New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-11-12
STRENGTHENING THE ARMY.

General Miles. In his annual report TO the Sec
rotary OF War. renews the recommendations for
a larger enlisted force and Increased coast de-
fences which have been regularly made by Army
officers for several years. The force under his
command he believes TO In In excellent condl-
ton and admirably disciplined. and so great
care is taken TO maintain Its efficiency that less
than Onesixtb of the applicants for enlistment
are accepted. But for all this the $4,000 men
now composing the Army are not sufficient prop
erly to man the scattered posts and protect Gov
eminent property.
One need not be dazZed by visions Of military
glory or desire to see his country undertake n
career OF conquest to recognize the proprcty Of
increasing the number Of our enlisted men. The
wealth and population Of the United States are
expanding rapidly. and the interests to be guard
ed grow cOrrespondngy. Moreover, the devel-
Opment Of the modern coast-defcnce system
calls for more men. 1t will rot be necessary to
man a new fort with war garrison, but II will
not do to build great guns and then leave them
in the custody OF a force inadequate to their
operation. To-day our Army Is no larger than
1t was In the days when our forts, mounted with
Old-fashioned cannon. which nobody ever ex-
pected to use and which were allowed to 90 to
decay as they were superseded In pattern, were
occupied mostly rs matter Of form. The new
defences cannot be guarded by sergeant with
a file OF men. They must have garrsOns fitting
the complexity Of their armament. General
Miles recommends that the enlisted strength DO
based on the population, ard that 1t be fixed ut
soldier for every 1000 people a minimum.
This would appear to be n conservative limit.
Under 1t our Army could be increased to about
$4,000, and that number Is represented ms neces
sary for the present purposes Of the Government
For work on coast offences General Miles calls
for the immediate expenditure In the coming
year OF about $13.0OO.O0O at twenty-five points,
in sums varying from $4,000 TO more than
$1,OOO,0OO. He wishes to spend S013. 600 OH the
Sound defences Of New-York Harbor and 81, 3d.
600 for guarding the southern entrance TO the
Bay. These sums are for ordnance quarters and
barracks II Is essential that work on these de-
fences should continue without Interruption
When the report was published recently of the
years work In the making OF big guns. II led TO
some comment on the slowness with which the
foundres turned out ordnance. II Is, indeed, a
slow process. and for that reason should be
pushed steadily forward. The days OF hasty
armament are passed. and II we are to have any
defences at all, we should go on to complete them
now Otherwise we may as well trust the good
nature OF the world absolutely. and dsband our
Army. instead Of maintaining 1t without pro-
viding proper equipment.
Any proposition TO increase the Army or
strengthen defences will presumably arouse the
demagogues who have been preaching to "the
masses" that they had to fear military despot-
ISM General Miles shows that all good citizens
have an equal interest In a stable Government,
able to protect them and their property against
external danger. As for those who cry out about
the danger Of Internal oppression, they are an
swered by the vote Of the workingmen Of this
country last week, that they preferred order to
Anarchy, and that they wanted order even II
It had to be maintained by Federal bayonets.
General Miles, who has had to endure abuse for
SURPRISING the Chicago riots. naturally has this