Omaha daily bee., 1896-11-21
REPORTS OF THE GENERALS
Condition of the Army as Reported by the
Several Commanders.
RIDING HALLS AND GYNNASIUMS NEEDED
Soldiers Require Additional Facilities
for Athletic Exercise and Train
ing During the VIM
ter Months.

WASHINGTON, Nov 20.-The reports Of
| the officers commanding the several depart
ments OF the army were made public today
| The report Of Major General Ruger, COM
mandlng the Department OF the East head
quarters at Governors island, New York
! states the condition OF the troops and offers
some general suggestions. He says: 1T Is
especially desirable that opportunity should
be afforded state artillery organizations for
| practical instruction with the seacoast de-
| fcnstye armaments. But few of the states
for evident reason, have organizations OF
| heavy artillery. 1t would, | think be ad-
visable that action be had to induce In each
| state in which there are seacoast defensive
works the designation of a regiment or CT
certain companies OF the state troops as
| heavy artillery without abandonment neces-
sarily of their instructions in general as in
| fantry." General Ruger urges an Increase
| of the artillery arm of the service as fol-
| lows: at seems almost superhuous to al
| ude in this report to the necessity Tor an
increase in the artillery force, so fully mas
the case been presented in reports hereto
fore submitted by the War department The
present force is inadequate as a reliable
basis in the event of war with maritime
power. The most pressing need, think, in
respect to the perSOnnel OF the army is an
increase Of the military force"
The report of Major General Merritt com
'nander OF the Department of the Missouri
with headquarters at Chicago, says that the
year has been singularly free from military
operations and the frontiers have enjoyed
peace and quiet. In the meantime the troops
have been engaged IN perfecting themselves
in drill tactics and gymnastics and in all
! these particulars during the last year they
have made important progress. General
Merritt adds:
al earnestly recommend that at each
post where cavalry is likely to be stationed
riding hall be constructed on the general
plan of those at Forts Riley and Leaven-
worth. They are not expensive and the
benefits which results from their use in
winter and at other times to men and
officers morally physically and profes So2ally
Is so great that cost of construction should
not be considered.
I'm this connection, I especially call at
tention to the necessity for drill halls at all
permanent infantry posts. At many posts
during the winter, notably Forts Bradley
and Wayne in Michigan the winters are
long and inclement and outdoor drills are
impossible. At such posts drill halls are
imperative necessities, and they should be
built at once being for the good of the
service"
The report commends Captain Scott, in
charge OF the Apache Indians seventeen
prisoners and says of them: IL take it that
these Indians during the next year will be
turned over to the charge CT the Indian
department. II such is the case ample
notice should be given that everything may
be prepared for the change"
General John r.. Brooke, commanding the
Department of the Dakotas, General Frank
Wheaton. commanding the Department o.
the Colorado General Elwell s. Otis, com
mandng the Department of the Columbia
General James w. Forsythe, commanding
hn If Califnrnia
D. r. Bliss, commanding the Department OF
Texas have also made their annual reports
to the secretary OF war. The reports review
| in detail the work of the troops under their
respective commands, the condition Of the
stations and contain recommendations for
| the future.
| General Wheaton in his report devotes con
| siderable space to the suppression of the
Yaqui Indians or Santa Teresa fanatics
who attacked Mexican Nogales in Angus;
last and to the raids OF the renegade
Apaches. The labor performed in the effort
to rid Arizona of these pestferous rene
gados he says. can be appreciated when he
states that in a single year his troops In
Arizona and New Mexico marched 42,457
miles on this duty. General Wheaton re-
ports that the fort at Stanton, n. NJ. has
been abandoned He recommends some
needed minor improvements at Fort Bayard
n. NJ. and for Fort Douglas, Utah, and the
building of the posts at Fort Grant, Ariz,,
and Whipple Barracks, AriZ. He also urges
that the attention of congress be called to
the disparity between the pay OF adjutan;
generals clerks compared with the pay OF
clerks In the supply department.
General Otis calls attention TO the increase
of deserions in his department, which he
attributes to mine discoveries in the ter
ritory under his command rather than any
spirit OF Generalization. Speaking of tho
magazine rife, he says 1t has displayed
great strength and durability and appears tc
need only strengthening in some of lis minor
parts (maglzine cutoff and cooking ap-
pliances) to complete its effectiveness. He
recommends the concentration of Forts
Sherman and Spokane at Spokane, the es-
tablishment of artillery post on Puget
sound. and the retention and enlargement
of Boise barracks. He reports that the
work of Kidding the reservation of squatters
Is progressing satisfactorily. With regard
to the suggestion of troops for the Yukon
in Alaska where the Dominion of Canad'
now maintains mounted police clothed with
certain well defined criminal jurisdiction, he
says our troops could not exercise this lat
ter restraining influence, but he does not
understand or believe that an armed force
is essential for the safety and prosperity
of tho Inhabitants.
General John r. Brooke urgently recon-
mends the immediate necessity OF riding
halls at Fort Asslnaboine and Fort Yellow
stone, and also urges that at Forts Missoula
Harrison. Assinaboine. Yellowstone and
Smelling suitable buildings be erected for
gymnastic and athletic exercises