken and upon evei
Ject en the programme there w«
full and oenatderate dlaeuasion as
tlfy the belief that aubstaritial i
has been made reward further
mente In the future Thirteen i
tloas were agreed upon erabodyl
U. HUM riffle1- ttosiuMMU mklLU
>o short a
of lleuten-
the .Vary
>' suHttsf.
la i
glide of
to Jus-
iogiess
"E'ee- i
> j U-iig aatuu. JVs ate uww UJuuf
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Brown, Cortez. The Weekly Times-Journal. (Oklahoma City, Okla.), Vol. 17, No. 31, Ed. 1 Friday, December 6, 1907, newspaper, December 6, 1907; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc155109/m1/3/: accessed March 29, 2024), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.