Crawfordsville Weekly Journal, Crawfordsville, Montgomery County, 6 December 1901 — Page 13

*ntee_ of our own good faith. We have not the lightest desire to secure any territory at the expense, of any of our neighbors. We wish to work with them hand In hand, so that all of us may be upliftec' together, and we rejoice over the good fortune of any of them, we gladly hail the material prosperity and political stability and nre concerned and alarmed if fany of them fall into industrial or political chuos. We do not wish to see any old world military power grow up on this continent or to be compelled to become a military power ourselves. The peoples of the Americas can prosper best if left to work out their own salvation in their own way. --The Xnvy.

The work of upbuilding the navy must be steadily continued. No one point of our policy, foreign or domestic, ia more •important than this to the honor and material welfare and, above all. to the peace of our nation in the future. Whether wo desire it or not we must henceforth recognize that we have international duties no less than International rights. Even if our flag were hauled down in the Philippines and Porto Rico, even if we decided not to build the isthmian canal, we Rhould need a thoroughly trained navy of adequate size or else he prepared definitely and for all time to abandon the Idea that our nation is among those whose sons go down to the sea in ships. Unless our commerce is always to be carried in foreign bottoms we must have war craft to protect it.

Inasmuch, however, as tho American people have no thought of abandoning thr path upon which they have entered, and especially In view of the fact that the building of the isthmian canal is fast becoming one of the matters which the whole people are united in demanding. It is' imperative that our navy should be put and kept in the highest state of efficiency and should be made to answer to our growing needs. So far from being in any 'way a provocation to war, an adequate and highly trained navy is the best guarantee against war, the cheapest anr) most effective peace insurance. Tho cost 'of building and maintaining such a navy represents the very lightest premium for insuring peace which this nation can possibly pity.

Probably no other great nation In the world is so anxious for peace as we are. There la not a single civilized power which has anything whatever to fear from aggressiveness on our part. All we want is peace, and toward this end we wish to be able to secure the same respect for our rights from others which we are eager and anxious to extend to their rights in return, to insure fair treatment to us commercially and to guarantee the safety of the American people.

Our people intend to abide by the MonTOO doctrine and to insist upon it as the ono sure means of securing tho peace of the western hemisphere. The navy offers us the only means of making our insistence upon the Monroe doctrine anything but a subject of derision to whatever nation choof.es to disregard it. We desire the peace which comes as of right to the Just man armed not the peace granted on terms of ignominy to the craven and the weakling.

It is no possible to improvise a navy after war breaks out. The ships must bo built and the men trained long in advance. Some auxiliary vessels can be turned into makeshifts which will do in default of any better for tho minor work, and a proportion of raw men can be mixed with tho highly trained, their shortcomings being made good by the ekill of their fellows, but tho efficient fighting force of the navy when pitted against an equal opponent will bo found almost exclusively in tho warships that have been regularly built and in the licers and men who through years of faithful performance of sea duly have been trained to handle their formidable but complex and delicate weapons with the highest efficiency. In the late war with Spain the ships that dealt the decisive blows at Manila and Santiago had been launched from two to fourteen years, and they were able to do as they did because the men in tho conning towers, the gun turrets and the engine rooms had through long years of practice at sea learned how to do their duty.

Our present navy was begun in

1SS2.

At

that period our navy consisted of a collection of antiquated wooden ships already almost as out of place against modern war vessels as the galleys of Alcibiades and Hamllcar, certainly as the ships of Tromp and Blake. Nor at that time did we have men fit to handle a modern man-of-war. Under the wise legislation of the congress and the successful administration of a succession of patriotic secretaries of the navy belonging to both political parties the work oT~ upbuilding 'the navy went on, and ships equal to any in the world of their kind were continually added, and, what was even more important, these ships were exercised at sea singly and in squadrons until the men aboard them were able to get the best possible service out of them. The result was seen in the short war with Spain, which was decided with such rapidity because of the Infinitely greater preparedness of our navy than of the Spanish navy.

Tlic Purl Played by Congress. Whilo awarding the fullest honor to the men who actually commanded and manned the ships which destroyed the Spanish sea forces in the Philippines and in Cuba, we must not forget than an equal meed of praise belongs to those without whom neither blow could have been struck. The congressmen who voted for years in advance the money to. lay down the ships, to build the guns, to buy the armor plate, the department officials and the business men and wageworkers who furnished what the congress had authorized, the secretaries of the navy who asked for and expended the appropriations and finally the officers who in fair weather and foul on actual sea service trained and disciplined the crews of the ships when there was no war in sight—all are entitled to a full share in the glory of Manila and Santiago and the respea accorded by every true American to those 'Who wrought such signal triumph for our country. It was forethought and preparation which secured us the overwhelming triumph of 1898. If we fail to show forethought and preparation now, there may come a time when disaster will befall us instead of triumph, and should this time come the fault will rest primarily not upon thoso whom the accident of events puts in supreme command at the moment, but upon those who have failed to prepare In advance.

There should be no cessation in the work of completing our navy. So far ingenuity has been wholly unable to devise a substitute for the great war craft whose hammering guns beat out the mastery of the high seas. It is unsafe and unwise not •to provide this year for several additional battleships and heavy armored cruisers, with auxiliary and lighter craft in proportion. For the exact numbers and character I refer you to the report of the secretary of the navy. But there is something we need even more than additional ships, and this is additional officers and men. To provide battleships and cruisers and then lay them up, with tho expectation of leaving: them unmanned until they are needed

In actual war, would be worse than foily. It would be a crime against the nation. More Hen Required.

To Bend any warship against a competent enemy unless those aboard It have been trained by years of actual sea service*. including Incessant gunnery practice, would be to invite not merely disaster, £ut the -bitterest shame and humiliation. Four thousand additional seamen and a thousand additional marines should be provided, and an Increase in the officers Should be provided by making a large addition to the classes at Annapolis. There la one small matter which should be menUpiied ii)

cvjn«cM°ni'wlth

Annapolis. The

pretentious and unmeaning title of "naval cadet" should be abolished the title of "midshipman." full of historic association, should be restored.

Even in time of peace a warship should be used until it wears out. for only so can it be kept fit to respond to any emergency. The officers and men alike should be kept as much as possible on blue water, for it is there only they car, learn their duties as they should be learned. The big vessels shonll be maneuvered in squadrons containing not merely battleships, but the necessary proportion of cruisers and scouts. The torpedo beats should be handled by the younger officers in such manner as will best fit the latter to take responsibility and meet the emergencies of actual warfare.

Every detail ashore which can be performed by a civilian should be so performed, the officer being kept for his special duty in the sea service. Above nil, gunnery practice should be unceasing. It Is Important to have our navy of adequate size, but It is even more important that, ship for ship, It should equal In efficiency any navy in the world. This is possible only with highly drilled crews and officers, and this in turn imperatively demands continuous and progressive instruction in target practice, ship handling, squadron tactics and general discipline. Our ships must be assembled in squadrons actively cruising away from harbors and never long at anchor The resulting wear upon engines and hulls must be endured. A battleship worn out in long training of officers and men Is well paid for by the results, while, on the other hand, no matter in how excellent condition it is useless If the crew be not expert.

The Necessity of Drill,

Wo now have seventeen battleships appropriated for, of which nine are completed and have been commissioned for actual service. The remaining eight will be ready in from two to four years, but it will take at least (hat time to recruit and trftin the men to fight them. It Is of vast concern that we have trained crews ready for the vessels by the time they, are commissioned. Good ships anJ good guns are simply good weapons, and the best weapons are useless save in the ha,nds' pf men who know how to fight, with them. The men must be trained ana drilled Itinder a thorough and well planned system of progressive Instruction whiff? the recruiting must be carried on with still greater vigor. Every effort must be made to exalt the main function of the1officcr—th'e command of men. The leading'graedtiiates of the Naval academy should be assigned to the combatant branches, the line and marines. iTany of the essentials of success are already recognize^ by the general board, which, as the cefift-aT officio d^'a-growing staff, is moving steadily toward a proper war efficiency and a proper efficiency of the whole navy under the secretary. Thisgeneral board, by fostering the creation of a general staff, is providing for the official and then the general recognition of our altered conditions as a nation and of the true meaning of a great -war fleet, which meaning is, first, the best men, and. second, tne best ships.

The naval militia forces are state o* ganizations and are trained for coast service, and in event of war they will constitute the inner line of defense. They should receive hearty encouragement fron the general government.

P.ut. in addition, we should at once pro vide for a national naval reserve organ Ized and trained under the direction of the navy department and subject to tincall of the chief executive whenever war becomes imminent. It should be a ren auxiliary to the naval seagoing peace establishment and offer material to bd drawn on at once for manning our ship' in time of war. It should be composed o' graduates of the Naval academy, graduates of the naval militia, officers ami crews of coast line steamers, longshore schooners, fishing vessels and ste^i yachts, together with the coast popv.'n tion about such centers as life savinc stations and lighthouses.

The American people must either build and maintain an adequate navy or else make up their minds definitely to accep a secondary position in international affairs, not merely in political but in commercial matters. It has been well said that there is no surer way of courting national disaster than to be "opulent aggressive and unarmed."

The Array,

It is not necessary to increase our army beyond Its present size at this time but it is necessary to keep it at the highest point ef efficiency. The individual units who as officers and enlisted men compose this army are, we have good reason to believe, at least as efficient as those of any other army in the entire world. It is our duty to see that their training is of a kind to insure the highest possible expression of power to these units when acting in combination.

The conditions of modern war are such as to make an infinitely heavier demand than eVer before upon the individual character and capacity of the officer and the enlisted man and to make it far more difficult for men to act together with effect. At present the fighting must be done in extended order, which means that each man must act for himself and at the same time act in combination with others with whom he is no longer in the old fashioned elbow to elbow tdu'elu Under isuch conditions a few men of the hlghesrir-excellence are worth more than ipany riiep withotit the special skill whicliijs tfrily '.'found as the result of special training applied tr men of exceptional physltfu'6' arid, morale but nowadays the most' valuable "fightinr' man and the most difficult To ^drfect Is the rifleman who is also-a .^skillful and daring rider. -r

The proportion of our cavalry teglments has wisely been increased.-:!Ehe-American cavalryman, trained tor. maneuver and fight with equal facility on fioot and on horseback, is the best* typo-of-soldier for general purposes now to be1 found in the world. The ideal cavsUrymaarftf the present day is a man who can-fight on foot as effectively as the best infantryman and who is in addition unsurpassed in the care and management of his horse and in his ability to fight on horseback.

Would Create a General Staff. A general staff should be created. As for tho present staff and supply departments, they should be filled by details from the line, the men so detailed returning after awhile to their line duties. It is very undesirable to have the senior grades of the army composed of men who have come to fill the positions by the mere fact of seniority. A system should be adopted by which there shall be an elimination grade by grade of those who seem unfit to render the best service In- the next grade. Justice to the veterans of the civil war who are still in the army would seem to require that In the matter of retirements they be given by law the same privileges accorded to their comrades In the navy.

The process of elimination of the least fit should be conducted in a manner that would render It practically impossible to apply political or social pressure on behalf of any candidate, so that each mat. may bo Judged purely on his own merits. Pressure for the promotion of civil officials for political reasons is bad enough, but It is tenfold worse where applied on behalf of officers of the army or navy. Every promotion and every detail under the war department must be made solely with regard to the good .of the service and to the capacity and merit ot the man himself. No pressure, political, social or personal, of any kind will be permitted to exercise the least effect In any question of promotion or detail, and if there is reason to believe that such pressure is exercised at the instigation of the officer concerned It will be held to militate against him. In our army we cannot afftord to have rewards or duties distributed save on the simple ground that those who by their own merits are entitled to«the re­

wards get them and that those who are peculiarly fit to do the duties are chosen to perform them.

Every effort should bo made to bring the army to a constantly Increasing state of efficiency. When on actual service, no work save that directly in the lino of such service should bo required. The paper work in the army, as In the navy, should be greatly reduced. What is n»ded Is proved power of command and capacity to work well in the field. Constant care is necessary to prevent dry rot in the transportation and commissary departments.

Field Exercises Advocated. Our army is so small and so much scattered that it is very difficult to givo the higher officers (as well as the lower officers and tho enlisted men) a chance to practice maneuvers in mass and on a comparatively large scale. In time of need no amount of individual excellence would avail against the paralysis which would follow Inability to work as a coherent whole under skillful and daring leadership. The congress should provide means whereby it will be possible to have field exercises by at least a division of regulars and, if possible, also a division of national guardsmen once a year. These exercises might take the form of field maneuvers, or if on the gulf coast or' the Pacific or Atlantic seaboard or in thp region of the great lakes the army corps when assembled could bo marched from some inland point to some point on the water, there embarked, disembarked after a couple of days' journey at some other point and again marched inland. Only by actual handling and providing for men in masses while they arc marching, camping, embarking and disembarking will it be possible to train the higher officers to perform their duties well and smoothly.

A great debt is owing from the public to the men of tho army and navy. They should be so treated as to enable them to reach the highest point of efficiency so that they may be able to respond instantly to any demand made upon them to sustain the interests of the nation and the honor of the flag. The Individual American enlisted man is probably on the whole a more formidable fighting man than the regular of any other army. Every consideration should be shown him. and in return tho highest standard of usefulness should be exacted from him. It is well worth while for tho congress to consider whether the pay of enlisted men upon second and subsequent enlistments should not be increased to correspond with the increased value of the veteran soldier.

Army Reorganisation.

Much good has already come from the act reorganizing tho army passed early in the present year. The three prime reforms, all of them of literally inestimable value, are, first, the substitution of four year details from the line for permanent appointments in the so called staff divisions second, tho establishment of a corps of artillery with a chief at the head third, the establishment of a maximum and minimum limit for tho army. It would be difficult to overestimate the improvement. in the efficiency of our army which these three reforms are making and have in part already effected.

The reorganization provided for by th« act has been substantially accomplished The improved conditions in the Philippines have enabled the war department materially to reduce the military charge upon our revenue and to arrange the number of soldiers so as to bring this number much nearer to the minimum than to the maximum limit established by law. There is. however, need of supplementary legislation. Thorough military education must be provided and in addition to the regulars the advantages oi this education should be given to the officers of the national guard and others in civil life who desire intelligently to fit themselves for possible military duty. The officers should be given the chance to perfect themselves by study In the higher branches of this art. At West Point the education should be of the kind most apt to turn out men who are good in actual field service. Toomuchstress should not be laid on mathematics, nor should proficiency therein be held to establish the right of entry to a corps d'elite. The typical American officer of the best kind n.-ed not be a good mathematician, but he must be able to master himself, to control others and to show boldness and fertility of resource In every emergency.

Action should be taken in reference to the militia and to the raising of volunteer forces. Our militia law is obsolete arid worthless. The organization and armament of the national guard of the several states, which are treated as militia In the appropriations by tho congress, should be made identical with those provided for the regular forces. The obligations and duties of the guard In time of war should be carefully defined and a system established by law under which the method of procedure of raising volunteer forces should be prescribed In advance. It Is utterly impossible in the excitement and haste of impending war to do this satisfactorily if the arrangements have not been made long beforehand. Provision should be made for utilizing In the first volunteer organizations called out the training of those citizens who have already had experience under arms, and especially for the selection in advance of the officers of any force which may be raised for careful selection of the "kind .nec?s j.ry is impossible after the outbreak of war.

That the army is not at all a mere Instrument of destruction has been shown during the last three years. In the Philippines, Cuba and Porto Kico It has proved itself a great constructive force, a most potent implement for the upbuilding of a peaceful civilization.

The Veterans.

No other citizens deserve so well of the republic as the veterans, the survivors of thoso who saved the Union. They did the one deed'which if left undone would have meant that all else in our history went for nothing. But for their steadfast prowess in the greatest crisis of our history. all. our ^annals would be meaningless and our great experiment in popular freedom and self government a gloomy failure. Moreqver, they not only left us a united nation, but they left us also as a heritage the memory of the mighty deeds by which the nation was kept united. We are now indeed ono nation, one In fact as well as .in name wo are ufiited in our devotion to the flag which is the symbol of national greatness and unity, and the very completeness of our union enables us all, In every part of the country, to glory in tho volor shown alike by tho tedns of the north and the sons of the south in the times that tried men's souls.

The men who in the last three years have done so well in the East and In tUe West Indies and on tho mainland of Asia have shown that this remembrance is not lost. In any serious crisis the United States must rely for tho great mass of Its fighting men upon the volunteer soldiery who do not make permanent profession of the military career, and whenever such a crisis arises the deathless memories of the civil war will give to Americans the lift of lofty purpose which comes to thosa whoso fathers have stood valiantly in the forefront of the battle.

The Merit Syxtem.

Tho merit system of making appointments is 1n its essence as democratic and American as the common school system itself. It simply means that in clerical and other positions where the duties are entirely nonpolitical all applicants should have a fair field and no favor, each Btaiidlngr on his merits as ho is able to show them by practical' test. Written competitive examinations offer the only available means in many cases for applying this Bystem. In other cases, as where laborers are employed, a. system of registration undoubtedly can be widely extended.

are

THE CRAWF0RDSY1LLE WEEKLY JOURNAL

of course, places where the

written competitive examination cannot be applied and others where it offers by no means an ideal solution, but where under existing political conditions It is, though an imperfect means, yet the best present means of getting satisfactory results.

Wherever the conditions have permitted tho application of the merit system in Its fullest and widest sense the gain to the government has been immense. Tho navy yards und postal service Illustrate probably better than any other branches of tho government tho great gain in economy, efficiency nnd honesty due to the enforcement of this principle.

I recommend the passage of a law which will extend the classified servlco to tho District of Columbia or will at least enable the president thus to extend it. in my judgment all laws providing for the temporary employment of clerks should hereafter contain a provision that they be selected under the civil service law. it is important to have this system obtain at home, but it is even more important to have it applied rigidly in our insular possessions. Not an office should be filled In the Philippines or Porto lllco with any regard to the man's partisan affiliations or services, with any regard to the political, social or personal intluence which he may have at his command. In short, heed should bo paid to absolutely nothing save the man's own character and capacity and the needs of the service

The administration of these islands* should be as wholly free from tho suspicion of partisan politics as the administration of the army and navy. All that we ask from the public servant in the Philippines or Porto Rico is that ho reflect honor on his country by the way In which he makes that country's rule a benefit to the peoples who have come under It. This is all that we should ask, and we cannot afford to he content with less.

The merit system is simply one method of securing honest and efficient administration of tho government, and in tho long run tho sole justification of any type of government lies in its proving itself both honest and efficient.

Tlie Consular Scrvlce.

The consular service is now organized under the provisions of a law passed in XS56, which is entirely inadequate to existing conditions. The interest shown by so many commercial bodies throughout the country In the reorganization of the scrvlce is heartily commended to your attention. Several bills providing for a now consular service have in recent years been submitted to the congress. They are based upon the just principle that appointments to the service should bo made only after a practical tost of the applicant's fitness that promotions should be governed by trustworthiness, adaptability and zeal in the performance of duty, and that tho tenure of office should be unaffected by partisan considerations.

The guardianship and fostering of our rapidly expanding foreign commerce, the protection of American citizens resorting to foreign countries in lawful pursuit of their affairs and the maintenance of tindignity of the nation abroad combine to make it essential that our consuls should be man of character, knowledge and enterprise. It is true that the service is now in thfi main efficient, but a standard ol excellence cannot be permanently maintained until tho principles set forth in the bills heretofore submitted to the congress

011

this subject are enacted into law. In my judgment the time has arrived when we should definitely make up our minds.to recognize the Indian 03 an individual-' and not as a member of a tribe. The general allotment art is a mighty pulverizing engine to break up the tribal ma.ss. It acts directly upon the family and the individual. Under its provisions some

CO.OUO

Indians have already become

citizens of tho United States. We should now break up the tribal funds, doing for them what allotment does for the tribal lands—that is, they should be divided into individual holdings. There will be a transiUonperlod during which the funds will In many cases have to lie held in trust. This is the case also with the lands. A stop should be put upon tho indiscriminate permission to Indians to lease their allotments, The effort should bo steadily to make the Indian work like any other man on his own ground. The marriage laws of the Indians should be made the same as those of the whites.

Industrial Education of Indian*. In the-schools- the education should be elementary and largely industrial. The need"of higher education among the Indians is very, very limited. On the ^solvations care should be taken to try to euit the teaching to the needs of the particular Indian. There is no use in attempting to induce agriculture In a country suited only for cattle raising, wherthe Indian should be made a stock grower. The ration system, which is merely the corral and the reservation system, is highly detrimental to the Indians. It promotes beggary, perpetuates pauperism and stifle industry. It Is an effectual barrier to progress. It must continue to a greater or less degree as long as tribes are horded on reservations and have everything In common. The Indian should be treated as an individual, like the white man. During the change of treatment inevitable hardships will occur. Every effort should be made to minimize these hardships, but we should not because of them hesitate to make the change. There should be a continuous reduction in the number of agencies.

In dealing with the aboriginal races few things are more important than to preserve them from the terrible physical and moral degradation resulting from the liquor traffic. We are doing all we can to save our own Indian tribes from this evil. Wherever by international agreement tliisame end can be attained as regards race: where we do not possess exclusive control every effort should be made to bring it about.

Expositions,

I bespeak the most cordial support from the congress and the people fox- the St. Louis exposition to commemorate the one hundredth anniversary of tho Louisiana purchase. This purchase was the greatest instance of expansion in our history. It definitely decided that we were to become a great continental republic, by far the foremost power in the western hemisphere. It is one of three or four great landmarks In our history—tho great turning points In our development. It is eminently fitting that all our people shoul' Join with heartiest good will in commemo rating it, and tho citizens of St. Louis, of Missouri, of all the adjacent region, are entitled to every aid in making the celebration a noteworthy event In our. annals. We earnestly hope that foreign nation? will appreciate the deep interest our country takes in this exposition and our view of its Importance from everv standpoint, and that they will participate in securing its success. The national government should bo represented by a full and complete set of exhibits.

The people of Charleston, with great energy and civic spirit, are carrying on an exposition which will continue throughout most of tho present session of the congress. I heartily commend this exposition to the good will of tho people. It deserves all the encouragement that can be given it. The managers of the Charleston exposition have requested the cabinet officers to place thereat tho government exhibits which have been at Buffalo, promising to pay the necessary expenses. I have taken the responsibility of directing that tills be done for I feel that it is due to Charleston to help her in her praiseworthy effort. In my opinion the ihanagement should riot be required to pay all these expenses. I earnestly recommend that the congress appropriate at once the small sum necessary for this purpose.

The Pan-American exposition at Buffalo has just closed. Both from tho industrial and, the artistic -standpoint this exposition

liao been In a high degree creditable and useful not merely to Buffalo, but to the bnlted States. The terrible tragedy of the president's assassination interfered materially with Us being financial success. The exposition was peculiarly in harmony with tho trend of our public policy, because it represented nn effort to "bring into closer touch all tho peoples of tho western hemisphere and give them an increasing sense of unity. Such an effort was a genuine servlco to the entire American public.

Science nnd Edncntlon.

The advancement of tho highest Interests of national science and learning and tho custody of objects of art aiul of the valuable results of scientific expeditions conducted by tho United States have been committed to tho Smithsonian Institution. In furtherance of Its declared purpose— for tho "Increase and diffusion of knowledge among men"—tho congress has from time to time given it other important functions. Such trusts have been executed by the Institution with notable fidelity. There should bo no halt In the work of the Institution, in accordance with tho plans which Its secretary has presented, for the preservation of tho vanishing races of great. North American animals in tho Nutlonal Zoological park. Tho urgent needs of tho National museum am recommended to the favorable consideration of the congress. rerhaps the most characteristic educational movement of tho past fifty years is that which has created tho modern public library and developed It into broad and active service. Thero are now over 5,000 public libraries in the United States, the product of this period. In addition to accumulating material, they are also striving by organization, by Improvement in method and by co-operation to gl-o greater efficiency to tho material iliey hold, to make it more widely useful and by avoidance of unnecessary duplication in process to reduce the cost of Its administration.

In these efforts they naturnlly look for assistance to the federal library, which, though still tho library of congress and so entitled. Is tho olio national library of tho United States. Already tho largest slnglo collection of books on tho western hemisphere and certain to increase more rapidly than any other through purchase, exchange and the operation of the copyright law, this library has a unique opportunity to render to the libraries of this country—to American scholarship—service of the highest importance. It Is housed in a building which is the largest and most magnificent yet erected for library uses. Resources are now being provided which will develop tho collection properly, equip it with tho apparatus and service necessary to its effective use, render Its bibliographic, work widely available and enable It to become not merely a center of research, but the chief factor in great cooperative efforts for the diffusion of knowledge and the advancement of learning.

For the sake of good administration, sound economy and the advancement of science the census office as now constituted should be made a permanent government bureau. This would Insure better, cheaper and more satisfactory work in iho interest not only of our business), but of statistic, economic and social science.

The Pontul Servlco.

The remarkable growth of the postal service is shown In the fact that, its revenues have doubled and its expenditures have nearly doubled within twelvo years. Its progressive development compels constantly Increasing outlay, but in ih'y period of business energy and prosperSy its receipts grow so much faster than its expenses that tho annual deficit has been steadily reduced from $11,-111,779 lu 1S97 to

JJ.9L3.7-7

in 1901. Among recent postal ad­

vances the success of rural free delivery wherever established has been so marked and actual experience has made its benefits so plain that the demand for Its extension Is general and urgent.

It Is just that tho great agricultural population should share in the improvement of the service. The number of rural routes now In operation is (,009, practically all established within three years, and there are 0,000 applications awaiting action. It is cxpected that tho number in operation at the close of the current fiscal year will reach 8,000. The mail will then be daily carried to the doors of 5.700.000 of our people who have heretofore been dependent upon distant offices, and one-third of all that portion of tho country which Is adapted to it will be covered by this kind of service.

Tho full measure of postal progress which might be realized has long been hampered and obstructed by the heavy burden Imposed on the government through the Intrenched and well understood abuses which have grown up In connection with second class mall matter The extent of this "burden appears when it is stated that, while the second class matter makes nearly three-fifths of the weight of all the mail, it paid for the last fiscal year only $4,291,4-15 of the aggregate postal revenue of $111,031,19:1. If the pound rate of postage, which produces the large loss thus entailed and which was fixed by the congress with tho purpose of encouraging the dissemination of public information, were limited to tho legitimate newspapers and periodicals actually contemplated by the law, no just exception could be taken That expense would be the recognized ar.d accepted cost of a liberal public policy deliberately adopted for a justifiable end. But much of the matter which enjoys the privileged rate is wholly outside of the intent of the law and has secured admission only through an evasion of its requirements or through lax construction. Tho proportion of such wrongly included matter Is estimated by postal experts to be one-half of the whole volume of second class mall. If it be only one-third or onequarter, the magnitude of tho burden Is apparent. Tho postoffice department has now undertaken to remove tho ubuses so far as is possible by a stricter application of the law, and it should be sustained in its effort.

The Chinese Situation.

Owing to the rapid growth of our power and our interests on the Pacific, whatever happens in China must be of tho keenest national concern to us.

The general terms of the settlement of the questions growing out of the antiforeign uprisings in China of 1900, having been formulated in a joint note addressed to China by the representatives of the injured powers In December last, were promptly accepted by the Chinese government. After protracted, conferences tue plenipotentiaries of th© several powers were able to sign a final protocol with the Chinese plenipotentiaries on tho 7th of last September, setting forth tho measures taken by China in, compliance with the demands of the joint note and expressing their satisfaction therewith. It will be laid before tho congress, with a report of the plenipotentiary on behalf of the United States, Mr. William Woodvllle Rock hill, to whom high praise is duo for the tact, good judgment and energy he has displayed in performing an exceptionally difficult and delicate task.

The agreement reached disposes in a manner satisfactory to the powers of the various grounds of complaint and will contrlbuto materially to better future relations between China and the powers. Reparation has been made by China for the murder of foreigners during the uprising, and punlshipent has been inflicted or. the officials, however high in rank, recognized as responsible for or having participated in tho outbreak. Official examinations have been forbidden for a period of five years in all cities in which foreigners have been murdered or cruelly treated, and edicts have been issued making all officials directly Responsible for the future safety of foreigners and for the suppression of violence against them.

Provisions have been made for Insuring tho future safety of the foreign' representatives In Peking by' Betting aside for

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their exclusive use a quarter of the city which the powers can make defensible and In which tlicy can if necessary maintain permanent military guard:?, by dismantling tho military works between the capital nnd the sea and by allowing the temporary maintenance of foreign military posts along this line. An edict has been issued by tho emperor of China pro-: hlbltlng for two years tho Importation of arms and ammunition Into China. China lins agreed to pay adoquato indemnities to the states, cletlo3 and Individuals for the losses contained by them and for tho expenses of tho military expeditions sent by the various powers to protect Ufa nnd rcstcro order.

Wlint (.'111 na II ii a Promised. Under tho provisions of tho ilnt note of December. Wot). China has agreed to revise the treaties of commerce and navigation and to take :vuch otner steps for the purpose of facilitating foreign trade as the foreign powors may decide to be needed.

Tho Chinese government has ngref-d participate financially in the work of bettering the water approaches to Shanghai and to Tientsin, tho centers of foreign trade in central und northern China, and an International conservancy board, in wlili tho Chinese government Is largely represented, has been provided for the: Improvement of the Shanghai river nnd tho control of its navigation. In tho same line of commercial advantages a revision of the present tariff on Imports has been assented to tor tho purpose of substituting specific for ad valorem duties, and an expert has been Kent abroad on tho part or the 1'nlted States to assist in this work. A list of articles to remain freo of dut, including Hour, cereals and rice, gold and silver coin and bullion, has also been agreed upen In tho settlement.

During t.iese troubles our government has unswervingly advocated moderation and has materially aided in bringing about an adjustment which tonds to on-: hnnce the welfare of China and to lead to a more beneficial Intercourse between the umpire and the modern world, while in tho critical period of revolt and massacre we did our full share in safeguarding life anu property, restoring order and vindicating the national Interest and honor. It behooves us to contlnuo in these paths, doing what lies in our power to foster feelings of good will and leaving no etfort untried to work out the great policy of full and fair Intercourse between China and tho nations on a footing of equal rights and advantages to all. Wo advocate tho "open door" with all that It lmplies: not merely tho procurement of enlarged commercial opportunities on the coasts, but access to tho Interior by tho waterways with which China has been so extraordinarily favored, Only by bringing the people of China Into peaceful and friendly community of trad a with all tho peoples of tho oarlh can tho work now auspieioiH-ly begun bo carried to fruition. In the attainment of thi.s purpose we necessarily claim parity of treatment under the conventions throughout tho empire for our trade and our citizens with those of all other powors.

Wo view with lively interest and keen 'lc.iv.T of beneficial ro.'iults tho proceedings of the pan-American congress convoKeo at the invitation of Mexico and now sitting at tho Mexican capital. Tho delegates of the United Slates are under the most liberal instructions to co-operate vwtli their ct-ileagues in all matters promising advantage to the great family of

American commonwealths, ns well In their relations among themselves as in then- domestic advancement and in their Intercourse with the world at largo.

My predecessor communicated to ths congre-.s the fact that tho Woll and La Abra, av.aii.ifc aiyalnst Mexico have been adjudged by the highest courts of our coun(i to have been obtained through fraud and perjury on the part of the claimants and that In accordance with the acts ot the congress the money remaining in the hands of the secretary of state on these awards has been relumed to Mexico. A. considerable portion of the inmiev received from Mexico on these awards had been paid bv this government to the claimants before the decision of the couria was rendered. My judgment ia that the congress should return to Mexico an amount equal to tho sums thus already paid to ine claimants.

The death ol Queen Victoria caused tha peoplu of the United States deep and heartfelt sorrow, to which tho government gave full expression. When President McKmlcy died, our nation In turn received from every quarter of the British empire expressions of grief and sympathy no less sincere. The death of tho Empress Dowager Frederick of Germany also aroused the genuine sympathy, of the American people, and this sympathy was cordially reciprocated by Germany when the president was assassinated. Indeed from every quarter of the civilized world we received, at the time of tho president's death, assurances of such grief and regard as to touch the hearts ot our people. In the midst of our affliction wo reverently tluink the Almighty that wo are at peace with the nations of mankind, and we firmly Intend that our policy shall be such ns to contlnuo unbroken these International relations of mutual respect and good will. THEODORE ROOSEVELT.

White House, Dec. 3, 1901.

A Great Surrender.

The greatest surrender in the annals of warfare was that of Metz, on October 27, 1879. As a fortified place Metz, with its surrounding forts, -was practically Impregnable, but bad generalship permitted it to be completely surrounded and cut off. The surrender included three field marshals, sixty-six generals, 6,000 officers of lower degree, over 400 guns, 100 inetrailleuses, nearly sixty standards and 173,000 rank and file.

Street-Car Pass for Dog.

A Detroit man has a pass which entitles him to carry his dog with him on the street cars. The pass is in the shape of a photograph of the dog, on tlie back of which is an order, signed by tlie superintendent of the lines, directing tho conductors of all cars to permit the dog to ride. The dog—a Boston terrier—is known to nearly all the conductors, and it is rarely necessary for the owner to show the order.

Chinese Ordlnation Bervlce.

An American bishop in China writes of an ordination service In which he and four natives took part. At the close, after the congregation had gone out, there was a deafening noise caused by firecrackers, with which the native Christians expressed their joy and their congratulations to the newly ordained.

EDITOR LYNCH, of the Daily Post, Phillipsburg, N. J., has tested the merits of Foley's Honey and Tar with this result: "I have used a great many patent medicines in my family for couehs and colds, and I can honestly say your Honey and Tar is the best thiDg of the kind I have ever used and I cannot say too much in praiss of it."

"NEGLECTED colds make fat graveyards." Dr. Wood's Norway Pine Svrun helps mon and women to a happy, vigorous old age.