The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1896-11-19
GEN. NILES ANNUAL REPORT
COMMANDER OF THE ARMY
MAKES HIS REPORT TO THE
SECRETARY OF WAR.
RECOMMENDS INCREASE OF ARMY
He Would Place the Minimum at One
Soldier to Every 1000 Population.
Rcncws Recommendation for
Better Coast Defense.

Washington, Nov. lin his annual
report to the secretary of war, Maj. Gen.
Miles, commanding the army, says that
fortunately during the year the army
has been called upon only to II limited
extent to either act against hostile In
dams or against bodies of men engaged
in violating the laws of the United States
or international treaty obligations.
Gen. Miles recommends liberal appIo-
priation for replacing the present de-
creasing and antiquatcd post buildings
Occupied by the army, and especially
those on what was formerly the Indian
frontier with new and sanitary struc-
lures.
Gen. Miles believes that the freedom
of the country of late from Indian out
breaks is to be ascribcd to the fact that
the Indians now receive better treatment
from the government; that they are more
impressed with the powers of the army
to punish them. He recommends that
the same policy as to Indians be contin-
ued
Gen. Miles again dcvotes a large por
ton of his speech to the consideration of
questions of coast defense and renews
forcibly all of the recommendations on
that subject made in his former reports,
The report states that the change in war
like appliances makes it necessary to
place higher power guns at much greater
distances than formerly from the centcrs
of wealth, and it is recommended that
liberal appropriations be made by the
coming session of congress for the man
ufacture of guns, cmplacemcnts, quar-
ters and barracks. The estimate that
Gen. Miles says are impractically re-
quircd to be allotted for the next year for
the work of the ordnance. engineers and
Quartermaster departments at different
cast points include the following:
Mobile, Ala, $1,500,000; New Orleans,
S4S9,4O Galveston, S151 ,O92; San
Diego, Cal, $6O25; San Francisco, 500
80; mouth of Columbia river, $685.
Puget sound $7G4,O50,
Gen. Miles says: An unwise argument
has been made against the construction
of modern appliances of war on the the
DRY that it is a danger and Il menace to
the laboring classes. In some cases
marked protests have been made against
such national policy. The arguments
seem scarcely worthy of consideration;
yet it is deemed proper to call attention
to the fact that these national safe
guards are in no sense n menace to any
class of citizens, not even to the humblest
individual, but on the other hand, they
are a protection to the life and property
Of all classes, from the highest to the
lowest. They protect not only the COM
nin1 n
of public buildings and private dwellings,
commerce and ship yards, but the fac
tory, foundry, workshop, and also the
savings bank and the cottages. 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 Ia
boring people than it would be to any
other class of our people.
Gen. Miles rcnews his former recon-
mcndations for an increase of the army
on the grounds that it has not kept pace
with the increased wealth of public and
private interests, and he suggests that
the force of the army be fixed at one
soldier to every 20OO population as the
minimum. the maximum not to exceed
one soldier for every 1000 population,
the strength to be determined within
these limits by the president according
to the necessities and requirements of
the nation. He points out the import
ancc of having at least two stations east
of the Rocky mountains and one west
suitable for the accommodation of one
regiment of cavalry, and renews the
recommendations made last year CON
corning the use of bicycles and motor
wagons and the promotion of compe-
tent enlisted men to the grade of see
ond lieutenants after five years service