New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-11-30
WHAT THE ARMY NEEDo.
THE THREE-BATTALION FORMATION
ADVOCATED BY SECRETARY LAMONT
THE COAST DEFENCEs UPON CoNGREss-THE
FORCE IN EXCELLENT CONDITION As
REGARDS DISCIPLINE AND HEALTH
THE CONCENTRATION Poll
ICY A SUCCESS.
THE CONCENTRATIONS ~

THE CONCENTRATION poll
ICY SUCCESS.
Washington. Nov. 29-The report Of Daniei >.
Lamont. Secretary OF War. opens with sugges-
tive tabular statement of insufficient congress
scnal appropriations. The actual expenditures
for the last fiscal year s52.9s7.0Oo while the
estimates Of the Department for the next nscai
year run up to SCI $4,000 thus indicating
probability of much larger deficiency than tna'
OF this year Regarding the latter occurrence, Sec
rotary Lamont says:
A considerable reduction by Congress OF me es
Inmates Of the Pay Department. which la.leu "a ~
take into consideration various CONTINGENCIES anu p
creasng temporarily the demands upon me pan
hereor ef the Without
cient funds 10 meet the Army payroll ior me i
month of the year. The situation Threatened muJ,
hardship among officers and men. who usually rely
upon their monthly salaries to pay currsntt sciaI
arrangement under which the necessary amour
advanced to meet these accounts IN fun, gnu
tionsi CITY Bank. New-York the Secretary Of war
having assumed the personal respons biiity r OF
pr.ation of $4,000 or so much may be neces-
sary to extinguIsh the debt. is recommended
The full strength Of the enlisted men in tn
Army is given as 25.7O6. The Secretary claims
credit for having during the last two years
steadily pursued the policy OF restoring Off
possible, the number OF those on detached duty
Officers assigned to duty at Washington and at
Department headquarters. have been reduced
from sixty-seven 70 thirty-five. and the officers
on recruiting service have been reduced from
ninety eight to thirty-three. Those assigned as
military instructors Of the National Guard OF
the States and at military schools have been
increased from 80 to l2s and those acting az
Indian agents from five to nineteen
ITS MOST ESSENTIAL NEED.
He considers that the most essential need OF
the Army to-day Is the adoption Of the three
battalion formation as recommended in his re-
port of 1894 He says:
The proposition outlined contemplates an increase
in the number OF line officers, involving all Increase
for salaries Of about 10000 This increase OF ex-
pendtures should be met and more than overcome
by reductions in the expenditures for the stan
The present chiefs OF bureaus in the stan organHa-
ton OF the Army capable and efficient men
They are in every way worthy OF me responns ,
Torrance OF duty The wisdom. however. Of con,
be questioned There Is nothing In the nature OF
the duties OF some OF the staff corps that should
could be found for those duties in the line or in
other branches Of the staff In the case OF the
whose duties are largely technical. no change from
existing methods of filling vacancies in the grade
all other stan corps and departments the class
eligible for selection to the head Of each should
head Of each stan corps should in my Judgment.
be selected for term OF Years the ofieer at the
m nssdoSi grade, unless resppoin.ed.
The arsunen usually adyanced in in OpP9s,i,Sn to
rangemeni respects subdivision Of staff duties
accords With the stan organization Of the f,s war
OF by the statement that the efficient armies OF
the world have little resemblance as respects or
sanization to those maintained thirty years ago.
Arms equipments. systems OF evolution and meth
armament and the requirements OF modern times.
The general tendency is toward the concentra-
ton OF chief authority and an organization in
each branch so close. thorough and complete that
cooperation be had from each subordinate.
Secretary Lamont recommends that the act
of October I. 1890. providing for examination
Of certain Army officers prior to promotion, be
extended to include field officers He says that
the policy of concentrating the Army and
abandoning unnecessary posts has not only
the approval OF all those acquainted with the
lines of progress which conditions have marked
cut for our ARM. but is approved by all thought
ful citizens"
THE COAST DEFENCE PROBLEM.
Secretary Lamont quotes President Cleve-
lands message Of 1886 in regard to the defence
less sea-coasts and says:
The various factors in the scheme OF defence
have now been accurately determined that for
has been accomplished the time and expense re-
quirod TO complete the project with existing facili
Ties. We have established and equipped a gun
factory able to turn out yearly thirtyhve guns Of
the types required or enough TO arm the eighteen
except as 10 the provisions for finishing and as
whic H,'' IS still qucstoned Ne have moreoveT. by
contract contributed toward the establishment Of
private plant for the manufacture OF guns which
in time viii be able TO meet any unusual dema nd
that could not he supplied by the Watervet gun
We have established a plant for the manufacture
Of gun carriages which with the aid Of private es-
rapidly as cmDlacements for guns and mortars are
completed. The development Of a satisfactory type
Of twelye-inch disappearing gun-carriages s alone
lacking In the mechanism Of coast defence. and
without doubt American ingenuity will soon supply
But At only three OF the eighteen ports under
been established Now-York has two twelve inch
guns and sixteen twelvc-lnch mortar- San Fran
CISCO has one tweve-inch gun and sixteen twelve
inch mortars. and Boston has sixteen tweve-inch
mortars In position 1t rests with Congress to de-
shall elapse efore coasts shall he put IN a sat
sfactory condition Of defence. The amount re-
CURED for the eighteen ports Is about ss20Oo" and
the entire work can be completed within ten years
GRATIFYING CONDITION OF TIE FORCE.
An interesting feature Of the report is the
statement of the Secretary that never In It's
history has the present condition Of the Army
been surpassed. II is better fed. clothed and
housed. and tn pocy Of promoting the personal
comfort of the officers and men has resulted in a
devotion that is everywhere parent.
The health record Of the Army for the yeai is
the best annual statement ever consolidated from
the returns of the medical officers. and sig
nfcant decrease shown in the number OF court
Tartials for the year. cJrrobOrates the reports
from all officers of a noteworthy Improvement in
the morale and discipline OF the Army.
The Secretary also refers to the fact that much
attention during the year has been given to the
effort L. cultivate close relations between the
Regular Army and the State troops.
". ". HOWARD SAFE ~ PERSIA.
News received yesterday % the safety Of
William Willard Howard. vino supposed 10 have
been murdered by the Kurds while on A mission
Of nercN In Armenia. MI Howard Mas GENT d