The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-08-20
MORE ARTILLERY NEEDED
Fortifcations That Will NeceS.
state an Additional Force
Of Caretakers.
Only One Regiment to Man All the
Proposed Defenses of the Pa.
cifc Coast.

WASHINGTON, ID. u, Aug. 19.-Ihe
New York Sun confirms THE CALLS Wash
ineton dispatch foresbadowing many
changes in artillery stations and says:
Portland will be among the harbors de-
manding increased defenses, and now it
has only a single battery. Boston and
New York, as is known, are to have great
increases in their defensive works, and
must accordingly have more artillerynen.
The approach to Philadelphia is among
the points to be fortified, and it has now
no garrison. The same is true of Charles
ton and Savannah, where guns, it is
hoped, will ere long be in position.
At San Francisco, Point Lobos, Lime
Point, Alcatraz Island, Angel Sound and
Black Point are to be well fortified, while
Puget Sound is an important strategic
area which could easily be commanded
by shore batteries. Of minor importance
just now, yet included in the general
scheme of defense, Is San Diego, near the
Mexican frontier, at present garrisoned
by an infantry company.
The artillery regiment now on the
Pacific Coast is the Fifth, and which has
Batteries A, c, 1, L and NJ and Light Bat
teries d and f at the Preside of San
Francisco, B and K at Alcatraz Island.
e at Fort Mason and H at Fort Candy, at
the mouth of the Columbi Battery G is
on the Atlantic coast at Fort Monroe.
But the difficulty is to say how any re-
distribution can be made to advantage. Il
has been reported that another regiment
is to be sent to the Pacific Coast, but that
would be preposterous, not only because it
~ he FL -
and Gulf of garrisons they now have and
certainly need, but also because the pro-
portion of two regiments on the Pacific to
three on the Atlantic coast and Gulf
would be absurd. The present ratio of
one regiment on the Western and four on
the Eastern coast is about right, in view of
the relative magnitude of the interests to
be defended.
Wien the artillery is increased, az,
sooner or later, it will unqueshonably be,
more batteries will be available.
One i'm portant matter to be rememb ered
is that the new batteries thus spoken of
are affairs of the future. A few heavy
guns and mortars have been mounted at
New York, San Francisco and Boston, but
the work of engineers on emplacements
has so far dragged behind that OF the
ordnance department in providing guns,
and the work of The latter in furnishing
carriages is so far behind the turning out
of guns, that Congress has not been with
out an excuse in delaying to increase the
artillery arm. When it sees more new
guns actually mounted it will probably
provide men to take care of them; but 1t
is reluctant to increase the army for purely
prospective uses. One of the reasons, also,
why redistribution would apparently be
out of place now is that barracks and
quarters must be provided in season for
such changes. Such a provision is now
going on. for example, at Sandy Hook.
Another question is as to the manner in
which the artillery arm should be in
creased. One statement is that General
Miles is DESTROYS OF having batteries scat
tered among a greater numb of points in
order to have more forts garrisoned. But
the bill pending in Congress proposes to
increase FIVE regiments to seven, whereas
a former measure was based on the idea OF
simply adding more batteries on the
ground that it was additional batteries
that were required and not additional
regimental organizations. Still, these
latter are also advocated on the ground
that they will furnish more promotion,
while preserving the three battalion
twelve-company idea.
Altogether it would seem that there is
no immediate need of redistributing artil-
lery and that the most sensible and
economical plan would be to await the
action of Congress at the coming session
on Secretary Lamont's line reorganization
bill
If that bill, or even the artillery part OF
it, becomes a law the assignment of gar
risons to the new batteries hereafter to be
built will be an easy task.
Some interesting experiments will soon
be made in the manufacture of ordnance
material. Under recent action of Con-
gress- provision was made for the manu-
facture and trial of ten-inch counter
poise carriage, invented by Commodore
Howell of tn navy, and of a twelve-inch
carriage invented by A. II. Emery. Still
another provision was that for making and
costing an eight-inch gun, to be cast in one
piece. on the plan OF r. ]. Calling. AS 10
the carriages, of whatever their intrinsic
merits, it will be gain if they serve to
hurry forward the swelve-inch type car
riage now under construction.