Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1872-11-11
RdR REPOHT

The report of the Secretary OF War this
year is quite brief, the Secretary, having but
little to say, choosing TO say il in as few words
as possible. He compliments Congress by
remarking that the army legislation Of last
session was so complete that little room is
left for legislative Recommendation. The
most important suggestion is for the establish
ment of military prison system in place of
the present arrangement OF sending army
convicts to State penitentiaries, where pun
ishments are neither uniform nor salutary.
Desertions are reported as greatly fallen off
the past year, under the influence of the law
increasing the pay and the improved system
OF paying the troops, aided by other arrange
ments for the increased comfort and welfare
OF the soldier.
The Secretary renews the recommendation
that the extra lieutenant allowed to each reg
iment in the army be dispensed with as va
cancies occur, thereby saving SlG0, 900 a year
on officers whose duties might advantageous
ly be discharged 10y detail. He calls attention
to the recommendation of heads of staff corps
asking that their corps be opened to promo
ton by the repeal of modification of the pro-
hibtory act of 1869, and indirectly advises
the raising of the intellectual standard of ad-
mission to West Point by attributng the
large number of failures of cadets to gradu-
ate to the present low standard. The Secre-
tary recommends the sale OF large number
of now useless arsenals in the South aud else
where, and the establishment of general ar.
senal of construction on the Atlantic slope
and another on the Pacific. These arsenals,
with that already at Rock Island, in the Mis-
sissppi Valley, would eff, ctually meet the
wants of the service in time Of need.
Under the late act of Congress requiring
the selection of three systems of heavy ordin-
ance for experimental trial the Ordnance Blu
reau is in communication with persons rep
resenting several approved systems; but
progress is naturally slow. The same re-
mark applies to the selection of br, ech-load.
ing small arms for the army and militia the
productive capacity of the country being so
great, when occasion requires, that the more
important consideration is to get the best arm
that deliberative and exhaustive effort can OBJ
tain. Excellent results have been obtained.
through the efforts of army engineers, with
projects for harbor defence. which consist OF
earthen barbette batteries strong enough to
resist the mammoth projectiles of modern iron
clads mounted with guns delivering fire of
equal or greater weight. The guns are pro-
tected from injury from direct, flank or slight
ly curved fire, except at the moment of firing,
by being lowered behind the parapet after each
discharge, though satisfactory carriage for
such purpose is not yet secured. Channel
Instructions and torpedoes are valuable &C.
cessories to harbor defence, though helpless
without the protection of heavy batteries.
The torpedo experiments OF the engineers are
so far successful as to determine the proper
system to be adopted, ard recommendation
is made for means to begin the accumulation
and storage of torpedo material for tile de-
fence OF New York and other important har
bors.
The inspection of disbursng officers ac-
counts and funds, promised in the last report,
is mentioned as put into operation, every ar
my discussing officer being now subject to
frequent inspection and yeiifcation of bal
ances, and an inspector in each district held
responsible for all defalcations that proper
| vigilance on his part could prevent. The
new system is contessedly stringent, and eau
tionary rather than necessary, there being no
| reason to suspect any officer now in the SER
| vice of inability to settle his accounts, and
| one branch of the service-the Corps of En-
| gineers-now for the first time brought under
outside supervision, having for the seventy
| years Of its existence disbursed the immense
| appropriations for Notifications and rivers
and harbors without giving bond or embez
cling dollar.
The Secretary repeats his regrets CT last
year that one-siXth OF the army is still detain-
ed in the Southern States east of the Mississ-
ippi, but hopes the improving social condition
of that section will gradually relieve the force
for service on the frontier He also reports
yearly descending scale of expenditure for
the support of the military establishment.