Teddy Roosevelt

But unless there exists such a navy then the fortifications are powerless by themselves to secure the victory.

If fortifications are sufficiently strong, no modern navy will venture to attack them, so long as the foe has in existence a hostile navy of anything like the same size or efficiency.

It can only be won by hard hitting, and an aggressive sea-going navy alone can do this hard hitting of the offensive type.

All of these together are efficient for defensive purposes, but they in no way supply the place of a thoroughly efficient navy capable of acting on the offensive; for parrying never yet won a fight.

The only way in which it can efficiently protect our own coast against the possible action of a foreign navy is by destroying that foreign navy.

The only efficient use for the Navy is for offense.

Both on the Atlantic and Pacific coasts, fortifications of the best type should be provided for all our greatest harbors.

We are extremely deficient in coaling stations and docks on the Pacific, and this deficiency should not longer be permitted to exist.

But it is idle to build battleships unless in addition to providing the men, and the means for thorough training, we provide the auxiliaries for them, unless we provide docks, the coaling stations, the colliers and supply ships that they…

In my judgment, we should this year provide for four battleships.

Such being the fact it would be most unwise for us to stop the upbuilding of our Navy.

I hope speedily to see introduced into the Army a far more rigid and thoroughgoing test of horsemanship for all field officers than at present.

Before he has become a colonel the need for physical fitness in the officers is almost as great as in the enlisted man.

Unless an officer has a good physique, unless he can stand hardship, ride well, and walk fairly, he is not fit for any position, even after he has become a colonel.

After twelve years' service in the Army, my own belief is that the man should be given a preference according to his ability for certain types of office over all civilian applicants without examination.

The deserter should be treated by public opinion as a man guilty of the greatest crime; while on the other hand the man who serves steadily in the Army should be treated as what he is, that is, as preeminently one of the best citizens of…

The position of warrant officer should be established and there should be not only an increase of pay, but an increase of privileges and allowances and dignity, so as to make the grade open to noncommissioned officers capable of filling…

The first sergeant of a company, if a good man, must be one of such executive and administrative ability, and such knowledge of his trade, as to be worth far more than we at present pay him.

Wages have greatly increased in outside occupations in the last forty years and the pay of the soldier, like the pay of the officers, should be proportionately increased.

There should be a relatively even greater increase in the pay for the enlisted men.

The rate of pay for the officers should be greatly increased; there is no higher type of citizen than the American regular officer, and he should have a fair reward for his admirable work.

He must have, in addition, knowledge of the administration and sanitation of large field hospitals and camps, in order to safeguard the health and lives of men intrusted in great numbers to his care.

Such knowledge of medicine and surgery as is possessed by the medical profession generally will not alone suffice to make an efficient military surgeon.

A well organized 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 large army, and especially of a large volunteer army.

Unless ample provision is now made by Congress to put the Medical Corps where it should be put disaster in the next war is inevitable, and the responsibility will not lie with those then in charge of the War Department, but with those who…