Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1896-12-03
WAR DEPARTMENT.
The Annual Report OF the Score.
tary, Daniel 3 Gcmopt
The Showing with Reference TO Increase
OF Modern Methods of Defense Is Graft
ifying-Strength of the Army
some suggestions.


/ monts report Of tho operations OF the Wa
/ department for 1896 show total expenditures
| aggregating nearly S52.000.000. and an unex-
| pended balance of nearly 100000 turned
back into the treasury at the end OF the
| fiscal year. For the three years Of Secre-
/ tary Lamont's administration the surplus
| has amounted to more than $5.0000o0.
Modern Defenses strengthened.
The report shows that by July 1, 1877.
1 there Will be in position 20 high-power
| breech-loading guns, and Sc breech-loading
| mortars OF modern design. and by the fol-
/ lowing July. on completion Of work already
under way or provided for. rs guns and 153
nortars. A battery Of two or three Of these
! guns takes the place of the ancient fort.
| ind is more effective
The total amount appropriated for sea-
| coast defenses, including cost Of sites, for
.!acations and armament since the adop-
I ton Of the present scheme is S26.457,000. Of
which more than one-third was carried by
the act passed at the last session of con-
gress.
The estimates Of the department for the
| next fiscal year aggregate $l0.482, 268. With
this appropriate provision will have been
! made for l63 high-power gun emplacements.
10 rapid-fre gun emplacements, 300 12-
inch mortar emplacements, 25S high-power
steel guns, 81 rapid-nre guns, go 12-inch
mortars. $50 eight. ten and tweiye-inch gun
carriages and 290 Pinch mortar carriages.
Coast Defenses.
Secretary Lamont says his predecessors
in Office at the head of the war department
had. during many years. the difficult task
OF arousing the public mind to a realization
OF the national deficiencies in the matter of
coast defense. AS the interest which has
boon awakened has grown deeper. euc-
eessiye congresses have made more liberal
provision for the accomplishment OF the
adopfed scheme. Therefore. In s1Ibmittiug
the estimates for another year. he feels
that IL is no longer necessary TO repeat the
arguments that have been reiterated 90
many timea. While earnestly inviting at
tention to the great work that yet remains
to be done. Il is also his fortune to have
the more grateful duty OF exhibiting the
important results that have been actually
accomplished as well as the splendid prog
ress which is now being made toward early
completion of tbs work.
Work on Rivers and Harbors.
The total expenditures for river and har-
Dor improvements ordered by congress dur
ing the year ending June 30. 1896. including
those of the Mississippi and Missouri river
commissions. was 81. 039 600. Including the
amounts appropriated by the act OF June
3. 1896, there was available for expenditure
on river and harbors July /. Sc. 900. The
Mississippi river commission has decided
to discontinue the plan to improve the
river by bank protection and to adopt the
plan of dredging channels in shoal places
and maintaining with state and local CO.
operation. an effective levee system. With
this change of policy the minority believe
the function of the commission is ended.
and the work should be turned over TO the
secretary of war
Great Lake improvements.
Referring to the great lakes the report
says: THE new lock at the falls of the
st. Mary's river, though not fully COM
pieted was thrown open to commerce Au-
gust 3. 1896. is SEQ feet in length and 100 in
width, with depth of Il feet on the inter
sills and single lift approximating is feet,
is an essential link In the chain of improve
ments which are to give ship channel
with depth OF ~ feet connecting the waters
OF the great lakes between Chicago, Duluth
and Buffalo. This work. now nearly COM
leted. is one of great magnitude. and its i'm
portance TO the interests of navigation may
be judged by the fact that Its total cost
from its inception - completion. while
amounting to several millions, will be but
about five per cent. of the value of the
commerce passing through the Detroit
river during the season of 1895.
strength of the Army.
The army consists OF q. 426 officers and
men, or 2S4 below the legal maximum. The
effective field strength on October 81 was
Is, 1882.
Secretary Lamont renews his previous
recommendation that the infantry be re-
organized on the general idea of three light
and mobile battalions of four companies
each 10 the regiment instead of the cum
bersome ten-company formation adopted
a century ago, and abandoned by other ma
tons since the development of modern
magazine rifles, and he quotes Gems. Sher-
man, Sheridan and Lieut. Gen. Schofield in
support of the necessity of this reorganiza-
ton OF the infantry.
The Militia.
Investigation this year has shown serious
deficiencies In the arms and equipment OF
the state militia branch of the service
When the states furnish the armories and
defray all expenses Incidental to keeping
their forces in training, Secretary Lamont
suggests that the United States should
provide them with the implements which
they viii need In active service-arms and
field eQuipment-as the supply on hand Is
totally inadequate. The secretary recon-
mends that the Springfield rifle. caliber IS.
be issued to state troops; that the states
be allowed TO return to the war department
| obsolete arms and equipments to be sold
and the proceeds credited 10 the states and
that the states be allowed 10 purchase from
the department supplies at regulation
| prices.
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