The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-12-07
The Army and Navy.

| The Army and Navy.
! The report of the Secretary of War gives A,
detailed account of the administration of his
departments. and contains sundry recommen-
dations for the Improvement Of the service
which l fully approve. The army consisted, at
the date of the last consolidated return, of two
thousand, one hundred and three officers, and
twenty four thousand, nine hundred and forty
six enlisted men.
The expenses of the department. for the last
fiscal year $50, 99O, 9O3 49, including Sc. 294,-
305. 43 for public works and river and harbor i'm.
provements. ESPECIALLY direct tho attention Of
the Congress to the recommendation that officers
be required to submit to examination
preliminary to their promotion. ] see no OBJ
lection, but many advantages in adopting this
feature, which has operated so benefcially in
our Navy Department as well as in soma
branches OF the army.
The subject of coast defenses and Notifications
has been fully and carefully treated by the
board on fortlfcations, whose report was SUBJ
mtted at the last session of Congress- but no
construction work of the kind recommended by
the board has been possible during the last year,
from the lack of appropriations for such pur-
pose. The defenseess condition of our sea-
coast and lake frontier is perfectly palpable the
examinations made must convince us ali that GER
tain of our cities named in thereport Of the board
should be fortified, and that work on the most
important of these Notifications should be com.
menced at once; the work has been thoroughly
considered and laid out by the Secretary OF
Wars report but all is delayed in default of con-
gresSional action. The absolute necessity, Judged
by all standards of prudence and foresight,
of our preparation for an effectual resistance
against the armored ships and steel guns
and mortars of modern construction, which may
threaten the cities on coasts, is so apparent
that hope effective steps will be taken in that
o&nlx-
gestive treatment by the Secretary of Wars
earnestly commended to the consideration Of this
Congress.
In September and October last the hostile
Apaches who, under the leadership of Gerorimo
had for eighteen months been on the war PATH
and during that time had committed many MUIR
ders and been the cause of constant terrors to
the settlers OF Arizona surrendered to General
Miles, the military commander who succeeded
General Crook in the management and direction
OF their pursuit. Under the terms Of their sur
render, as then reported and in view of the I'M
Outstanding which these murderous savages
seemed to entertain of the assurances
given them, it was considered best
TO imprison them in such manner
as to prevent their ever engaging in such out
RACES again. instead of trying them for murder =
Fort Piekens having been selected safe place
of confinement, all the adult males were sent
thither and will be closely guarded as prisoners
In the meantime the residue of the band, al
though still remaining upon the reservation, were
regarded as unsafe and suspected Of furnishing
aid to those on the war-path, had been removed
to Fort Marion. The women and larger children
or the hostiss were also taken there, and
arrangements have been made for putting the
children OF proper age in lndian schools.
THE NAVAL DEPARTMENT..
The report of the Secretary of the Navy con-
tans a detailed exhibit of the condition of his
department., with such statement Of the action
needed to improve the same as should challenge
the earnest attention of Congress. The present
navy of the United States, aside frpm the ships
IN course Of construction, consists OF:
First-Fourtsen single -turreted monitors, none
OF which are in commission, at the present
time serviceable The batteries of these ships
are obsolete, and they can only be relied upon
as auxiliary ships in harbor defense, and then
after such expenditure upon them as might
not be deemed Unsuitable.
Second-Five fourth-rate vessels of small ton
mage. only one of which was designed war
vessel, and all of which are auxiliary merely.
Third-Twenty-s seven cruising ships three of
which are built of iron, of small tonnage. and
twenty-four of wood. OF these wooden vessels,
1t is estimated by the chief constructor OF the
navy that only three will be serviceabe beyond
period of six years, at which time it may be-
said that. of the present naval force, nothing
worthy of the name will remain.
All tie vessels heretofore authorized are under
contract or in course of constructions except the
armored ships, the torpedo aud dynamite boats,
and one cruiser. AS to the last of these the bids
were in excess of the limit fixed by Congress.
The production in the United States of armor
and gun steel is question which it seems neces-
sary to settle at an early day. if the armored
war vessels are to be completed with those ma
terias OF home manufacture This has been the
subject Of investigation by two boards and by
two special committees of Congress within the
last three years. The report of the gun foundry
board, In 1854; OF the board on Notifications,
made In January last, and the reports of the
select committees of the two houses, made at the
last session OF Congress- have entirely exhausted
the subject so far as preliminary investigation
is involyed, and in their recomme nJations they
are substantially agreed. In the event that the
present invitation of the department for bids to
furnish such OF this material as is now author
lied shall fail to induce domestic manufacturers
to undertake the large expenditure required to
prepare for this new manufacture, and no other
steps are taken by Congress at its coming SEES
sion, the Secretary cOntemplates with dissats-
faction the necessity of obtaining abroad tbs ar
NOR and the gun steel for the authorized ships
1t would seem desirable that the wants of the
army and the navy in this regard should oe
reasonably met, and that by uniting their con-
tracts such inducement might be offered as would
result In securing the domestication of these i'm
portaut interests
Postofiice and Department of Justice.
The affairs of the postal service show marked
and gratifying Improvements during the past
year particular account of its transactions
and condition is given in the report OF the Post
master general, which will be laid before you.
The reduction of the rate of letter postage Ia
1888 rendering tho postal revenues inadequate ,
to sustain the expenditures and business depres-
sion also contributing, resulted in an excess of
cost for the fiscal year ended jane so, 1885,
of eight and one-third millions of dollars; an ad-
ditional check upon receipts by doubling the
measure of weights in rating sealed correspond
ence, and diminishing one-half the charge for
newspaper carriage. was imposed by legislation
which took effect With the beginning
of the past fiscal year; while the
constant demand of our territorial deyeloptoent
and growing population for the extension and
increase of mail facilities and machinery nsces.