Evening star., 1896-12-07
THE WAR DEPARTMENT.

| Ihe report Of the Secretary of War ex
hioits satisfactory conditions in the severa
branches of the public service intrusted tt
| his charge.
Inc limit of our military force, as fixet
| by law, is constantly and readily main
tanned. The present discipline and morale
OF our army are excellent and marked prog
ress and efficiency are apparent Throughout
Its entire organization. With the exception
| OF delicate duties in the suppression o.
| slight Indian disturbances along our south
| western boundary, in which the Mexican
| troops co-operated, and the compulsory bu
| peaceful return, with the consent of Grea
| Britain, of a band of Cree Indians from
| Montana to the British possessions, no ac
| tive operations have been required of The
army during the year past.
Changes in methods of administra tion
| the abandonment of unnecessary posts ane
| consequent concentration of troops, and the
exercise OF care and vigilance by the va
rlous o1hcerS charged with the resDons bill.
! lty. IN the expenditure of the appropria
ions, nave resulted in reducing to a mini
| mum the cost of maintenance of our mill.
| tary establishment
Durlng the past year the work of con.
structng permanent infantry and cavalry
| posts has been continued at the place.
heretofore designated. The Secretary OF
| War repeats his recommenda ton that All
preparations for barracks and quarters
should more strictly conform to the needs
| OF the service as judged by the depa rtmcni
ratner than respond to the wishes and i'm
portunlties of localities. 1t is imperative
that much of the money provided for such
construction should now be allotted to the
erectlon or necessary quarters for the gar
risohs assigned to the coast defenses where
many men VIII be needed to properly care
ioi anu operate modern guns. 1t is essen
'ai' 'oo' that early provision be made 10
supply the necessary force of artillery n
meet the demands of this service.
The entire army has now been eouippe.l
with the rev magazine arms. and wise pol
| icy demands that all available puhIic and
private resources should Ice so employed a.
| tc provide within a rcasoIa bic time a sniff
cent number to supply the state militia
with these modern weapons and provide
an ample reserve for any emergency
1he organized militia numbers H.
| men, The appropriation for its suppor,
10y the several states approximate $.SWDphl
annually, and $4oa.W0 is contributed by th.
general government. Investigation show
these troops to be usually well drilled and
nspred with mach military interest bat
IN many instances they are so deficient in
proper arms and equipment that sudden
call to active duty would find them inad
equat"ly prepared for field service ] there
for recommend that prompt measures be
taken 10 remedy this condition. and tn.
every encouragement be gwen to this de-
serving body of unpaid and voluntary citf-
zen soldiers. Gpcn whose assistance We
| must largely rely in time of trouble
ScncOast Defenses.
During the past year RAPID progress hasf
been made toward the comnlet ton of tie
scheme adopted for the erection and arma-
| nent Of for;ifications along our scaCoast.
whli" equal progress has been made in pre-
vi"ing the material for submarine defense
liz connection with these works
| 1t IS peculiarly gratifying al this time 70
| note the great advance that has been rladc
| III this important undertaking since the
| date of my annual message to the Fifty
| tf:rd Congress at the opening of its second
| session IL December. 1S:l;. At tha: time |
! informed the Congress of the apprca ch;n;,
completion of nine twelve-inch. twenty ten
| irch ard thirty-four eignt-inch hign-powcr
! steel guns and seventy-five twelve-incll
| rifled mortars This total then seemed i:i-
| significant when compared with the great
|
| none the less a source of satisfaction 10
| every citizen when he reflected that II rep
| resented the first installment of the new
| ordnance of American design and American
l. manufacture. and demonstrate ted our abil; v
| to supply from our own resources guns II
| Enexcclled power and accuracy. At tina;
| date. however. there were practically nc
| carriages upon which to mount these guns
and only thirty-one enpla cements for guns
| ard sixty-four for mortars
| Nor were all these emplacements in con
| Gition to receive their armament. Only ono
hieh-power gIn 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-cne twelve-inch, fifty-siS
tcn-inch, sixty-one eight-inch high-powel
breechoading steel guns. ten rapid-iirt
guns and eighty twelve-inch rified mortars
| In addition there are in process OF con
| struction one SiXteen-inch type gun, fifty
tweive-ilch, fifty-six ten-inch, twen:y-sevel
| eight-inch high-power guns and siXty-siN
tuelvc-inch rified 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 We're in process of con
| structon. All but one were of the non
| disappearing type. These. however were
| not such as to secure necessary cover foI
| the artillery gunners against the intense
| fire of modern machine rapid-fire and high
power guns.
The inventive genius of ordnance and
| civilian experts has been taxed in design
| ing carriages that would obyiate this fault
| resulting, it is believed, in the solution o
| this difficult problem. Sipce 1888 the nun
! Der of gun carriages constructed or build
| ing has been raised to total of ln9, o.
| which 80 are on the disappearing principle
! ard the number of mortar carriages to 1:tl
| while the % emplacements which were pro
| vided fol prior to that time have been in
| creased to $50 built ami building.
| This improved situation is largely due t.
| the recent generous response of Congress:
| to the recommendations of the War De
| partment.
| Thus We shall soon have complete abou
| one-fifth OF the comprehensive system the
| first step in which was noted in my mes
| sage to the Congress CT December 1, 1893
When IT is understood that Il masonry
| emplacement not only furnishes a platform
| for the heavy modern high-power gun, bu
| also in every particular serves the purpose
| and takes the place Of the fort of former
| days, the importance Of the work accom-