The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-11-12
OUR DEFENCELESS COASTS
Unpleasant Facts Pointed Out BY
General Niles.
THE NEED OF MORE BATTERIES
Principal Cities Upon the Atlantic and
Pacific Coasts Would BE Mt the
Mercy Of Strong Naval
Power in Time of War.

Washington, Nov. 1.-THE report OF
Major General Miles, commanding the
Omitted States Army, which was made
public today, differs I'm many material
respects from statements in regard to
its contents previously published.
General Miles believes that the peace
able condition now existing among the
various Indian tribes is largely attrib
utable to the presence of troops at
suitable points, and to the admirable
conduct of the experienced army Of
cials, who have been placed in charge
Of the principal agencies. While II is
economical and desirable to have the
reserve forces of the army near the
great centers of communica tion, Cen
eral Miles urgently contends that these
points should be selected only for their
strategic value. and that the tendency
towards concentration should not be
carried to the point of deDriving the
western settlements of proper protec-
tion. Under the head of coast defence,
General Miles states that the condition
of these defenccs is such as TO require
decided and immediate action for their
Improvement.
Some progress has been made to-
ward defending San Francisco and
few modern guns and rifles have been
placed. These, however, are but a
sma.. part of what Is needed for the de-
fence of the harbors while San Diego is
in the same condition as Puget Sound
entirely at the mercy of a strong naval
power, which could blockade every i'm
portant port on the Pacific coast within
ninety days. While the railroads might
transport million brave men to the
coast they would be useless without ap-
pliances to cope with the modern en-
gines of war, and with all our intelli-
gence, pride, inventive genius and en-
terprise we are as far behind in the
modern appliances of war as China or
Japan. Such were the conditions, says
General Miles, as stated by him in his
report six years ago, and such are the
conditions today, with the exception of
sight progress made at San Francisco.
Atlantic COast Unprotected.
The entire gulf coast and all the great
cities of the Atlantic coast northward
to Philadelphia are entirely without
modern guns. With one exception the
cities north Of New York are in sim
liar condition to those south of il. Some
guns and mortars have been construct
ed and some shipped to their destina-
tion, carriages for them are under con-
struction. and emplacements have been
made to limited extent. He shows
that torpedo plants are useless without
protective batteries, and that the water
IN our principal harbors is so deep that
light draft war vessels might pass
over torpedo mines without danger.
He asserts that the recent manoeuvres
In England have shown that even the
powerful British navy is unable to de-
fend the British coast against a for
eisn fleet. Therefore he argues that
the main reliance must be upon coast
batteries.
He strongly recommends the con-
struction Of all the high power guns and
systems of defenses called for in the
general plan of the board of ordnance
ana fortifcations, and to meet in part
the expense Of this costly undertaking
ne suggests the application OF the funds
that might be derived from the sale of
abandoned military reservations. He
approves the use of bicycles and motor
wagons In the army and recommends
that q force of twelve companies be
equipped with these devices.
General Miles argues for an increase
IN the strength of the army, saying that
there Is no reason why 1t should become
crystallized and kept at one strength as
1t has been for years. 1t should in
crease with the growth Of the country
and be determined by the census at a
minimum of one soldier for every 1000
population and maximum of one in
1000 "