Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1886-12-06
MONDAY
THE WAR DEPARTMENT
Annual Report of Secretary
Endicott.
SUSPECTED RoseER ARRESTED
catholic Church ana IA Theatre
hurned-COngrcssionaI Forecast
New Fenian Programme-Tbe
Fades ship Hallway.
Report of the Secretary q, w,r

| Ncport OF the Secretary OF Wnr.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 5.--The annual repor
OF the Secretary of War, furnished for pub
n iioa ~. o-uay, shows that the expenditure.
9L the department for the fiscal year ended
June ~, 1885, were $36 $3.50 SOB, divided ms
| follows Salaries and contingent exnensea
Sl,902, 469; military;establishm including
transportation, S24 279,500; public works
So,Z5f,3O5; miscellaneous, 81, 4g6 G27.
surplus of Sl,208,0l6 remains uuexpended
appropriations for the year ending June 90
1901, are SiGO27,559, and estimates for the
year endlng June 30, 1886, are $49, 268, 1886.
Inc army at the date of the last consol.
i ,da returns consisted of 2,1O3 officers.
lZ3,9i6 enlisted men. There are ten repi.
menus OF cavalry, five of artillery and
twenty-five of infantry. Of Indian scents
there are 595, and 1908 enlisted men are on
uetached service with recruiting parties. etc.
Inc report gives in detail the changes and
operations of different divisions. The In
olans are generally quiet, although the
presence OF troops is necessary to preserve
peace and to prevent, especially in the Okla
homa country, the seizure of land by settlers
and Its invasion and occupancy by herders
OF cattle. The Secretary says There seems
but little hope of improving this condition
OF Things, in view of the avidity with which
thls fertile country is watched by settlers
and eattlemen, and the duty resting upon
the government to keep its agreements with
the Indians for whose benefit it mas been SET
apart, Congress alone can give the reeded
remedy, and in the interest of good govern
ment 1t Is earnestly hoped by all who have
executive duties to perform in this Territory
that speedy action will be taken.
large portion of the report is given mn
to a graphic account of the operations
against Geronimo and his band, and their
hnal incarceration in Florida the LEADING
features of which have been given in the
daily news at the time of their occurrence,
Inc Secretary recommends that the retired
list be increased so as to include all officers
permanently lncapaciated from active SER
vice. He also concurs in the opinion of the
Lieutenant-G General that the army be in
creased i,OOo men. 1t is supposed that Con
gress VIII enact law providing for exami-
nations for promotions similar to those held
in the navy.
At West Point Military Academy there
are 1903 cadets and IS officers. The superin-
tendent favors the competitive system in the
selection of candidates for the Academy. In
discussing the report of the Engineers Blu
reau, Secretary Whitney again calls atten-
ton to the utterly defenseless condition of
our sea coast and the lake frontiers He
urges that appropriations should be made
and work begun at once to fortify the
principal seaboard cities against at
tacks by water. The report saws: awe
have a single problem to solve in defending
our cities: How best to resist and silence
armored ships and steel guns and mortars OF
modern construction. 1t can easily be &C.
oomplished by guns of equal force to those
which any enemy can bring against us, anC
by torpedoes or submarine mines laid in the
nayiRable channels, both so guarded ant
protected that they can do efficien
service when required. We have NJ
gun now which can stop the progress of OF
do any material injury to a we'll armoreC
ship. The manufacture of the gun is a worl
of time, and of long time, and cannot b
extemporized when wanted. TorpedoeI
may more quickly be created, but still tim
and money are needed for their construc
ton. 1t has been said by ell-informe
writer's on the subject that it is a matter o
doubt if we have on hand enough cable
and cases to control with torpedoes tn
channels past Sandy Hook alone. Dur
ing the year the Springfield Amor
manufactured 39,527 rifles, carbines AM
shotguns, besides repeating arms, swords
and miscellaneous articles. The Secretary
expresses the hope that Congress, during
its present session, will place the army OF
an equal footing with the navy in the mat
ter of the manufacturing of guns, and urge
that the bill which has already passed tn
Senate to establish a gun foundry at tn
Frankfort arsenal be taken up and passeC
by the House. In conclusion, the repor
recommends the appointment of an assist
ant secretary of war, and that the Secreta
rvs offices be increased