The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-05-14
now TO DEFEND TEE PORTS.
Objections TO Doing n Very Litsis Wort ~
n Great Many DiRerent Points.

~" AOhnk ~ " ~ ~
n Great Many DiRereut Points.
WASHINGTON, May 13.-The amendments Of.
fered to the Fortlncations bill In the Senate may
not prove as numerous ms those that we're made
to the Navy bill, yet they are important.
The chief effort at change seems to be that of
Senator Squire 10 graft hts own Notifications
bill upon the one framed by the House. This
latter makes specific appropriations rs usual
for sites, emplaccments. ordnance, ammunition,
and 80 on. The original bill of Mr.. Squire mere
ly offered n lump sum of $S7, 100000, to
be divided into annual installments. extending
through a given number Of years. 1t was finally
amended to making an appropriation OF sl0.-
900. 900 for the first year with like sums appli-
cable In subsequent years.
The House bill, as actually passed, has some
advantages over that plan. II makes available
Sll,3S5,0l3. taking together tho actual sums
and those for which contracts can be made.
which will be equally useful to those who have
charge of the problem OF coast defence. In tho
next place, 1t appropriates specific amounts for
specific purposes. and Is unusually liberal In the
matter OF emplacements and carriages. which
are the parts OF coast defence most lacking.
Mr.. Squire. however, seems TO be bent on So
curing the principle of continuous contracts for
const defence. Hence he now proposes, as an
amendment to the House bill. that the Secre-
tary may enter Into contracts for materials and
labor to an amount not exceeding in the aggre-
gate 10000 900 per annum, for seven years,
commencing July i. 1897. lie also would in
crease the appropriation for the purchase Of
sites from S250.O00 to $500, 900. This last
amendment seems to be wise. and certainly is
liberal. 1t might take away some excuses for
further delays in providing emplacements. based
on the ground that the sites for them had not
been procured, because there had not been
money enough AVAILABLE for that purchase. But
as to the other amendment there is doubt.
1t must be acknOwledg ed that the principle of
continuous contracts is n sound one and often
results in economies. Besides, ex perience shows
that it Is best, In so important a matter as coast
defence, to commit the country to a definite sys-
TEN of annual Expenditures. II Mr.. Squire's
amendment prevails. we can count on larger
annual appropriations than perhaps otherwise
would be made. The contracts having been au-
thorized, 1t would become a necessity to furnish
appropriations for the money due under them.
But one drawback is that which has all along
been evident In Mr.. Squire's plan. namely. that
1t furnishes a lump sum. and not specific
amounts for specified parts OF the work. The
ed system under which the actual mounting Of
guns. so as to make them available. has dragged
guns. might still be continued.
IL would seem best. therefore, IL Mr.. Squirrels
amendment should be added to the bill at all,
thh' ~ " bV w u pTONlblOl
for Il " Board of central CONTROL such us Secre-
tary Lamont has urgently called for. in order to
put ii stop to the unharmonious working OF the
present system. 1t is true that. in rivers and
harbors, where the continuous contract system
there the work is under the Engineer Corps
only, thus giving unity of plan, whereas in for
tiiications. a. Mr.. Lamont points out, we have
two. different departments and IA third body
working INDEPENDENTLY on The same problem.
1t may be added that Mr.. .Squire's amend
ment allow, the Secretary OF War to decide
each year what portion of the proposed annual
sums shall be expended by the Engineers and
Ordnance Department, respectively, and this
plan might serve to obviatn the evils OF which
the secretary complains. because he could APP
troll. But Whether some future secretary might
not be less urgent about this matter. and suffer
the fortiiieations YORK TO- go on in the present
is to be considered. If the Secretary continues
to favor a new Board of central control. it would
and the purpose of SO doing might well be ex-
pressed in the law in the Secretary's emphatic
OF plans. without any harmonizing
or central supervision" as now. In any case a
from which it, can judge whether 1t should
make larger or less appropriations, according as
one or another, part of the work was getting
Another provision of Mr.. Squire's amendment
Is that the money shall be apportioned among
the ports recommended by the Endicott Board,
supplemented by such others. including Puget
Sound, as the Chief OF Engineers shall approve.
Then it is further provided that the work
shall be. as near as may be. commenced at the
same time AT each of the said ports, and shall
tions will admit OF, excepting at the lake ports.
where tortifcntions shall not be begun until. in
the Judgment of the President, work there shnll
be necessary and g xpedient."
This, which appears to be one OF the principal
OF the whole amendment, is by far its
most Objectionable feature. Instead OF begin
ming work ut as many places as possible, and
consequently making only small gains at each
is to fortity as rapidly ns possible the few points
which it would he worth the while Of a great
are those OF New York and Boston on
The Atlantic coast and san Francisco on the
Pacific, Then there are ports that might tempt
near our coast, such as Key West or Puget
sound. But IT must be remembered that some
Board are partly protected from the heavi-
est foreign ire, cinds by the deep drnuRht
Of the latter, while some of these or others
rould also be fairly well protected by torpedo
levices, covered by existing guns, ON the other
be defended Mt nil without completely new
work. and powerful guns. The Endicott Board
;%cncy,;" and lest tia, should not be enough. It
should first be attended to.
Thus II Is clear that Mr.. SQuire's amendment.
al the ports. and then the beginning OF work on
hem simultaneously, as nearly as may be. is in
licott Board, and with what military considcrn-
ions would naturally suggest. This Board ar
,ueu at lehEth upon THIS subject. indicating In
rider the objects which an encmy's fleet would
in view In selecting its points OF attack,
md not even arranging its list of ports accord
NC to commercial value only. For example, 1t
that "Ba'timOre. Savannah. VIII
ninGton, and others belong to the class where.
n an emergency, distractions might be impro-
'ised." And, in short, the proposal of Mr.. Squire
o apply the rule, ms In river and harbor bills. of
sharing OF local outlnys on geographical prin-
ip!es seems wholly out of place. This %restric-
ion should he stricken out Of the amendment
n any case.
If any directions at all are to be given, they
honld rather be that the ports most urgently
eQuiring defense shall. as far as possible, re-
Give the first attention, and that. above all, the
number of guns available shall be
at some desirable point in the briefest
time.