The Portland daily press., 1891-11-21
WILL NOT LONG Be DEFENCELESS.
The Task of FortIfying Our Sea
Coast Cities.
Secretary Proctor's Report Of the
Progress Made.
Gratifying Exhibit Of the War De-
Partment's Work.

nual report of the Secretary OF War has
been made public. Perhaps the sub
ject Of the greatest popular interest, in the
sea coast states at least. is that of harbor
| defence. On this matter the report says
''We have some 1000 miles of sea coast,
exclusive of Alaska. No great naval power
has more than a few hundred miles of coast
| to defend, and yet even they protect their
harbOTS with heavy Notifications and high
power guns. The cost of land defenses
has not increased as rapidly as the cost of
the means of attacking them. They are
not only the cheapest to build, but once
built the cost of maintaining them can be
reduced to the minimum, Neither are they
an experiment, nor can they become use
less, but they may be built with view to
further strengthening If required, and ca
pable Of mounting larger guns If necessary.
1.-TWO appropriations Of $5OO,OO0 each for
the purchase of sites for fortification, and
sea coast defences were made by the last
Congress. Over one-half of the ntire ap-
preparation has been allotted and about
$780, 900 expended. Other payments are to
be made as soon as the examination of titles
by the Department of Justice is completed.
The balance of the appropriation will prob
ably be expended during the next five
months, but 1t will not be sufficient to pay
the awards of juries in cases now pending.
! recommend that an appropriation of
$500, 900 be continued annually until the
important sites are secured. 1t will re-
Quire this amount for several years to pay
for sites as rapidly as they will be needed
for use, and 1t is economy to acquire them
as quickly as possible after their location
has been determined upon.
Certain provisions in the last two forti-
fcation acts were designed to induce pri-
vate manufacturers In this country to CO.
operate with the government in fabricatiDg
guns as we'll as in supplying the steel forg-
ings. Advantageous bids were received
and contract made with the Bethlehem
Company for supplying twenty-five 8-inch,
fifty 10-inch. and twenty-five Pinch guns.
This contract. and the output of the
gun factory from forgings already under
contract, provides for the manufacture of
1893 breech-loading steel rifle guns of high
power, 62 OF S-inch callber, Sc of 10-inch,
and 80 of 12-inch. -Four have been finished,
two 8-inch, one 10-incb, and one 12-inch;
"a more will be finished in 1892 81 in 1898,
40 in 1894, when the machinery at the gun
factory will be nearly complete. There
after there can be manufactured about 40
per year. and the deliveries from the Beth.
lehem 100-gun contract will be eight to IA
yearly, according to the proportion of
small or large caliber. Besides the 1893, for
which provision has already been made, If
forgings are supplied to the gun factory,
$50 more guns can be turned out within the
next ten years, and mostly of 10 and 12-
inch caliber. / believe these figures to be
conservative, and that the actual results
will be g-eater, for with experience in the
manufacture the work should progress
more rapidly.
1.-TWO batteries, each for sixteen 12.inch
moItars, and emplacements for two 12-incb.
two 10-incb, and four 8-inch guns are now
in process OF con struction for the defense
of New York; also one battery for sixteen
12-inch mortars, and emplacements for one
n
at Boston; and emplacements for two 10
inch guns, with one 10 inch and three l2-
inch In preparation at San francisco; for
two 10-inch guns at Hampton Roads, and
for two 10-inch guns at Washington. Prog
ress has also been made In providing a sui
table supply of submarine mines. a con-
siderable number are on hand or under
contract for the defense of New York. San
Francisco, Boston, Hampton Roads. Phila-
delphia. Washington and Charleston, and
some of the mining casemates for operat-
ing them are completed or under contract
at these ports and at Portland, Me. Cor
tracts have also been made forlthe early de-
livery of seventy-three 12-inch cast iron
rified mOrtars, h0Oped With steel, of pat
tern known TO be serviceable, though prob
ably not equal to an all steel construction
now under test"
Secretary Proctor, among other thi 8,
refers to the success attending the eff rs
to secure a better class of enlisted men and
joined the ranks. For these purposes, re-
cruiting Is now carried on in the rural
districts and men are at first held in proba-
tion. When they have become regular SOL
ders they receive better ratiors than were
formerly provided, they may be discharged
at the end of three years and provision has
been made for speedy and fair trial of
those accused of petty offences. Post trad
ers are rapidly disappearing and there will
soon be only IL left. DesertiOns have
been less than in any other year of the
army's history, being only 81 per cent
against per cent in 1890
In the present state of development in
the manufacture of magazine small arms
and smokeless powders, the Secretary does
not deem 1t wise to change from the pres
ent excellent single loader to a magazine
system.
The good results obtained by the system
of enlisting Indians are mentioned. There
are at present seven full companies and
seven partially recruited, and these bodies,
both In the military bearing and general
department OF the men, are credit to the
service.
The present method of allotment of the
annual appropriation of S4O0, 900 for arm
ing and equipping the militia, which gives
to each state an amount proportiOnate to
its congressional representation, is not
such as to produce the best results. The
aid given different states is very dispropor-
tlonate. The amount of government aid re-
ceived by some states is not more than half
that received by others that maintain
double the number of men in the national
guard.