Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-11-17

WASHINGTON, November 16th-The Sec
rotary of War has presented his report, ad
dressed to the President. Among other
things he says:
By the Act of October l, 1890, promotions
below the rank Of q general officer are TO be
made lineally. The operation of the law
Is postponed in the case Of present first
lieutenants only. Whatever advantages
regimental promotion, they were such as
would prevail in large army rather than
a small one and N war than in time of
peace.
The new system of examinations for
officers below the rank of major, makes
their right to promotion conditional on
them. There are exceptional provisions,
however, in the interests of officers who
came in from the volunteer service. The
measure is one of great Importance. Here
tofore officers have been entitled to promo
ton in regular rote, without any regard to
competence or incompetence, efficiency or
ipeificiency. The new law makes no
change in the rule of promotion by senior
ity, and the examinations are in no sense
competitive.
There have been three measures of par
ticular importance TO the administration of
military justice; the time within which
person can be prosecuted for desertion has
been limited to two years; summary courts
for the trial of certain petty ofenSes pro-
vide prompt method for the adjustment
of such matters. In view of particular
cases where there seemed to have been a
failure of justice, caused an order to issue
directing that on the request of any prisoner
a suitable officer should be detailed to de-
fend him. Theill-defned limits of punish
ment in the Articles of War have been cor
rected by the Act ofSeptember 9th, author
izing the President, when punishments are
left By those articles to the discretion of the
court martial, to prescribe and define
limits which in time of peace they shall not
exceed. The only check heretofore upon
the variableness and disparity of punish
ment in different departments has been
the executive clemency. The legislation
referred TO was enacted too late to have had
effect during the present year, still, the
number of courts-martia were reduced to
1882 the past year from 1899 the year be-
fore.
COAST DEFENSE.
1t has been our traditional policy to
avoid entangling alliances. We are sep
arated by an ocean from the powers which
maintain great armies. A small army sent
upon our shores could not hope for success;
it is not probable that any large one will
incur the risk.
But our long coast line is peculiarly ex-
posed to attack from sea. So long as
an enemy can reach vulnerable points
without exposing himself to our land
forces he may infiict blows which we are
unable to parry.
a modern land battery constitutes per-
manent defense upon the battlefield, chosen
in oAvonno urh mr. Aan-incy ic rnccihlo
and where an enemy must force his way or
abandon the attack. In such contest ships
of war are placed under every disadvantage.
The channel is selected where their deploy-
ment is difficult, while they are at the GEN.
Ter of concentrated fire of many dis
persed guns. Modern inventions in the
use of electricity, high explosives and riled
mortars, have resulted strongly in favor of
the comparative resisting strength Of land
Notifications as against a naval force.
When our principal cities, our harbors and
our navy yards are thus protected, then our
coast will be safe, and our navy and our in
creaslng commerce will have safe ports of
refuge, where they can be repaired, re-
coaled and reftted
The efficiency OF land defenses is no ex-
pertinent. 1t was the former wise policy
of the Government, previous TO the civil
war, to maintain coast Notifications. They
are the cheapest to build; they are the
cheapest TO maintain; they are always in
position, and ready for service. a modern
land battery when once constructed and
armed needs few repairs and no renewals.
OUTLAWS for coast defense are investments
which yield large interest in the form OF
insurance, with little deterioration to prin-
cipal.
4DGer the Fertilization Act of last session
positions for forty eight mortars in three
groups of sixteen each, and for three OF the
new long-range guns will be prepared IN
New York harbor; for one group of NOR
tars and one gun in Boston harbor; and
for one group of mortars and two guns in
San Francisco. A fixed policy should be
adopted in the line of q reasonable yearly
appropriation for the completion of the
work on which the nation is but just enter
ing. With an annual appropriation OF
eight 10 ten millions-only little more
than tina: of the present year-the construc-
ton and emplacement of guns and NOR
tars, works of torpedo defense, for the
whole coast, can be carried on, and in ten
years our principal harbors and cities rem
dered reasonably secure.
ORDNANCE.
The gun factory at Watervliet Arsenal
has turned out completed steel guns of 80,
SO and 10 inches caliber. The 32-inch
breech-loading field-gun meets with gen.
eral approval, and the firing tests of the
and 10 inch type guns have given excellent
results. Two type guns, one of l2-inch
caliber and the other 10-inch wire-wound
steel gun, both breech-loaders, and r.
inch B. L. steel morsas are now under con-
struction. The work so far do2e has been
done in shop improyised from an old
har bnnsa and with a lTunTrpI
equipment.
About thirteen 12.inch cast-iron mortars
hooped with steel can be furnished per
annum, and as there are other plants in
the country capable of turning ont these
mortars it is only necessary that sufficient
sums be appropriated, and the production
of mortars will keep pace with that of
guns.
The forgings for s-inch, 1o.inch and u
inch breech loading guns by the Bethlehem
Iron Works, under the appropriation of
81, SEQ 600, is proceeding satisfactorily, and
will procure sixty.one guns. In short the
art of modern gun-making is now well in
sugurated in this country.
NORTHERN FRONTIER.
By our agreement of 1877 with Great
Britain each party is restricted TO a single
armed vessel on Lakes Ontario and Cham
plain ana TWO on lle upper lhkes. clnCe
then the great West has become an empire
of production and population. The small
est of the ST. Lawrence canals have nine
feet depth of water and locks two hundred
feet long and forty FIVE feet wide, sufficient
for the passage of over fifty of the armed
vessels of the British Navy. Measures have
already been commenced to enlarge the
smaller canals so that none viii have less
than fourteen feet depth of water, which
you'd admit the passage Of as many more
of a heavier armament. One Of these
canals, the Beauharnois, eleven and one
quarter miles long, is wholly on the right
{south) bank of the st. Lawrence. Another
is within rife-shot of islands belonging TO
US.
The lake cities might, in the event of war
with the power holding the highway Of the
st. Lawrence, be in more defenseless con-
dition even than the sea-board cities. We
cannot, under the agreement, build armed
vessels on the lakes 10 oyermatch OF those
waters the force that might be brought
against us, and do not think it necessary
10 undertake any elaborate system Of de-
tense as proposed. With land forces prop
erlv disposed. we could doubtless ward off
any danger from this source, and hence
fully approve the suggestion Of General
Schofield on this subject.
pEsERTIoSs.
Desertions from the army for the year