The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1889-11-25
PORTLAND is ONE OF The SEApoRTs
To Defend which Uncle Sam Cam
not Begin too Soon.
citizen Soldiers Ready to Man Big
Guns when Mounted
Points of Interest in the Report Of
Secretary Proctor.

WASHINGTON, November 2.-The report
of the Secretary of War has been made pub
lie, In accordance with the report OF Major
General Schofeld, the Secretary recon-
mends the formation of two new artillery
regiments and suggests that one or both Of
these regiments be comprised OF colored
men. There are now no colored men in the
artillery but they have made good soldiers in
the other branches of the service and rarely
desert.
The three battalion formation for infantry
is recommended. There are now many Off
GERS incapacitated for duty who can not be
retired owing to the law limiting the retired
list for incapacited officers to 400. Secretary
Proctor. in order to retire these men, who
are now drawing full pay, and give an op-
p0rtunity to fill their places by promotion
recommends that the limit of the retired list
be extended to 450 or that 30 be retired by
act of Congress.
DEsERTIONs.
The Secretary devotes considerable space
to the subject Of desertions. He finds that
the greater number OF cases of desertiOn are
in the first year of service. There are various
causes. Investigation does not disclose that
ill-treatment prevails to any appreciable ex-
tent That 1t has existed in some degree, and
especially at the beginning of the service in
recruiting barracks. is a fact; but it has
thoughtless treatment is quite as bad. Va
rious recommendations are made to make the
soldiers life more pleasant and profitable.
The Secretary recommends that second
lieutenants selected from civil life be ap-
pointed upon some proper system OF exam
ination. This would give young men who
had served in the militia or received military
training in schools and colleges chance to
enter the army. The inspector general sug-
gests in his report whether, as an encourage
tion in colleges, 1t would not be well to give
the names of the three best men in each col
lege in the army register in connection with
the honorably mentioned cadets at West
Point
COAST DEFENCE.
Of seaboard defence, the report SAYS: /
assume that the exposed condition of our
seacoast requires no proof, nor the necessity
of defending it any arguments. II there Is
an apparent sense of security among ouI
people it is born not of ignorance, but OF
thoughtlessness. Although our position and
the traditions of our national diplomacy tend
to the maintenance of peace, a defenseless
condition will ever invite attack The actual
value of the property thus exposed to pub
lie enemy, although many times the cost OF
amply protecting 1t, bears but little proper
ton to the magnitude of the material inter
thereby. 1t is not a local question. Not
only is the national honor alike dear to all
but hostile shell in the streets of New York
strikes the prairies as well-their corn and
wheat share in the loss. Still the greater
burden will fall upon the states contiguous
to the seaboard in the immediate mainten-
ance of the militia required to man the de.
fenses in case of danger
Celebrity promises to be an essential ele-
ment in any warfare of the future. We
have shown our ability to equip ana place in
the field with rapidity large numbers of men,
and could undoubtedly do so again. The
defenses and the armament, however
necessary for withstanding the attacks OF
modern guns, can not be extempOrized. We
most substantially have them before the
necessity arises Their creation is not a
matter of hours and days, but of months and
years. Hence l deem it quite as self evident
that if we are to have such works at all they
SHOULD be begun earnestly and systematt
cally at once.
submit as basis to start from that no
the country, the commercial metropolis on
the Atlantic seaboard, and at least one port
on the Pacific in the best possible state oi
defence. How rapidly the work shall be
vulnerable point from the St. Johns to the
Rio Grande and the ports of the Pacific is
the only question. In my view progress can
not be too rapid.
Once built. the cost of maintaining a
thorough system of defensive works is CON-
paratively small. The Major General Com
manding, in his report, estimates that it will
require only 8,700 men for the garrison Of
defensive works in time of peace. This will
be sufficient to care for the armament and
serve as nucleus for the instruction of the
militia of the sea-coast States, which must
defense in war, and which he estimates at
$1,000