New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-11-07
ARMY AND NAVY NEWS.
Washington. November s

transfer Of the 9Th Infantry from Fort Thomas,
Kentucky. to Texas General Miles has already ar
ranged for the exchange OF the lst Infantry now
at the Preside Of San Francisco, to Fort Logan,
ing to the Preside. This will be effected al once:
been ordered The four troops Of the 10th Cavalry
and two companies Of the 18th Infantry now cor
K eogh. Ass,nboine and Harrison ali in Montana.
This does not weaken the department OF 1890 "a
extending along the northern boundary OF 'he
United States.
The defences Of Philadelphia at last COM
pleted A battery Of heavy artillery now at Wash
jrcton barracks will be detached from the defence
Of the National capital 10 man the works near the
mouth OF the Delaware II General Mies's recon-
renda;ions are carried out. similar removals o
artillery forces from interior points VIII pronPuS
follow The commanding general or me IFPHa at
mont OF the East has been directed 20 Senu d ,nrv
ia 70 furnish detachment az run % rnr5crr bot-
The srt,llcrv VIII then have charge OF mou'H Ia.
DfIowaTc and rims Point The fortihcaton work
is proceeding at Other points WIZ IN COON have
and tho Ouartermas ter's Department VIII soon nav
10 construct proper barracks and quertepS ~ he
rnm'rod 70 care for the new and costly guns The
serious question is how to get men enough LOT IN,
R ery. VII" '''' p w
Secretary Alger in his annual report VIII uiee
Congress TO authorize the increase OF the ar'iieiS
arm nv two additional regiments IN order that the
new coast defences which have cost s26""'o"' may
he adequately manned. With the present iHsui'
Gent forces many OF the new forthcauohs co","
not be effectively worked In case OF foreign asau
unless men were withdrawn from other batteries
,,ah,e n attack Nor is 1t possible properly 10 care
for the costly emplacements already completed
There not men enough available To-Day 10 rear"
how 10 handle the novel and complicated dEha
ment, and the country is practically without ski
full marksmen with the heavy long-range rlnes;
This may he recthed only by such COngresslond
1berality as will permit sufficient force to be EN-
lice Inadequate appropriations are a.so pi3neu
for unsatisfactory pr0gess on he bat wothrds
Of he existing dsd5 pSeG res 9T Re true Of its
chief ports and to prevent invasion has Xet 10 be
wealth of generations are ENDANGERED by any rod-
While the Navy may be temporarily concentrated
to protect NewYork City from assault 1t is pointed
tremendous National sacrifices be made The dan
ger to be averted which might arise from the re-
Monroe Doctrine and the. other foreign complica,
lions nov affecting cited m warnns asan u
Their inactivity.
At Sandy Hook next week the Ordnance Depart
ment Will conduct the final test of the Burlington
Crozier disappearing gun-carraGe for the Pinch
cept that Of rapidly. which will be tried now.
Progress reports on the huge 16-inch gun to
be mounted eventually on Romer Shoal, New-York
will De completed early next year. The expert
senaI
What gives every indication OF another abortive
attempt to settle the ceaseless conflict between the
line and staff of the Navy is the Board which
assembled this morning at the Navy Depart
meht. under the presidency of Assistant Secretary
Roosevelt. to whom the task has been cheerfuy
delegated by Secretary Long. TO suggest to Con-
gress some practical plan for satisfying the aspi-
ratons to actual rank of the Engineer Corps which
has been for years ir anomalous position on
every warship. The Board which IS to consider the
numerous delicate questions involved at first con-
sisted of members, Engineering Chief George
W. Melville. Chief of the Steam Engineering
Bureau: Captain Aren't S. Crowninshield Chief of
Navigation Captains William T. Sampson and
Robley D. Evans. acknowledgements Richard
Wainwright. Engineer Charles W. Roe. Passed
Assistant Engineer NJ. Mcfarland with Lieutenant
Albert L. Key as recorder Later Captain Alex
ander II. Mccormick. Commander Joseph n
Hemphill and Chief Engineer George II. Kearney
Were added and the announced scope of the in
Pay ac6 snG v IN EnEne fhe
well as the chapains. have deep interests without
representation The personnel Of the Board, ac-
in addition TO limiting staff representation TO the
engineers has seven line officers TO four engineers
heretofore exhibited line tendencies. 1t is how
eefs Gn s 9 that 6e b, hndred line o
ton at the rate OF one in hundred when the
in one hunde Both parties in he
are unanimous for the first time any subject
viii ve m Sen Mh a ns
OF the deep seriousness Of the fight and It's men
good can come from this sort Of discussion Of the
snH naTa h be to Cor o
correction.
The immediate and far-reaching effect OF the
Union Pacific sale the Army and Navy
scarcely realized when the negotiations were in
progress, but some idea Of Army interest in the
matter is shown by the Quartermaster-Ge Generals
annual report. by which It appears that the Union
Pacific last year transported 4.2l5 per 544 ami
mails and over S.i37 OF freight for the military
service alone. The annual appropriations made for
the transportation OF troops and stores for the Army
aggregate IN round figures about s250000I. Not
only the actual transportation required for the
Army by rail, water, wagon and stage has TO be
paid from this appropriation. but the purchase of
all means Of Transportation of every description.
Moreover, all sewerage and supply at military
posts. all work bridges and roadways and all
tolls and ferriages 60 TO eat up the appropriation
for transportation. There has accrued a saving to
this fund UP 10 the presen. time of about $4,000
for the transportation OF troops and Army freight
the Union Pacific Railroad between Omaha
and Ogden. which from November 1 must be paid
In cash. All the earnings OF this road nave hereto
fore been credited the books of the Treasury De-
partment as an ofrse, TO the bonded Indebtedness
Of the company with the United States. All exist
ing laws and decisions of the accounting officers OF
the Treasury have until now forbidden the payment
OF any transportation funds Of the Army to the
Union and Central Pacific railroads. From No
vember until July /. 1895. the appropriations al
ready made by Congress must be used 10 pay for a
service aggregating $4,000 month which prac-
t!cally free 10 the Army and Navy when the appro-
priations made Whether this will cause a
large deficit in the transportation funds TO be met
by deficiency appropriation will depend entirely on
the rigid economy which may be exercised by the
Army and Navy officials who charged with the
expenditure of the money. Ii Is matter of vital
interest TO both the Army and Navy tina, the Sec
rotary OF the Treasury with all possible promptness
officially declare and promugate the actual sale and
transfer OF the Union Pacific Railway. In order that
all existing laws and decisions governing settlement
of the accounts of the road Ire adjusted 10 meet the