New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-11-17
m THE WAR DEPARTMENT.
sFcRETRY PROCroRS REVIEW OF THE
WORK OF THE YEAR.

Recommendations AND OBSERVATIONS.
Washington, Sow. I6.-The annual report OF the
seeretar OF Wa, which submitted to the Presi-
Amt Yesterday, contains many interesting and in
s,yuetiye fcaturs. II begins by calling attention to
the important legislation Of the present Congress
Affecting the amy, which embraces provisions Tor
,peal promotiond professional examinations therefor
arts for the preencn of deser0n, for the limitation
Of punishments under articles of war and the I'M
vrcvcment of ourtsmartial, and appropriations ior
additional machinery for the manufacture OF large guns
and for the beginning Of system OF coast defence.
Promotions blow the rank of general officer are
hereafter 10 be aisde ncally throughout each arm Oh
the service an the companion measure provoes 'oi
a system OF examinations for all officers OF the Army
below the ranl Of msjor and makes their risn' "
nromotion Conditional on them. There are excep"o"a
,,s,ons for Ulcers who came in from the volunteer
service ,,.,
Under the rrasures affecting courts martial "hion
give speedy ad satisfactory trials, the NUMBER ~ ~
them has becnrcduccd from 900 In 1889 W i''0-
this year. Z. o,r
Concerning cast defence the report says o
long coast lie Is peculiarly exposed W a" -
from the sea. modern land battery constitutes "
permanent de,nce upon a battlefield, chosen III "o
,,,ca wbereno fanking Is possible ana "he'o a
enemy must iorce his way or abandon 'he 80"
Modern nyelions in the use OF cleetrclS' me-" ~
p,osives andin rifed mortars have res""a s'ioey
in favor of &c comparative resisting suchea, VI w
Notifications as against naval iorcc' VIM w
or,,cin.i ciss our harbors and our navy yarus arc
thus protected, then coasts VIII DC sa'e' anu o'
Navy and or Increasing commerce will have saie ports
of refuge there they can be repaired r'oaico anu
rrdtsed Jhdr the Fertilization act OF last sessioh
posltons for weight mortars In three groups Vi BIN
teen each aa for three of the new long range guns
vii, he pr.pged in New-York llarbor: for one group
of mortars md one gun In Boston Harbor; ana 1or
nd
Az This 4, amatter in which makeshifts from year TO
ear ara boh expensive and destructive of the object
10 he atind trust that fixed policy may be adopted
in the Ine of reasonable yearly appropriation ior INC
eompleaion of the work on which the Nation Is Dut
inst ente.ag. With such policy manufacturers coo
safely pstn the necessary plants and be able 10 fur-
p,sh mscrials at a cheaper rate. With an annual
approprltOn Of eight 10 ten miiloEs-0Eiy httie
more tb,n that of the present yearthe construction
ana enpiIement Of guns and mOrtars, works OF tor
neso deere for the whole coast can be carried on
sod in tel years our principal hafDors ano ciues loi
aered reasIlably secure
secresy Proctor says that The work of turning out
guns al iatcrvllet Arsena! and the Bethlehem Iron
Works ha been satisfactory.
Mich sudy has been given to the subject Of deser-
,,ons NV ne Secretary and as result recent legis
,,on he AVS that the number of assertions from The
Army fol the twelve months ending september ~
EOS as against saoi ior 'T , same has often
been descibed in these columns 1t PROVIDES that 81
a month shall be retained from the soldiers pay ior
n,edee a honorable service. Enlistments arc to BE-
mmsSe for five years, but after one years service
,Sres ve rfaAfui service he may get se dis
charge II he wishes it. Deserers may be arrested by
S nb Of he Wide question is to make the service
worth seeking AID then enough good men VIII sen ~
nav Of fac non commissioned officers be increased and
that am eniste of two years service shouid DC
permitted to 9ope'e a Is rpses the sdvabty and
necessity Of tethree battalion formation for infantry.
Every European has adopted IT, snd all GI ,e
Sherman and serbian. have recommended H. ne
commends this nbject to Congress- and also announces
fh m, to oil e e' Srement of Officers which would give
fair chance promotion for junior officers Ano, h
equipped expedition will he organized to make r,I
systematic expiration and survey OF Alasha ,inn
secretary recommends that sufficient appiopflsuuon
he made by Cngress for carrying the plan into erect
From the rcort it appears that the expenditures for
re q ssc' ap pre- s%Sns for %nf 81
estimates for he next year. 1eS2' ~f''' s'''''
GENERAL YELTON MAY RETIRE.
wasbngto. Now 10 (speciaD.-There Is some taiR
.t the War epartment that AdjutantGenerai heiVo''
NAV ask 10 placed on the retired lst. lie iis oos
at his home in this city for some months uhaoie "
attend TO an duties suffering from what MS Pr! soia
call nervou prostraton. He expected 10 retuiii "
duty in OcDber but his medical ADVISERS oo ho' so'
consider hi sufficiently recovered TO resume worn
The dutles,f the Office have been trying and Ieher@
Kesa,s iess is said TO be the result OF 100 Gloss
appIicatio TO the important subject under discSSio
The possjle intention of general kelton 10 reuo
naturally brings forward candidates for inc once
OF AdjutatGeneral. There are at present only '"o w
cers who ne regarded applicants. General ChahceS
McK.eves and General Robert Williams, OF the Ad-
,u,an, Coer,,ls Department. General Mckeever Is
q, nressr acting Adjutant- General He Is Maryland
man aDdentered the service In 1S4o as cadet At Oe
Military Academy. After serving in the ARTILLERY
arm forthrteen years, he vas appointed captain III
the Adhtant- Generals Department in 1861 ueherai
wiI,.uy who has been In the city, looking ater Ms
,ntcress is next in rank to General kelton ana Is
s,a,ona at Chicago lie is Virginia man. grad
,.,e q the Military Acaemy, which he entered IN
1s47 After graduation % was attached TO the Isl
Dragons, and was apPolntd 10 tne nr, Weaan
and General McKeever: lor time during tne WsT nc
was colonel Of the 9th Massachusetts, cavalry 'o wa
confined TO period of aew months as lieutenant
colonel In the Adjutantenerars Department Itsr 70
sides IS governed by thu record N volunteers OF the
csndidases neither Genrs MeResyer nor General
William D. wpple and General George d. Ruggles arc
both Coonels and Assisa aGS SS,
WSippis ranks next to eneral Williams and is senior
70 General ETHER Of the four officers may win the
rovssS nomination shield General Kelon decide TO
90 upon retired LIS by serIii lines but while
s4snt 10 Adjutant- Gneral Drum he made an ex-
ceilent record, sufhceny mefi,orous 70 an 't rs
psSsp Since his appointment has been marked BY the
same ability and his rdrement "ouio NC loss 10 '
Army.
DEMOCRATS EXECr A SPECIAL SESSION.
washington, Nov. ospeciaD.-Nearly every Demo
crat Of prominence id influence who has been In
washington since theesut OF the Congress eiecuohs
beam. known seems desire and expect that spring
sesson OF the LID Sngress will be called many OF
them 20 80 far as toecare that II necessary 10 orhg
that TO pass the Imocratic minority in the LIS
Congress will obstr:t and prevent the passage OF
some of the great appropriations for the support OF
the Government. Bbably good deal OF TINS sort OF
talk and most Of I, threats OF compelling special
session are desgns TO intimidate the Repuohcah
majority and prev.t either the enactment OF iair
and just Appointment law or the passage oy VIC
senate Of the pendg Election bill For example, Mr.
Springer said yesteay that he thought that an nut.
session was quite pslble, indeed certain II the kepuD
cans attempted tpass the Election bill as ina. effort
wonId be steadfast resisted" Perhaps 1t might be as
we'll for the Demoatic minority 70 remember and con
slider that IL Will within the power OF the malorly
ri the coming scion 70 provide by q single Joint
resolution for The scessary expenditures OF Inc Govern
AhA