Rocky Ford enterprise., 1893-12-07
THE WAR DEPARTMENT.
Numsrs.s Sset> OF I.ser~ss concernins
Oar Standing Army.

Numsrs.s rset> OF I.ser~ss concerninE
Oar standing Army.
The follesine Is synopsis Of the annual
report Of the secretary OF war. 1t gives the
usual rcvie~ Of the conditions and operations
of the army, aad, IA addition. is devoted
specially to the progress Of the work of the
sca-coasi se9cnscss
The total strength Of the army on Septem-
Der -, 1888 vas a,ls& otficers and ss,sss en-
listed men From various causes, discharge,
purchase, desertion- etc, the army lost 9, &c
enlisted men during the year and gained 9,o.4
reeruitA
Transportation was furnished for S6s, So
persons, 6,94s animals and e,69, tons of
freight The ncu quarters, barracks and
buildings At army pos. compare favorably
with military structures abroad. The disei-
plinc, health and general coalition of the
army Is good
The secretary recommends strongly the re-
peal of the law fixing ten years as the maxi
mum period of enlistment, and favors a re-
ductloa Of the period of frs. enlistment TO
three years, instead OF five The prosecution
of the experiment OF enlisting Indian COM
panies will be continued only on the present
small scale until itA success or failure has
bcen proven.
The adoption Of the new magazine rife is
the most important step taken for the infant
ry since the civil war A limited number will
he completed ~ithin sixty days at the Spring
field armory, and the entire infantry will be
equipped with new arms before the close Of
tie coming year.
The gradual manufacture OF . reserve sup
ply Of the arms sufficient for the organization
Of the militia is recommended. The Issue OF
the ncr 3.2 steel field guns 10 the militia, and,
in limited numbers, to colleges and schools
which manifest q special interest 10 military
instruction, Is suggested
Oue-th,rd 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 defence under the project Of the Endi-
colt board of 1885.
By January l, 1894, there will be ready for
mounting nine 12-.nch guns, twenty 10-inch
guns, thirty-four S-Inch guns and seventy five
l2-inch uortars.
To keep pace with the manufacture of guns,
the secretary recommends ample appropria-
tiors for emplaccmcnt and batteries and for
the purchase of sites for Notifications, In ac-
cordance with tho scheme adopted in 1888.
The expenditures for sea coast defense for
the year ending June 30, 1893, were 8, ,163, ,09a.
The invention and manufacture Of Amerl-
can Brown smokeless powders for heavy ord
nance and for the magazine rifles have made
allow progress, and the secretary of war urges
manufacturers to solve the problem for their
own profit and our national pride.
Growing interest In the military instruction
at colleges aud schools Is reported. In 1S9O-9l
1850 students wefc reported under instruc-
t!on by ofllcefs at these Institutions. In
ls9s-93 the number Was tO,97O n gain Of AZ
per cent: Mr.. Lamont recommends military
instructio II by army biiieets be extended to
the high schools Of the large cities.
Tho latest returns report an organized mill
tia OF 112 ,597 in the statcs, OF whom, in round
numbers, 5000 are in the artillery arm, main-
tained by thirty-four states, and 5000 in the
cavalry, maintained by twenty-four states.
Expenditures for the year ending June 30,
1898, were s52, ,0OO, 900, for the present yenr,
as, 600, 600 and the estimates for 1885 are az
follows:
Salaries and contingent expenses. q 1851, ole
Military establishments. .......... 25, ,709, ,89j
Public works, Including river and
harbor improve ments. 21,463, ,307
Miscellaneous objects. ..:....::.: 3,976 ,26l
Total. al................: .k52; ;s4e;5T