The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-12-08

of the service as judged by the department
/ rather than respond to the wishes and i'm
/ portunities of localities. 1t is imperative
| that much of the money provided for such
| construction should now be allotted to the
| erection of necessary quarters for the
/ garrisons assigned to the coast defenses.
| Where many men win be needed to prop
/ erly care for and operate modern guns. 1t
IS essential, too, that early provision be
| made to supply the necessary force of
| artillery to meet the demands OF this serv-
| ice. The entire army has now been equip
ped with the new magazine arms, and
WISE policy demands that ali available
| public and private resources should be so
employed as to provide within reason
able time a sufficient number to supply
the state militia with these modern wea-
! pons and provide an ample reserve for any
| emergency.
The organized militia numbers n2,s79
men. Inc appropriations for it's support
by the several states approximate s.. 500 600
] annually, and 100000 is contributed by the
! general government Investigation shows
these troops to be usually well drilled
| and inspired with much military interest,
but IN many Instances they are so deficient
! IN proper arms and equipment that sud
den call to active duty would find them
| inadequately prepared for field service l
therefore recommend that prompt meas
ures be taken to remedy this condition,
and that every encouragement be given
to this deserving body of unpaid and vol
untary citizen soldiers, upon whose assist
ance we must largely rely in time of trou-
BILE.
During the past year rapid progress has
been made toward the completion Of the
scheme adopted for the erection and arm
! ament of Notifications along our seacoast,
/ while equal progress has been made in
providing the material for submarine de-
! Tense in connection with these works
1t is peculiarly gratifying at this time
to note the great advance that has been
made in this important undertaking since
the date of my annual message to the
| Fifty-third congress at the opening
its second session. in December, 1898. At
that time l informed the congress of the
approaching completion of nine pinch.
twenty l0-inch and thirty-four s.
inch high power steel guns, and
seventy-hVe l2-inch rihed mortars.
This total then seemed insignfti-
cant when compared with the great
work remaining to be done, yet it was
none the less a source of satisfaction to
every citizen when he reflected that it rep
resented the first installment of the new
ordnance of American design and Ameri-
can manufacture, and demonstrated our
ability to supply from our own resources
guns of unexcelled power and accuracy
AT that date, however, there were practi-
cally no carriages upon which to mount
these guns, and only thirty-one emplace-
ments for guns, and sixty-four for NOR
tars. Nor were all these emplacements in
condition to receive their armament Only
one high power gun was at that time in
! position for the defense of the entire coast.
Since that time the number of guns act
ually completed has been increased to a
total of twenty-one 12-inch, ffty-six 10
inch, sixty-one S-inch high power breech-
loading steel guns, ten rapid fire guns and
eighty l2-inch rified mortars. In addition,
there are in process of construction one 16-
inch type gun, fifty 12-inch, ffty-six 10
inch, twenty-seven. 8-inch high power
guns, and sixty-six Finch rifed mortars;
in all, 42S guns and mortars.
During the same year, Immediately pre-
ceding the message referred to, the first
modern gun carriage had been completed
and eleven more were in process of con-
struction. All but one were of the nom
disappearing type. These, however, were
not such as to secure necessary cover for
the artillery gunners against the intense
fire of modern machine rapid-fre and high
power guns.
The inventive genius of ordnance and ci-
william experts has been taxed in design
ing carriages that would obviate this
fault resulting, it is believed, in the
lem. Since 1898 the number of
gun carriages constructed or
building has been raised to a total of 1923
of which 80 are on the disappearing prin-
ciple, and the number of mortar carriages
to 152, while the So emplacements which
were provided for prior to that time have
been increased to $50 built and building
: This improved situation is largely due
to the recent generous response of con-
gress to the recommendations of the war
department. Thus we shall have soon
complete one-fifteenth of the comprehen-
sive system, the first step in which was
noted in my message to the congress OF
Dec 4, 1898. When 1t is understood that
masonry emplacement not only furnishes
a platform for the heavy modern high
power gun, but also in every particular
serves the purpose and takes the n1aco
of the fort of former days, the Importance
of the work accomplished is better COM
pretended.
In the hope that the work win be pros
ecuted with no less vigor in the future
the Secretary of War has submitted an
estimate by which If allowed there will
be provided and either built or building
by the end of the next fiscal year such
additional guns, mortars gun carriages
and emplacements as will represent MOI
far from one-third of the total work "a
be done under the plan adopted for our
| coast defenseS, thus affording a pros-
pect that the entire work will
be substantially completed within six
years. In less time than that however
we shall have attained marked degree
, OF security. The experience and results
|
continuation of present careful methods
the cost of the remaining work will be
much less than the original estimate.
We should always keep in mind that of
all forms of military preparation coast
defense alone is essentially pacific in its
nature While 1t gives the sense of Sc
curlty due to consciousness of strength
1t is neither the purpose nor the
, effect of such permanent fertilization To
involve us in foreign complication but
rather to guarantee us against them. They
are not temptation to war, but security
against 1t. Thus they are thoroughly in
accord with all the traditions OF our ma
tional diplomacy.
FEDERAL PRISONS
The Attorney General presents a detailed
and interesting statement Of the import
ant work done under his supervision dur
ing the last fiscal year.
The ownership and management by the
government of penitentiares for the con.
nnement OF those convicted in United
States courts of violations OF federal laws.
which for many years have been a sun.