The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1890-11-20
THE WAR DEPARTMENT.
OUR COAST DEFENSES HAVE
BEEN WHOLLY NEGLECTED.

Washington Dispatch
The annual report of the Secretary OF
War is made public. 1t is, in substance,
as follows:
No great civilized nation to-day has more just
cause than ours to look well to the condition of
It's coast detenses and none, since the civil war,
has so wholly neglected them. Modern inven-
tions in the use of electricity, high explosives,
and in ritied mortars have resulted strongly in
favor of the comparative resisting strength of
land Notifications against naval force. AS
the sole object of harbor Notifications ia de-
Tense, its construction should at least keep
pace with, If not precede, every other prepara-
ton; for it has been we'll said that "while,
we may afford TO be deficient in means of
otfense, we cannot afford to be defense
less" Under the fertilization act of last ses-
sion 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 mortars and one gun
in Boston harbor; and for one group of NOR
tars and two guns in San Francisco. AS this is
q matter in which makeshifts from year to year
are both expensive end destructive of the object
TO be attained trust that fixed policy may
be adopted in the line of a reasonable yearly APP
preparation for the completion of the work on
which the nation is but just entering With
such policy manufacturers could safely put in
the necessary plants and be able to furnish
material at q cheaper rate. With an annual APP
preparation of eight or ten millons-only g.
little more than that of the present year-the
construction and emplacement of guns and
mortars, works of torpedo defense for the whole
coast can be carried on. and in ten years our
principal harbors and cities rendered reasonably
secure
In the matter of armament fair and promising
beginning has been made. The gun factory at
Watervliet Arsenal has already turned out COM
pleted steel guns of 80, SO, and 10 inches cali
Der, which have been entirely satisfactory far
as their tests have proceeded The 3.2-inch
breech- loading feld-gun meets with general ap-
proval in service, and the firing tests of the g.
and TO inch type guns manufactured at Water
vliet have given excellent results, both as re-
CARDS accuracy and range, and have satisfactori-
ly demonstrated the capability of the gun fac
tory to turn out modern high-power rifed steel
guns equal to the very best. Under the present.
contract about thirteen tweIve-inch cast-iron
mOrtars hoped with steel can be furnished per
Snnun, and there other plants in the
country besides that of the present contractors
which are capable of turning out these NOR
tars it is only necessary that sufficient sums
be appropriated for the manufacture of about
fifty mortars a year, and the production of
mortars will keep pace with that of guns and
the construction OF emplacements. No fear
need be entertained that the plant for this work
Will not be in existence when needed. The man
ufacture of the forgings for eight-inch, ten
inch, and twelve-inch breech- oading guns by
the Bethlehem Iron Works. under the appro-
priation of 81 500, 900 made in the act of Sept
o. 1888, is proceeding satisfactorily, and it is
expected the contract VIII be completed by No
vember, 1898. The sum appropriated will pro-
cure about sixty-one guns of the caibers men
toned. In short, the art of modern gunmak-
ing is now we'll inaugurated in this country.
The number of assertions from the army for
the twelve months ending Sept. 30 2086, as
H,I5
decrease OF "a per cent The result is due to
such improvements in the service as could be
accomplished under existing legislation. AL
though assertions are already greatly reduced,
so long as they continue in any considerable
numbers they must have q bad effect upon the
morale of the army and entail q large and need
less expense. The practical solution of this
somewhat vexed question assumes three phases
First how to make the service more desirable );
second, how to remove the artificial restraints
which, by binding q man infeXibly to long
servics which has become distasteful to him,
naturally drives him to desperate means third,
how to make the punishment for the crime Of
desertion so certain that il more worthy motives
fail men may be warned by its fear. AS to the
second and third there is now legislation enough,
spect to the first there is, think, need of more
My experience SO far confirms an observation
which made one year ago that "the pith of the
whole question is to make the service worth
seeking and then enough good men will seek it
and be glad to stay in it" The pay of the Sec
ond Lieutenant is $116.67 per month, that of q,
First Sergeant only 500, and unfortunately this
difference in pay largely regulates the actual
distance between their relative positions. 1t
would be step in the right direction to increase
somewhat the pay of the non-commissioned
officers that every man who enters the service
may find in it the possibility Of a modest future.
With g. view to the end would recon-
mend change in the law relative to the selec-
ton of enlisted men for appointment to the
grade of Second Lieutenant. Practically, it is
now possible for company commanders to give
these valuable appointments to young men who
have enlisted for that sole purpose. In order to
insure exact justice to ALL and give full effect to
the benefcent purpose of Congress-, the Initiate
ry step should be with the men themselves Any
enlisted man of two years service, who is g.
citizen of the United States should, under GER
tain fixed rules, be permitted to compete Tor g.
commission.
By the act of Oct. l. $780, promotions below
the rank of general officer are hereafter TO be
made lineally throughout each arm OF the SER
vice. That measure provides for a system OF
examinations for all officers Of the army below
the rank of Major and makes their right to pro-
W
makes no change in the rule of promotion by
seniority, and the EXAMINATIONS are in no sense
competitive, but they DO require an officer to
show affirmatively his fitness for the advance
nent to which, if qualified, the law entities him.
1t is believed that it's tendency must be to IN
crease the zeal and industry OF young officers.
The number of officers now awaiting retire.
ment is about sixty These are perform
ing no service whatever, but receive full pay,
while junior officers doing their duties for them
are uniustly deprived of both the pay and the
rank which the law intends to attach to the po-
sitions they are filling. The incongruity of the
present law is illustrated by the fact that where
an officer is disabled i'll the line of duty ms tead
of opening the way for the promotion of juniors
it may and does often actually retard It, An
officer put upon the limited retired list remains
there so long he lives, even II ne survives the
age of "a by many yeare, thereby preventing Inc
retirement of another officer and the consequent
promotion of juniors. If he had been retlreo
for age in regular course this could not occur.
The limit established is proper enough II
the law we're so amended that this limit could
be construed according to the reasonable IN
tent of it's purpose. An amendment providing
for the transfer of officers from the limited to
the unlimited list when they reach the age Of "a
would still permit only 400 retirements other
than those who could be retire for forty years
service or by virtue of the ia years provision.
The expenditures of appropriations under the
direction of the Secretary of War for the fiscal
year ended June 80, 1890. were as follows:
Salaries and contingent expenses. 1,94O,7OO
Military establishment support OF
the Army and Military Academy. 23,96l, 3O9
Public works, including river and har-
Dor improvements .................. 1855, 100
MISCELLANEOUS objects ................ 6,072, 800
Total SAT, 357 765
The appropriations for tie present fiscal year,
June 80, 1891, are as follows:
Salaries and contingent expenses. -. Sz,15I,foz
Military establishment support OF the -
Army and Military Academy. ...,. y, 945,59o
Public work, including river and har- -
Dor improvements. ...............-.. 506l4,1cc
MisceIlaneous objects .............. 2,244, 131
Total observation-disclosures 62, 799, 695
The estimates of this department Tor the
next fiscal year, ending June 80 1872, are az
follows
Salaries and contingent expenses -. S2,O74,43
Military establishment support OF the
Army and Military Academy. .....- 26, 160, 99l