The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-01-05

negligent in our inattention to the great
necessity that exists of training at least a
part OF our National Guard in this sea-
coast State in a knowledge OF coast defense?
In some OF the States this is being done,
notably in Connecticut, where the Govern
ment has erected batteries with ordnance
in position for the instruction of the State
troops, and where already fair measure
of success has been attained. The troops
OF Connecticut are not only instructed in
the handling OF ordnance and in the use
and care of artillery material, but also in
the use of instruments for sighting and
plating and vesseltracking and in target
practice, using solid shot and plaster
shells filled with light explosive charges.
The First Regiment of Massachusetts
Volunteer Militia has recently performed
its annual tour of duty at Fort Warren,
Boston narbor. Out of presumably 1000
men IN three battalions 1856 went into
camp at Fort Warren, the field and staff
living in the classmates, line officers and
the men under canvas. During the tour of
six days one battalion was daily assigned
to guard duty, another to infantry drill,
and the third to work at the guns.
The regular officers at the fort were con-
stituted a board to award prizes for excel
W
by the Governor of the State and one by the
field and staff Of the First Regiment. That
good results were obtained may be Judged
from the following report of the merit of
the companies al artillery target practice,
the mean absolute deviation from the tar
get being: 1915, K 10, As, L 56.05, A
56.07, | 62.75, G 1915, E 1905, B So %, NJ
$3.50, ID 1880, II 1875 yards. In others
OF the seacoast States facilities are afforded
the National Guard of acquiring a knowl-
edge OF coast defense that may some day
be OF lnestmable importance to such sea-
coast States. Here in California we are
doing nothing in this direction. Our State
has an extensive coast line, in many parts
Vulnerable and all as yet inadequately pro-
tected thou h the approved project for the
defense OF San Francisco harbor includes
eIGhty-two guns, ranging from six to
twelve inches in caiber, and IA twelve
inch mortars, besides submarine mines
operated from mining classmates. Now
when all these are in position who is going
to man them in case of WARP The artil-
ley OF the army?
1t has been stated by an eminent artiller-
ist that if all of the heavy artillery of the
army and the National Guard of the
United States were concentrated at New
York City there would still be necessary
5000 more men to properly man the de-
lenses OF New York harbor alone. No!
though the heavy artillery of the army
VIII doubtless be largely augmented, it is
upon the National Guard of the seacoast
States that the defense of their State and
country will devolve when the time comes
when we VIII, fortunately or unfortunately,
be engaged In war. 1t is, therefore, high
time that we in California were awaken
ing to realization OF the great RESPONSE
Dll1ty, That any tune may be ours, so that
when we are tried we may not be found
wanting. Let US therefore hasten to place
some OF our troops in a position to receive
this very necessary instruction.
Let US gather together some of the
young men of our guard-of our City
preferably mechanics, young men who
have an acquaintance with machinery,
with mathematics, young men whose
daily vocatlons cause them to be familiar
with the different forms of machines, and
the powers of steam and electricity. These
would make an ideal force, and force
that would be proud and willing to serve
their State in an arm of the service that
would bring into action the intelligence
that they possess in a marked degree, and
which Is so necessary to the efficient artil-
leryman.
1t may have been possible in the past, in
the DAY OF the now obsolete smooth
bore with its simple form of carriage, to
be able, within few days, to train State
troops so that they could man and serve
guns; Tor the day of the smoothbore was
also the day Of comparatively slow steam
communication, and there might have
been time to accomplish the formation of
a reserve, but it is different now.
immense strides have been made in ord
nance and the science of gunnery; princi-
pies are involved to-day that were not
thought Of few years ago. necessitating
that the personnel of the artillery shall be
superior in intelligence to what is required
OF any other branch of the service, with
possibly the exception of the engineers.
The present time of swift steam comm uni-
cation. the declaration of war being almost