Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1896-11-27
LARGER ARTILLERY FORCE
Secretary Lamont Wishes an Increase in
One Particular Only.
ANNUAL REPORT ON CONDITION OF ARMY
Over FIFTY Millions Expended Last
Year, hut Ten Millions is the Es-
timnte for the Year that
is to Come.

WASHINGTON, Nov. 26.-In his annual
report, which was made public today, Sec
rotary Lamont renews his previous recon-
mendation that the infantry be reorgan-
lied on the general idea of three light and
mobile battalons of four companies each
to the regiment, instead of the cumbersome
ten companies, a formation adopted a CEN
fury ago and abandoned by other nations
since the development of modern magazine
rifles; and he quotes Generals Sherman,
Sheridan and Lieutenant General Schofeld
in support of the necessity of the reorgan-
ization of the infantry. The completion al
ready of some coast defenses and the APP
preaching completion of other modern bat
teries render necessary a larger force of
artillerists, but no other increase of the army
is asked for. The plan of seacoast de-
Tense involves 100 distinct batteries in over
twenty harbors.
Investigation this year has shown serious
deficiencies in the arms and equipments of
the state militia. When the states furnish
the armories and defray all expenses in
cidental to keeping their forces in training,
Secretary Lamont suggests that the United
States should provide them with the imple-
lltulS WHICH Iney VIII neeu IN active SerV-
ice--arms and field equpments-as the sup
ply on hand is totally inadequate for serious
and prolonged field operations. The secre-
tary recommends that the Springfield rifle,
caliber 45, be issued to state troops obso-
lete arms and equipments to be sold and
the proceeds credited to the states, and that
the states be allowed to purchase from the
department supplies at regulation prices.
The report shows that, whereas, on the list
of July, 1893 of our modern defense but one
hlgh-power gun was mounted, by the list of
July next we will have in position seventy
high-power breech-loading guns and ninety
five breech-loading mortars of modern de-
sign, and by the following July on COM
pletion of work already under way or pro-
vided for 1913 guns and 1853 mortars. A bat
terry of two or three of these guns takes the
place of the former pretentious fort and is
vastly more effective The number of gun
carriages completed and building, all of
which will be finished within the next fiscal
year, is twenty twelve-inch sxty-nine ten
inch, eighteen eight-inch for guns and 1853
for mortars. By July, 1897, there should
be ready seventy gun carriages and 1913 NOR
tar carriages. The total number of guns
completed to date since the first appropria-
ton is sixty-one eight-inch, fifty-six ten
inch. twenty-one twelve-inch and eighty
nlortars. With the money already provided
there will be completed by June 30, 1897,
seventy-two eight-inch guns, eighty-seven
ten-inch guns. forty-seven twelve-inch guns
and lightweight twelve-inch mortars.
The estimates of the department for the
next fiscal year aggregate 0,4s2, 26S
The armament of troops with The new
magazine arms was completed in May, and
the armory is turning out 125 rifles or car
bines per day. under the appropriation made
last year. All the ammunition for small
arms now made is supplied with smokeless
powder of American manufacture and of sat
isfactory quality.
The secretary says the Mississippi river
commission has decided to discontinue the
plan to improve the river by bank protec-
ton, and to adept the plan of dredging
channels in shoal places and maintaining
with state and local cooperation an effect
i've evee system. With this change OF pol
Icy the minority believe the function of the
commission is ended and the work should be
turned over to the secretary of war.
The 80 Apache prisoners of Geronlmos
band have the secretary says, led a quiet.
pastoral life at Fort Sill, and have reached
a self-supporting condition. He recon-
mends that in time title to the 10000 acres
they occupy be acquired by the government
and that they then be placed under control
of the Indian bureau.
The report shows total expenditures for
tho war department for 1896, aggregating
SOL SOB 29S