And State Papers 689 



They are worthy of favorable consideration by the 

 Congress. 



The effect of the laws providing a General Staff 

 for the army and for the more effective use of the 

 National Guard has been excellent. Great improve- 

 ment has been made in the efficiency of our army 

 in recent years. Such schools as those erected at 

 Fort Leavenworth and Fort Riley and the institu- 

 tion of fall manoeuvre work accomplish satisfactory 

 results. The good effect of these manoeuvres upon 

 the National Guard is marked, and ample appro- 

 priation should be made to enable the guardsmen 

 of the several States to share in the benefit. The 

 Government should as soon as possible secure suit- 

 able permanent camp sites for military manoeuvres 

 in the various sections of the country. The service 

 thereby rendered not only to the Regular Army, 

 but to the National Guard of the several States, 

 will be so great as to repay many times over the 

 relatively small expense. We should not rest sat- 

 isfied with what has been done, however. The 

 only people who are contented with a system of pro- 

 motion by mere seniority are those who are con- 

 tented with the triumph of mediocrity over excel- 

 lence. On the other hand a system which encour- 

 aged the exercise of social or political favoritism in 

 promotions would be even worse. But it would sure- 

 ly be easy to devise a method of promotion from 

 grade to grade in which the opinion of the higher 

 officers of the service upon the candidates should be 



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