The San Francisco call., 1896-02-26
Estimates of the Appropriations
Needed for DefenseS Are
Submitted.
ABOUT ONE HUNDRED MILLIONS
With the Expenditure of That Sum
Suitable ortifcations Could
Be Erected.

sor Squire, chairman of the Senate Com
mittee on Fortitications, to-day submitted
the report of that committee on the bill
before it to the Senate. The questions in
volved have been under discussion for
several weeks and many of the chief off,
GERS of the army and navy have been be-
fore the committee to urge the passage of
some adequate measure looking to the
thorough fortihcation of our seacoast.
1t is set forth that in the cities clustering
about New York there is property valued
at four billions of dollars within reach of
the guns of hostile feet lying in the
upper bay of New ork. Not one-tenth of
the necessary defenses for that port have
been completed, although its harbor is
better protected than any other in the
United States.
The aggregate value of destructible prop
erty exposed ae the twenty-seven princi-
pal seaports of the country, not including
those of the great lakes, is found to
amount to ten billions of dollars.
The contrast between the cost Of prepara-
ton and the cost of war itself is one of the
principal considerations urged by the COM
mittee.
1t is an anomalous state of affairs that
this great Nation, encircled by chain of
foreign fortresses near its shores, is with
out the means of resisting an attack from
any one OF them. Although appreciating
the strength of the navy, the committee
says it would be unsafe to rely exclusively
upon that arrangement for means of de-
fense.
The very existence of the navy would be
inn, lad 1F
great power without the support which
would be afforded it by land defenses.
1t was clearly shown by distinguished
admiral that the expenditure for coast de-
lenses, as compared with that for the navy,
should at present be in the ration of IL to
l, and that the ratio should be increased
in favor of coast defenses after the expendi-
ture OF $1oo,0o0,0o0 for both purposes.
The Endicott Board of 1886 estimated
the cost of a permanent system OF land
defenses at fraction less than ninety
eight millions, and since that day but little
more than ten and half millions have
been expended. The committee. having
thoroughly examined all the conditions,
the changes in the law requiring but eight
hours labor, etc., find that the amount de-
sirable for fortifcations and armament
will be more than originally calculated by
the Endicott Board for the whole work of
land defenses.
The total cost of Notifications, including
purchase OF sites, is estimated at SOL
100000; the cost of armament. including
guns, gun-carriages, mortars and carriages,
rapid-tire and machine-guns, at $43, 796, ,020
This does not include the Bethlehem con-
tract, already authorized by law, nor any
estimate of the cost of projectiles and other
items which may properly be provided for
in the annual appropriation bills.
The rapid-fire guns, costing $e,762, 900,
were not estimated in. the Endlcott pIan
The consolidated estimate of oil the
boards necessary to make the Notifications
thorough and complete is fixed at $1O5,-
,020 for permanent works and arma-
ment. To complete this undertaking will
require not less than a period of six years,
and for this reason Congress is urged to
begin the construction as speedily as
possible.
The scheme of distributing the appro-
priation from year to year during period
of about eleven years is approved, unless
an emergency should arise that may cause
the President to order the whole or any
part of the amount to be Immediately
available.
As a minimum sum, the chief of en-
gineers says that $50 600, 900 would provide
an efficient defense, but nothing less than
this would do.
Therefore the committee decided to re-
port In favor of an appropriation of $780,
900, ,O0o-$10 900, ,000 to be available. for the
remainder of the current and the whole of
the next fiscal year for each of the next
seven years. The committee also reports
in favor of $2.5Oo, 900 for torpedoes.
The committee recommends that author
|hty be given the chief of ordnance to con-
tract for forgings, carriages, rapid-fire
guns and projectiles to the amount of
ST. 10000 to be paid out of the appropria-
ton for the next fiscal year.
The chief of engineers says that after a
few weeks of preparation he can econom-
ically expend about one million month
on the engineering part of the work, but
that under stress lss-could advantageously
expend much larger sum for that pur-
pose.
Ii the appropriations recommended by
the committee are granted provision could
be made within eighteen months for 644
guns, OF which six would be 12-inch on
lifts, twelve Pinch on non-disappearing
carriages, ninety four 10-inch disappear
ing and nine 10-inch non disappearing.
| In conclusion, the committee urged the
vital Importance of Immediately com
mencing the work of defense on an ade-
| quate scale, of prosecuting it with vigor,
| and of providing for it by sufficient appro-
! priations of money in order to avoid great
and unnecessary risks to the safety and
welfare of the Nation.