Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-11-21
They Are Not Smoothing His
Ruffled Front
BUT BUILDING ANGEL MAKERS
At Rapid Rate-Secretary Proctor Tells Of
Big Guns and-LttIe.
How to Make Good Indians and How to
Improve Our Infantry Service - Tho
Pension Bureau-Coast DefenSss
Bong Constructed.

to-day. The report reads:
To the President
In submitting to you this report It seems
proper, as a preliminary to such comment
as they may require, to refer briefly 10 the
new legislative and administrative meas
ures affecting the department which have
been inaugurated during your adminlstra-
ton.
In the line of coast defense, sites for for
tifications have been procured, and engi-
neering work has been begun on batteries
for mortars and emplacements for guns at
New York, Boston, San Francisco Hamp-
ton Roads and Washington. The north
wing and center section of the gun factory
at Watervliet has been completed and Is
nearly equipped. A south wing, doubling
the capacity, is now being constructed.
Provision has already been made for the
man ufacture by the government of ninety
eight breech-loading, steel riied guns Of
high power and 100 more have been con-
tracted for with private manufacturers. A
supply of submarine mines and seventy
three twelve-inch mortarS are slso under
construction.
For the Improvement of the enlisted
force new methods of recruiting have been
adopted. 1t is carried on more in small
towns and rural communities, and the re-
cruits are held on probation and their ante
cedents carefully inquired into. The ration
has been increased by the addition of ona
entitled to discharge at the end of three
years of faithful service, and are permitted
to purchase their discharge at any time
after one year. Summary courts have been
established for tie speedy trial OF petty
otfenses. If the men desire 1t, competent
officers are assigned to defend them before
courts martial. Punishments under the
articles of war in time OF peace have been
defined and limited. Sunday inspections
and tattoo roll-cal have been abolished;
sc hools and gymnasla established. These,
together with the specific measures under
taken for that purpose, have reduced the
percentage of assertions to a lower point
than ever before in the history of the
army, and in the last year have reduced
the number of inmates in our military
prisons over 20 per cent
A system of examination of officers for
promotion has been established, and their
promotion, with the exception of one grade,
has been put upon a lineal basis throughout
the army. The retired list has been re-
lieved by appropriate legislation. An eff
fciency record of officers has been kept, en-
abling their selection for special duty to be
made on that basis.
In pursuance of policy of concentrating
the troops in larger posts, about one-fourth
of the number of posts occupied in 1889 have
been abandoned, and the reservations
turned over to the interior department. The
employment of contract surgeons, in addi-
ton to the regular medical corps, has been
nearly dispensed with. The licenses
of most post-traders have been re-
voked. The enlistment of Indians
has been successfully undertaken. The
detail of officers to coll ges has been
increased and new rules adopted. The re-
bellion records have been published much
more rapidly under increased appropria-
lions and a reorganization of the work.
The military and hospital records of the
late war have been brought together in the
record and pension division, the settlement
of pension claims has been expedited, and
the preservation OF these valuable records
for effective use is well toward completion.
When finished 600 clerks can be discharged
or transferred to other departments.
COAST DEFENSE.
The problem OF adequate coast defense
has practically been settled. Fortunately
it has not been question of party politics.
There has been much discussion and soma
differences of individual opinion in respect
to the rapidity with which the work should
be executed and as regards details. 1t has
been generally recognized, however, il, con-
gress and by the public press as a national
concern-a thoroughly American policy.
Nor is it new departure. The report Of
the Endicott board under the act of congress
of March 3, 1855, states that IN 1SG0 our
coast defense were not surpassed by those
of any country for efficiency either for
offense or defense, and were entirely COM
petent to resist the vessels of war of that
period" But after the close of the war
there was most rapid development in the
means of offensive warfare, while the forth
fcations which we had were not kept up,
and much less was new work undertaken.
Our coast cities, which in 1850 were well
protected, in 1890 were defenSeleSs.
In 1883 congress provided for joint
board of army and navy officers to examine
and report what method should be adopted
for the manufacture of heavy ordnance for
the use of the army and navy, and the cost
of buildings, tools, and the implements
therefor. This board, after visiting the
chief ordnance establishments of Europe
and the principal steel manufactures Of
this country, submitted a report in 1884
which recommended the establishment of
two gun factories, one for the army at
Watervliet arsenal, West Troy, N. Y, and
another for the navy in this city, and that
our steel manufacturers should be encour-
aged by suitable legislation to incur the
large expense of erecting the plant neces-
sary for producing such gun metal as is re-
Quired.
In 1885 congress provided that board
composed of army and navy officers and
civilians, of which the secretary Of war
should be a member and president, should
examine and report at what ports fortifica-
tionS or other defenses were most urgently
required, and the character and kind of de-
lenses DGSU adapted, LOT edCQ Win reference
to armament and the utilization of torpe-
does, mines or other defensive appliances.
This board submitted a systematic and Ella
borate plan for the defense of the sea coast
at the twenty-six principal ports, and with
less detail, provisions for the defense of the
lake frontier. Simultaneously with the in
vestigations Of this board the two houses
of congress independently considered the
subject, the senate by q select committee
on.ordnance and war-ships, of which Gen.
Hawley was chairman, and the house by
commission on ordnance and gunnery, OF
which Mr.. Randall was chairman. The re-
ports of these committees, made in 1856,
are replete with valuable information. Tho
conclusions reached by these variou.
boards, so different in composition and sc
well qualified to consider the subject from
every point of view, were harmonious, and
their several reports furnish all the details
needful for an intelligent consideration OF
the subject. They have afforded the basis
OF legislation and appropriations OF congress
which have inauguratcd our present definite
policy in respect to coast defenses.
This policy necessarily contemplates
system of land defenses as its most impor-
tant feature. 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 harbors with heavy fortifica-
tions and high-power guns. The cost Of
land defenses has not increased - rapidly