Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-11-12
MILES TALKS PROTECTION
The Army Commander Wants
High Power Guns.
DESIRES TO USE BICYCLES
And Commends the Discipline and Personnel
-. of the Army
LESSNESS AMONG HOSTILE INDIANS
? Being Gradually Suppressed and Many
Are Making Progress Toward Civilization
30 One Soldier to 1000 Inhabitants Is
the Generals Recommendation.

r. Washington, Nov. lin transmitting
to the secretary of war the annual re-
ports or the department commanders, in
connection with his own report, upon the
military operations of the past year, Gen.
| Nelson A. Miles, commanding the army.
says:
Fortunately, during the year the army
was called on only to a limited extent
to act either against hostile Indians or
against bodies of men who are engaged
in violating the United States laws or in
ternational treaty obligations. The troops
of the Mexican republic, as we'll as our
own, have been engaged in suppressing
such acts of lawlessnes as have In a
small degree interfered with the peace
of the communities on both sides of the
border, and arrangements have been
| made through the government of Mexico
| to secure cooperation of the forces of
| that republic and our own to this end.
He commends the discipline and person
mel of the army. During the past year
the country has fortunately been free
from any outbreak of Indians The diff
ferent tribes have shown themselves well
disposed and are making some progress
toward civilization.
A view of the various changes In the
strength of the army shows that a third
of century ago, when the populate
of the country was only half what 1t Is
today and the value of property much
less the army numbered twice as many
men as it does today, and has remained
stagnant and crystalized for twenty
years.
Gen. Miles recommends that the enlist
ed strength of the army be fixed at one
soldier for 1000 of population as a mini
mum, the maximum not to exceed one SOL
dier for every 1000 of population, "the
strength to be determined by the Presv
ident of the United States, according to
the necessities and requirements of the
nation"
He renews his previous recommends
tion that at least two stations west of
the Rocky mountains and one east be
established for the accommodation of
one regiment Of cavalry each also, the
recommendations concerning the use OF
| bicycles and motor wagons, and the pro-
motion of enlisted men who shall be
| found competent, after thorough exam
ination, to the grade of second lieuten-
ant after five years of service. A con-
sideration of the Importance of coast de-
fences comprises the greater part of Gen.
Miles report and Is the subject of his
most important suggestions. He renews
the recommendations made in his re-
port for last year, and adds:
Liberal appropriations should be made
for the manufacture of high power guns
and mortars, the construction of en-
placements, platform and fortifications
for the same, and the construction OF
barracks and quarters for the action OF
the artillery garrisons that are to COM
mand them, and ! urge that a sufficient
appropriation be made available for the
work of ordnance engineer and quarter
master departments during the coming
year, as follows:
AT Portland Me-, $1,134 .sbo; at Ports
mouth, N. H., $685., 1926; al Boston $1,07S,-
$780, at Narragansett Pier, r. l., 6l2,825;
at Long Island Sound, eastern entrance,
fsYRa .tPnY aaxa
$913, 600; at New York, southern entrance,
81, ,299, 800; at Philadelphia, 1928 025; at
Baltimore, $671, ,450; at Washington, ID. c.,
$577 925; at Hampton Roads, Va, $6l9,325;
at Wilmington, N. c.. $125,525 at Charles
ton, s. c.. $3.50, ,925; at Savannah, $393,925;
at Key West, Fla, $32 400 a. Pensacola,
Fla, $3.50, 400; at Mobile, Ala, $150,400; at
New Orleans. $489, 400; at Galveston, Tex,
$157, 1926; at San Diego Cal, $6O0,925; at
San Francisco, 1902 $50; at mouth OF the
| Columbia river, oregon, $50b,325; at Puget
| Sound, $764.05
faThe above sums" Gen. Miles says,
"are imperatively required for the pres
ent year. The amounts for the con-
ciuded in them will be all that will be
required for these localities for many
years, and probably complete the work
needed for that department
AN unwise argument, Zlfinues the
general, has been made against the
construction ofsmodern high power guns,
nlartars, and the modern appliances OF
war, that 1t Is a danger and menace to
the laboring classes and in some In
stances marked protests have been made
against such a national policy. The ar
gument seems scarcely worthy of con-
siderat ton; yet 1t is deemed proper to call
attention to the fact that these national
safeguards are In no sense menace to
any class of citizens, not even the hum
blest individual; but on the other hand
they are protection to the life, property
and welfare of all classes from the high
est to the lowest. They protect not only
the commercial ports with their accumu-
lation of public buildings and private
dwellings, the commerce. the ship yard,
the factory, the foundry, the work shop,
but also the savings bank and the cot
tage. In fact. the destruction of our
great commercial and manufacturing
cities would be a national disaster far
more serious and appalling to the great
masses of the laboring population than It
would be to any one class OF our people.
MORE CUBAN AID.