Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-02-05
THE COAST DEFENsEs.
Some Important Suggestions From
Fortress Monroe by Those Who Know.
From tie PAAadelphta Times.

some Important Suggestions From
Fortress Monroe by Those Who Know.
From tie PAtladelphta Times.
FORTRESS MONROE, Jan. 30.--Military
officers here as elsewhere are much in
terested in the popular movement that is
now taking shape in favor Of giving
more attention to military and naval
armament and especially to seacoast de-
lenses. The martial spirit and patriotic
fervOr that is so strong in the country is
found in a high state of preservation
among the officers OF the regular army.
In long periods of peace the masses OF the
people are so occupied with business and
material affairs that they have not time,
like military men, to watch or study the
progress of events and inventions that re-
late to war. There are, however, states
men, legislators and military men who,
studying closely the current Of events at
home and abroad, believe that the United
States, big and great as it is, owes it to
itself to take more effective means for the
protection Of its own citizens and for
commanding the respect OF the armed
nations of Europe. Immediately after
the late war, when the fighting qualities
OF the country were recognized every
where abroad, American citizenship was
thing that commanded universal re-
5D6CLs DiuCG inc GOuubAN HAS u6bCl AOA aiCO
from a defensive point OF view, while all
other nations have been advancing. Ar
tillery officers here are of the opinion
that the United States Is very far behind
the times in all that relates to this i'm
portant branch Of the service and are
anxious that something should be done.
'The appointment of the Gun Foundry
Board" Gen. j. G. Tidball, the COM
mandant here, says, twas step in the
right direction. That board has clearly
pointed out what is wanted and the best
method of accomplishing 1t. Committees
OF Congress have been pursuing the sub
ject in the same direction and there is
now no excuse tor hesitation. 1t matters
not how much money is appropriated for
different purposes If it is not appropriated
in the right direction. 1t must be for
guns and not for tin cups. With the
guns must be carriages. We are as
badly in need of one as the other. The
works that now garnish our harbors hay
ing been constructed for another epoch
are obsolete and not at all adapted to
modern artillery. Guns, carriages and
Notifications should be constructed
simultaneously and certainly no time
should be lost in commencing the work."
the sentiments expressed by Gen. It'd
ball are held by every military officer and
skilled engineer here, and there is moth
ing, they say, that 50 binders the develop
ment Of the military spirit or does so
much to prevent any advance in military
science as the persistent association year
after year with an armament and system
both OF attack and defeuse that for all
practical and valuable purposes might as
well date back to CRsar's time as to a
quarter Of century ago, since In that
quarter of a century more progress IN
military matters has been made than
ever before in the worlds history in a
similar period. In the opinion of many
military authorities the civil war in this
country did more than anything else TO
enrich the field of experience and inven-
tiOn in military art, and there has never
been time when the fighting capacity
and genius for war Of the United States
has not been recognized. Whatever else
they may differ about Republicans and
Democrats alike 10 military circles here
are OF one decided opinion, that the suita-
BILE armament and prudent defensive pre-
paratiOn of the country is something that
should be no longer delayed.
The armament of Fort Monroe, the
most important fortress Of the country, at
the present time consists of lot OF old
stuff that is practically of but little SER
vice--mere pOp-gune, that would be
knocked down like tenpins by a real SER
YIceable modern gun. Hampton Roads
is helpless so far as artillery is concerned
and similar helplessness exists at all
points upon the Atlantic, Pacific, Gull
and Lake coast. What is true of Fort
Monroe is true all over, for, poor and use
less as il is. this is the most warlike and
defensible point anywhere in the United
States. At the present moment this
country does not possess single modern
rifled cannon. There is much said and
60 be said about defenses, but that is a
matter with which engineers feel that the
country is competent to deal. In an
emergency there would not be much
difficulty in establishing suitable seacoast
defsnses, but the one thing needed, which
cannot be improvised and without which
all defenses would be useless, is guns -
big, powerful guns, such as il now seems
probable can be made in this country
Without going begging abroad.