The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-12-08

| tl1U. inc abdNnDufntul VI t.-'''
| posts. and conseuuent concentration OF
| troops. and the exercise or care ana
| visi lance 10y the various oncers cn"r-eu
| with the responsibility. IN the .Np,n , /,
| turc OF tho appropriations. nave I,sul'eu
ia reducing to minimum the cost or
| maintenance or our military ESTABLISH
mcnt-
| During the past year The Work OF con-
| structing permanent infantry ana cav
| airy posts has been continued az lhe
| places heretofore designated. ne SC
| rotary OF War repeats his recommends
| ton that approrriations for barracks
| and quartz r. should more stIl'l9 tvl-
| form TO the needs OF the service as JudB-
cd 10y the department. rather tnan re. re-
spOnd 10 the wishes and lmpoftuuluts
| OF localities n Is imperative that Much
OF the money provided fOr such consul uc-
ton should no be allotted 20 tne cree
ton Of noccssa ~ quart LOT ine IT
risOns assigned 10 the coast u,leut'5'
whore many men will Zoe needel 20 prop
crly care for and operate MOI tih Inns.
IL is essential. TOO. that pro ls.'il
made early to supply inc ht
force Of artillery 10 meet the d'i'"Hus
of this service.
The entire army has now been equipped
with the new maya Zire arms, anu Miac
policy demands that all aNallapie bupuc
and private resources SHOULD o. 80 eii-
UlONcd as 10 provide WltNlu Il res 'v.i w.
time "a sufficient number 10 supply ll'
State militia with the. inou'lN "'.lp'n9,
and provide au ample reserve lor any
emergency. ,,.,-o
The ORGANIZED militia numoers il-.s.s
men. The appropriate ms lot ~ 9u.'o'
By the several State approximate -
$4,000 annually and So .WO Is cc4i-pu-
ted by the General Gov 'inmeul. NJ
tiga-iOn shows these tro Dps 10 De u1uaiit
well drilled and inspired win hlu'n
military interest but BOZ many instances
they are so deficient in roper arms anu
equipment that "a sudden can 10 a''lf'
duty would find them in Adequately pre-
f.I sf..n
commend that prompt measures ne
taken t. remedy this condition, ana thdt
every encouragement Doe given 20 WIS
deserving body of unpaid ANA voluntary
citizen sOldiory. mon Wh Dse assistance
We must largely rely in TIME on Iounie.
During the past year fhplu bIv-.'aS
has been made toward t9e coADittion
of The scheme adopted i0I- tNc ti'ttioh
and armament of fOrtucauons aiehB
our sca-cOast, while equal progress mas
been made in providing the material ior
submarine defence IN CONNECTION WIN
these works.
Ii is peculiarly gratifying ar this time
70 note the great advance mat mas nsru
made IN this important undell '.,.i,,e
since the date of my annual met9aFe
10 the Fifty-third CONGRESS at the ouen-
ing Of It's second sos-iOn. In December,
1853 At that time j informed the Con-
press Of tho approaching completion OF
nine Pinch. twenty 1l-inch. and thirty
FOUR N-lnch hieh-pOwcr steel guns hud
sevouty-hvc Pinch rifed mortars
This total then seemed insignificant
when cOmuarod with che great WORK re-
mining 10 be done Vet il was none
the less source of satisfaction 10 every
citizen when ne rcliecfed that n repre-
scented the FIRST instalment or inc new
ordnance Of American design and Ameri-
can manufacture. and demonstrated our
ability 10 supply from our own resources
guns of uneXcclled power and accuracy.
Al that date. however. there were
practically no earrings upon which 10
mount these guns. and only thirty one
cmpidccments for guns. ana flNtN-lour
for mOrtars. Nor were an these cin-
placements I'm condition 10 receive their
armament. only One hieh-poWer gun
was at that time in position for the de-
fence Of the entire coast.
Since that time the number Of guns
actually completed has been increased 20
total of twenty-onc Finch. nfty-siN
10-inch. siXty-Onc s-iuch high-pOwer
hrccch-lOading steel Euns- ton rapid fire
guns. and eighty Pinch rihod mortars.
I'm addition there are iu process Of con-
structiOn one li-inch tyne gun. fifty T.
inch. tWcnty-soNeu s-i 1ch high-pOWcr
guns. and sixty-six Finch rncd NOR
tars- In an. i2N guns o nd mortars.
During the same year immediately
preceding the message referred TO. the
nrst modern gun-carriaec had been COM
pictcd. and eleven more were in process
of construction. All but one We're Of the
n0n-di-anpcaring type. ihose. however.
were not such as 90 secure necessary
cover for the arfIuerT gUnnnrs against
the intense fire Of modern machine
rapd-fre ana lgh-uowcr guns.
The inventive genius of ordnance and
civilian experts has been taxed in do
signing carriages that would OpNi -
this fault resulting. b. is believed BOB tho
solution of this difficult problem. Since
1893. the number OF cUl-clri1gos cone
struCtcd or building has been raised 20
q total of 100 of which ninety are ON
the dlsappcarinc principle. and The NUM-
Der of mortar carriages To l12. while tho
nnoty-fye cmDlacements which We're
provided for prior 90 tu0t L.c have
been increased 10 2,l huiit and building.
This improved situation is largely due
90 the recent generous response OF Com
crcss 10 the recommendations of the
War Dcnarimcnt
NEARLY ONE-FIRTH COMPLETE.
Thus. We shall soon have complete
about One-iflh Of The comprehensive
system. the first step in which was noted
I'm my message 10 the Congress OF De
ccmher q. 1885,.
When 30 is understood that masonry
cmDlaccment not only furnishes plat
form for the heavy modern high-pOWcr
gun. but also an every particular serves
the purpose and takes the place of
the fort OF for mcr days. the importance
of the WORK accomplished i5 better COM
pretended
In the hope that the work will De
prOsccutcu with no less vigOr in the
future. the Secretary OF War has SUBJ
mittod an estimate bv which, 10 allowed
there viii be provided and either built
or budding by the end OF the next fiscal
year sucn additional guns. mortars. gum
carriages. and cmpiaccments as Will
present not FAR from ouc-thlrd Of tie
total worN 20 be- done under .4e plan
adopted for our coast defences. thus af-
fOrdlns prospect that the entire work
VIII Dos substantially completed within
siX years. Tn less time than that. how
ever. we shall have attained marked
degree Of security.
The experience and results ~ the past
year demonstrate that with conunu-
alton Of present careful methods the
cost or the remaining work VIII Dee much
loss than the original estimate. We
should always keep in mind that Of all
for Dos OF military preparation coast de-
fence alone is essentially pacific in It's
nature. While 1t gives the sense of SEE
strcnstn. is neither the pur-
permanent fertilization TO involve us in
foreign complications, but rather 10
guarantee us against them They are
not temptation 10 war. but security
against it, Thus they aye thoroughly IN
tcr1rl with al the traditions OF our ma
DEPARTMENT O FJUsTICE.
Tho Attorney General presents "a detail
ed and intcreatine statement of the inn
portant work done under his supervision
during the last fiscal year.
The ownership and management by
the government Of ucniteutiarics for the
confinement Of those convicted In United
states courts OF Violations of Federal
laws. which Tor many years has been a
sub icct of executive Recommendation. has
az last TO slight extent been realized
hy the utilization of the abandoned mill
tary prison N Fort Leayenworth as a
United States peuitcntiary