The age-herald., 1897-11-23
NOT LARGE ENOUGH
 UNCLE SAM'S ARMY Secretary Algef COinCideS Hith Gen. Niles
 in His Annual Report AND MORE MONEY NEEDED For Coast Defense and Qualifications as Recommended by the Board. A STARTLING ARRAY OF FIGURES Used by the Secretary in Reviewing the Appli- cants For Pensions Nearly One ul-
 .dred and Fifty Thousand Ap-
 picatons Received.
AND MORE MONEY NEEDED
A STARTLING ARRAY OF FIGURES

The annual report of Secretary of War Russell A. Alger is out and consists of reports from the commanding gensrals and heads of bureaus, with blisf eom- ments from the secretary himsslf
 The first report to be noted is tliat of Gen. Nelson A. Miles of ths army In submitting his report General Milss also submits those of the several depart the history of the military fecces of the several departments, movements cf troops, changes, schools of practice, field operations, etc.
 THE ARMY.
 In reference to the army General Milss says: The army, although inadequate in point of numbers. was never in a higher state of efficiency, both as to the character and qualifications eff it's offers and intelligence and loyalty of i!s sol diers. In the report of NIajor-General Merritt will be noticed the important changes and improvements that have besn made along fhe Atlantic and Gulf coasts, especially in the mounting of modern artillery and the appliances adopted fer the dsfsnse of the coasts. In this report Ma jor-G General Merritt calls especial attention to the report of Colonel Rodgers, inspector of artillery of the department also to the report or the chief ordnance officer of the department; and in their recommendations concern ing the increased efficiency of the artil- lery service and especially that the ar tillery soldiers who qualify as gunnsfs and gunnfry specialists shall receive proper compensation. I fully concur.
 also concur in the reoommendat tions of Major General Brooke concerning the necessity for gymnasiums and drill halls required especially along lines of nei.'th- ern military posts to enable the com mands to be properly Instructed and ex- ercised during indictment wsathsr or dur ing the win.er season; also m his rec ommendation concerning gensral-ssrvice clerks.
 ALASKA.
 Continuing Gen. Miles Says: Alaska Is in extent eleven times the arsa of the state of New York. The recent d,scov- cry of rich gold fields, together with valuable silver and copper mines, the timber and fishery interests of that ter ritory, are attracting and will attract very large population to that region, necesstating more stable civil gov ernment, and also the occupation of im- portant points by military and naval forces. As all the other territories have been occupied by military posts, and ap- propriat,ons have been made for miEta- ry roads, esta blshment of military lines, bridging of rivers, and in fact aiding and blocking out the way for occupation of the vast territories by citizens, it is deemed but just and advisable that the same liberal spirit should be manifested toward that great and important terri tory.
 THE INDIANS
 The condition of the Indians is better today than it has been for many years, and during the last year there has been no serious disturbance of the peace. The Indians are making rapid progress to- ward permanent settlement and semi civilization.
 COAST EFENsE.
 Gen. Miles rsfers to the coast defense appropriation, amounting to $26,O 900, which, he says, is about third the amount required. He recommends the following appropriations:
 For the mouth of Penobscot river, $175,000; mouth of the Kennebec river, Maine, $19S. .5OO; Portland. Me-. s1.173. .000: Portsmouth, N. H., s377, 7,O00; Boston har- bor. s1347 000; New Bedford, Mass. $204.- GOO: Narragansett bay, $s33.000; defenses of Long Island Sound, s1. .070, GOO; eastern entrance, New York, s1,419,000; approach es to Philadelphia, s441 ,OO0; approaches to Baltimore, $499,000; approaches to Washington, D. C., S604, ,000; Hampton Roads, s463,OO0; approaches to Whining ton, N. C., $397,O00; Charlss sston Harbor. s. C., $150,000; approaches to Savannah, Ga, $415,000; Key West Fla, $50, 900; Pen sacola harbor, s32,OO0; approaches to Mobile, Ala. sS91, ,O00; approaches to New Orleans, $319,900; Galveston, Tex, $412,- 900; San Diego, Cal, $725, 900; San Fran cisco, Cal. s1,SS6,O00; Columbia river, $605,000; Puget Sound, $1,140000; Lake Champlain, $4S,0O0.
 In summarizing Gen. Miles r:port the secretary says: It is earnestly urged that two additional regiments of artil- lery be favorably considered. He also recommends an efficient force in Alaska,