Omaha daily bee., 1893-11-30
SECRETARY LAMONT'S REPORT
Facts Concerning the Standing Army of the
United States.
DEFENSE OF THE CoUNTRYs SEACoAsT
what Is Being Done to Render the Prin-
cipal Ports Safe from Attacks-The
Manufacture of Artillery and
Small Arms.

WAsHISGToN, Nov. 2g.-The following is n
synopsis of the annual report of the secre-
tary of war. 1t gives the usual review of
the conditions and operations of the army,
and, in addition, is devoted especially 10 the
progress of the work of the seacoast de-
lenses.
Secretary Lamont reports 1t may be as
sumed that Indian warfare is practically at
an end in the United States; that demands
for the employment of the army must be-
come mfrequent, as state authority, on
which that obligation properly rests, demon
strates it's complete ability to discharge II,
and that in consequence the gradual conceh-
tration of the army on the seacoast and the
frontiers is prescribed by the conditions of
the time. Any considerable increase in the
numbers of the army would not meet with
popular favor, and it is not suggested by any
contingency, immediate or remote, but the
work of fertilization at thirteen of our
largest seaports, already begun or projected
for the near future, renders the conversion
of a portion of the infantry to the artillery
army a manifest necessity of the period
directly ahead OF us.
strength of the Army.
The total strength of the army on Sep
TENDER 80, 1893, was 2, l44 officers and %, us
enlisted men. From various causes, dis
charge, purchase, desertion, etc, the army
lost 0,4i6 enlisted men during the year and
gained 9,0I4 recruits.
Transportation was furnished for 36i,1U
persons. 6,g4S animals ana 9,602 tons of
freight. The new quarters, barracks and
buildings at army posts compare favorably
with military structures abroad. The dis
cipline, health and general condition of the
army is good.
The secretary strongly the
repeal of the law fixing ten years as the
| maximum period of enlistment and favors a
reduction of the period of first enlistment to
three years instead of five.
The prosecution of the experiment of en-
listing Indian companies will be continued
only on the present small scale until It's sue
cess or failure has been proved.
The three battalion organizations for in
fantry regiments is
New Magazine Rifle.
The adoption of the new magazine rifle is
the most important step taken for the
infantry since the civil war. A limited
number will be completed within sixty days
at The Springfield armory and the entire
infantry force will be equipped with the
new arms before the close of the coming
year.
The gradual manufacture Of a reserve
supply of the arms sufficient for the organi-
cation of the militia is recommended.
The issue of the new 32-inch caliber steel
field guns to the militia and in limited num-
bers to colleges and schools which manifest
a special interest in military affairs is sug-
gested,
One-third of the report is devoted to the
progress of the last eight years in the manu-
facture of heavy ordnance and in the Pacific
coast defense under the project of the
Eudicott board OF 1885. Progress already
made warrants the belief that within the
time spec~iiied-thirteen years from the first
appropriations-the essential features of
the plan can be carried out. The
with its lift, in its emplacement at
Sandy Hook is the evidence of remarkable
progress during these eight years, signifylng
the ability of our manufacturers to produce
heavy forgings for high power guns, the
completion of an army gun factory at
Watervliet which takes rank with the best
in the world, the invention and manu-
facture of gun carriages and lifts able to
sustain the weight and recoil of these great
guns and the completion of modern emplacc-
mcnts. The cost of the type battery at
Sandy Hook is S524.l2l. BY January !, 1894,
there will DC ready for mounting nine l2-inch
guns. twenty l0-inch guns, thirty-four S-inch
guns and seventy-iive l2-inch mortars.
Preparing Places for Them.
The engineer corps is preparing at Port
land, Me, Boston, New York, Washington
Hampton Roads and San Francisco emplace-
ments in all for four l2-inch guns, twenty
lO-inch guns, five S-inch guns and sixty-foul
l2inch mortars; also twenty four casemates
for submarine torpedo operations.
Work on the coast defenses at NarraEan,
soft bay, Charleston, Tybee Roads and
Savannah river and Pensacola will be begun
during the year. Work will be progressing
next year at thirteen of the twenty-eight
ports proposed for fertilization by the Enui-
cott board.
The annual output of the Watervliet gun
factory is fifteen l2-lnch guns, fifteen lO-inch
and twelve S-inch guns, and the first of the
100 large guns contracted for with the Beth
lehem iron works is due next year.
TO keep pace with the manufacture OF
guns the secretary recommends ample APP
preparations for emplacemenUs and batterie:
and for the purchase OF sites for fortiiica
tions, in accordance with the scheme adopted
in 1883. Tn expenditures for seacoast de
Tense for the year ending June 80, 1893, were
SO, 1863, 094.
The invention and manufacture of Amer
lcan brown and smokeless powders for heaVl
ordnance and for the magazine rifles have
made slow progress, and the secretary o
war urges manufacturers TO solve the problem
for their own profit ana our national pride.
Education OF OGicers and Men.
The report pays much attention to the ed
ucation of the officers and men of the arm.
and the instruction of the militia and mill
tary schools, holding that The short duration
of recent wars demonstrates the importan
part of the exact sciences in modern wal
fare, and That progress in the War depart
ment must be along the lines of a ~nstiona
uulNtISlli VI IllIltalS 5NlSiht, 40 wen u
along those of coast defense. An increase i
the number OF cadets at the West Point mi
itary academy, to meet the demands o
higher and more general military instruC
tion, is suggested for an early day in tn
future.
Growing interest in the military instruC
tion Mt colleges and schools is reported. 1
1901 1865 students were reported undo
instruction by officers at these institution:
In 1928 the number was 1890, a gain of
per cent.
a Mr.. Lamont recommends that military il
struction by army officers be extended TO tn
high schools of the large cities.
3 The latest returns report an organize
S militia of ll2, 591 IN the states, of winch, i
5 round numbers, 5000 are IN the artiller
arm, maintained by thirty-four states, an
5000 IN the cavalry, maintained by twenty
four states. Requests for the co-oDeratio
o and assistance of the federal government
the equipment of the militia are greater
time OF peace and are the index of INTEL
. gent interest In the nations military growtl
n Improvement of Waterways.
y The Improvement of harbors and intern
tional highways in the Uniteu States, a wol
of high consequence TO our an
general Importance to our people, has mac
d excellent progress under the support
:, liberal appropriations. The chief of eng