The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1893-12-07
WAR DEPARTMENT.
VARIOUS RECOMMENDATIONS SUBMIT
TED BY THE SECRETARY.
Subsection Of the Indians Necsssitates
Changes In Uses to Which Standing
Army Will be Put-suggestions as :
10 Coast Defense.


in addition is devoted especially to the
work on seacoast defenses. The secre-
tary says it may be assumed that
Indian warfare is practically at an end
in the United States; that demands
for employment of the army must be-
come infrequent, as state authority, on
which that obligation properly de-
wolves, demonstrates it's complete
ability to discharge it and in conse
quence the gradual concentration of
the army on the sea coast and frontiers
is presented by conditions of time.
Any considerable increase in members
of the army would not meet with popu-
lar favor and it is not suggested by
contingency immediate or remote, bat
the work OF fertilization at 10 OF our
largest seaports already begun or per-
lection for the near future renders the
conversion of a portion of the in
fantry to artillery. The army is a
manifest necessity of the period direct.
ly ahead of us.
The total strength of the army Sep
TENDER 80, 1893 was 2144 officers, %,
discharged, purchase, desertion, etc.,
the army lost 94l6 enlisted men during
the year and gained 9074 recruits.
| Quarters, barracks and buildings at
any army post compare favorably with
military structures abroad. Discipline,
healthy and general condition of the ar
my are good. The secretary recon-
mends strongly the repeal of the law
fixing 10 years as the maximum pc
Rod of enlistment and favors reduc-
ton of the period of first enlistment to
three years from five. The prosecution
of the exp Ariment of enlisting Indian
companies will be continued only on
the present small scale until its success
or failure was proved.
The three battalion organizations
for infantry regiments were recon
mended. The adoption of the new
magazine rifle was the most important
step taken for the infantry since the
civil war. The entire infantry force
will be equipped with new arms before
the close OF the coming year. The
gradual manufacture of a reserve sup.
ply of arms sufficient for the organiza-
ton of militia is recommended.
A third OF the report is devoted to
the progress of the last eight years in
the manufacture of heavy ordnance
and Pacific coast defense under the
project of the Endicott board of 1885.
Progress already made warrants the
belief that within the time specified,
IS years from the first appropriations,
the essential features of the plan will
be carried out By Jan. 1, 1894, there
will be ready for mounting nine -
inch guns, twenty 10inch guns,
| thirty.iour S.inch guns and
| rs 10 inch mortors. To keep pace
with the manufacture of guns the
secretary recommends ample appro-
priations for emplacements and bat
teries and for the puchase of sites for
| Notifications in accordance with the
scheme adopted ip 1885, Expenditures
for sea coast defense for the year end
ing June 80, 1853. we're So, 163,094
The invention and manufacture of
American brown and smokeless pow
deIs for heavy ordance and for maya
zine rifles has made slow progress and
the secretary urges manufacturers to
solve the problem for their own pro-
fit and our national pride. The re-
port pays much attention to the edu-
cation of officers and men of the army
and to the instruction of MALTA and
military schools, holding that the
short duration of recent wars demon
strates the import part of exact
sciences in modern warfare and
that progr sss in the war department
must be along the lines Of
the national university of military
science as we'll as along those of coast
| defense. The increase in the number
OF cadets at West point military acad.
envy to meet the demand for higher
and more general military instruct on
is suggested for an early day in
future.
"he improvement of harbors and
internal water ways of the country, a
work of immense consequence to our
commerce and general benefit to our
people, has made excellent progl ess
under the sup port of liberal appropri-
ations voted for that purpose. The
chief of engineers estimates that in
the continuance of these works in &C
cordance with existing projects
as adopted by cong ess the sum
of $3S, 770,611 can be expended
during the next fiscal year. This
estimate has been transmitted to the
secretary of the treasury as required
by law, but it is not the judgment of
this department that public neceesi-
ties demand the expenditure of such
amount at this time. The average an
nual amount actually expended for
such work for the last 10 years has
been about $l0,OO0,0O0, and it is be-
lieved this can be well reduced for the
present year, if judiciously allotted, to
$7.500,000, the sum fixed in the depart
lnent estimates.
Expenditures for the fiscal year end
ing Jane 80, 1893, are as follows: Sala-
ries and contingent expenses. 81 092, :
$751; military establishments, $23 377,-
1928; public works, including river and
harbor improvements, $50, 5lS, 632; mis-
celaneous objects, SCOTT O33; total,
SOL, 966, OLA.
Appropriations for the fiscal year
ending June /, 1894: Salaries and con-
tingent expenses, S2045, 1876; military
establishments. $24, 563, 95l; public
works, including river and harbor i'm
provement. $l720l, 1853; miscellaneous
objects, "a. 2l3, 1873; total, $4S, 023, 525.
Estimates for the fiscal year ending
June 30, 1895: Salaries and contingent
| ovnansae xI Rg7 Off. military estab-