Cottonwood report. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1893-1901, 1896-12-04
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TALK ON WAR MATTERS
SECRETARY LAMONTS REPORT ON
NATIONAL DEFENSE.
of Guns In Place for Atlantic
and Pacific Ports.


port, which was made public today, Sec
rotary Lamont renews his previous rec
ommendation that the infantry be reor-
ganized on the general idea of three light
and mobile battalions of four companies
each to the regiment, instead of the cum
bersome 10 company formation adopted
q century ago and abandoned by other
nations since the development of modern
magazine rifles, and he quotes General
Sherman, Sheridan and Lieutenant Gener-
al Schofleld in support of the necessity
Of this reorganization of the infantry.
The completion already of some coast de-
lenses and the approaching completion
of other modern batteries render neces-
sary larger force of artilleryists. but
no increase of the army Is asked for
The plan Of sea coast defenses involves
a hundred distinct batteries in over 20
harbors.
Investigation this year has shown de-
ficiency In the arms and equipments of
the state militia. Now that the states
furnish the armories and defray expense
incidental to keeping their forces In
training, Secretary Lamont suggests that
the United States should provide them
with the implements which they will need
In active service. arms and supplies for
prolonged field operations.
The secretary recommends that the
Springfield rifle, calibre As, be issued to
state troops; that the states he allowed to
return to the war department obsolete
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 regular prices
The report shows that whereas, on tie
LIST of July, 1893, in our modern defense
but one high power gun was mounted
by the LIST of July next we will have IN
position 70 high power, breechloading guns
and 95 breechloading mortars of modern
design, and by the following July, On
completion Of the work already under
way. or provided for, lbs guns and 15S
mortars. A battery of two or three guns
takes the place of a former pretentious
fort and ds vastly more effective. The
defensive system now under consideration
Is distributed among the ports of Port
land, Me-, Portsmouth, N. H., Boston
Narragansett bay, eastern entrance tc
Long Island eastern ana southern en-
frances to New York. Philadelphia, Balti
more. Washington, Hampton Roads, VIII
mingtou, Charleston, Savannah. Key
West, Pensacola, New Orleans, Galveston
San Diego, San Francisco, the mouth q
the Columbia river and Puget sound. AL
of the emplacements have been located
with view to carrying out the proJec
of the Endicott board or Notifications
organized under act of congress, Marcel
), 1896, as revised by the permanent boar
of engineers.
The secretary says that the depart
ment in making these allotments wa
guided by a desire to protect as man!
OF the seaports as practicable agains
marauding attacks of isolated cruisers
as well as to provide a more efficient de
Tense for the important places and als
to utilize to the best advantage the gun
for which carriages could be most speed
Ny furnished.
The total number of emplacements pro
vided for to date Is 1928 for guns and 15
for mortars, of which 90 were for gun
and 70 for mortars appropriated for at tn
last session of congress.
The armament of troops with the neN
magazine arms was completed in Ma
and the armory Is turning out 125 rifles O
carbines per day under the appropriate
made last year.
The $40 Apache prisoners Of Geronimo
band have, the secretary says. led quie
pastoral life and have reached a self-sur
porting condition. He recommends 'ha
in time the title to the 5000 acres the
occupy be acquired by the government
and that they then be placed under con
troll of the Indian bureau.
The report shows total expenditures fo
the war department for 1896 aggregatin
$51, $685. 9S. Among them Is an item c
$1,346,s50 for salaries and contingencies /
the war office at Washington. This, tn
secretary says, shows saving of $3.50, Il
from the expenditure under the sam
head for the year 1892. The aggregate G
appropriations for the department uneS
pended and turneu back into the geners
fund Of the treasury at the end of tn
last fiscal year was $1.s75.033. For til
year 1895 It was 81. 7s4.467, and for 1894
was $.s97,922. an aggregate for shire
years of more than 5000, 900.