The times., 1897-11-22

The annual report Of the Secretary OF
War is one OF the most interesting OF tho
department documents issued this year.
1t includes the specia report OF Gen. Miles,
who, speaking Of the Army, says:
The Army although Inadequate in point
of numbers, was never in higher slate Oh
ellicienc y, both as TO the eDaIaCter anu
qualifications of its Officers and mtel-
ligence and LOYALTY of its soldiers. In the
report OF Ma jor Gen. Merritt V Ill be noticed
the important changes and improvements
that nave been made. along the Atlantic
and Gulf coasts, especially ID the mount
ing OF modern artillery and the Appliances
adopted for the defense OF the coasts
also concur ia the recommendations OIL
Ma jOr Gen. Brooke concerning the necessity
Tor gymuasiums and drill halls required
especially along the line OF northern mill
tary posts.
BulIug the last ten years much atten-
ton has been given by the Government To
the subject OF coast defenses and most
beneficial Results are now becoming ap-
parent. s ApproXimatelyS26 100000 have
been appropriated by the government,
which is nearly one third or what IS re-
uuired to put the country in a safe CON
dition of defense This has been eX
pended in the construction Or modern for
tifications and high-power guns OF great
force and ma gnitude.
Although the general desire ofour people
is To maintain a condition OF peace with
all nations, and the policy OF the Govern
menJ is one OF good VIII and peaceful reia
tions with all others, yet nothing could be
more in Judicious than 10 remain III con-
dition or insecurity ana permit tie lives uf
millions and the accumuia ted wealth OF
many generations 10 be destroyed or Ell
dangered by any foreign power with which
We are liable to come into contact, and the
aaF4H.
adOpted by the GovernnenbshJu he stead
ny pursued until the nation is in a con
dition Of security and safety which due
regard TO self-llreservatiOn would deman
/ therefore recommend that in the appro-
pTiatiOns Tor tie coming fiscal year the Tol-
lowing sums be appropriated Tor the WORK
which is required under the engineer,
ordnance, ana quartern4aster DEPARTMENTS
FOR the purchase OF land needed Tor for
tifications; construction Of platforms, EN-
placements, aud forufica tons; coustruc-
Ji0n OF modern nigh power guns, mOrtars
ammunition, gun and mortar carriages,
aud buildings, quarters and barracks Tor
troops.
For the mouth Of ? Penobscot River, S175,-
coo; mouth ol the Keunebec River, Me-,
S1SS,5UO; Portland, Ne, S1,173,UO0;
Port smoutb, y. H., SST7 goo: Boston Har-
Dor, 81, ,34T 900: New Bedford, Mass,
S2O4,OU0 Saragansett Bay, 1888, GOO;
i defeuses uf Long Island Sound, 81 ,u7O,O00;
eastern entrance, New York, S4S9, 600;
| southern entrance, New YORK, 81 ,4l9,uUO,
approaches 10 / Philadelphia, s44l 600; ap-
! proaches TO Baltimore, S49S, 400; approach
/ es TO Washington, u. c, S6U4, ,oC0: Hamp-
/ ton Roads, S463,UO0; approaches to VIII
I minEton, y. c, 1897 900; Charleston Har-
Dor :. c., S15u,0U0; approaches &c 5 a
vannah, Ga, Sal 1000; Key West, Fla,
! $4,000; Pensacola Harbor, 600; az
pToaches to Mobile, Ala, 1897 900; ap-
! proaches to New Orleans, S3l 9,UO0; Gal
! weston, Texas, S4I2, 900; san Diego, Cal,
| SI25,Uo0; san Francisco, Cal, 81 ,S3b,
600; Columbia River, S605,GOU; Puget
! Sound, 81 I4U, 200; Lake Chainplain, : 4s,-
/ 0Oa.
By December 81 next the following po-
sitiOns viii be armed, in part or fully,
| with modern appliances Of war, and IN
4 these important positions there are nc
/ troops stationed and none available fol
/ assignment to those positions without ia K
4 ing them from other stations where they
! are at present imperatively required, viz
/ Portland Head, Portland, Me; Great Dia-
1 mond Island, Portland, Ne; Fort Consti
1 tuition, Portsmouth, \. II; Growers cliff
/ Boston Harbor, Mass; P3ddocks Island
/ Boston Harbor Mass; Long Island Head
/ Boston Harbor, Mass; Dutch Island Mar
ragansett Bay, X. l.: Great Gull Island
eastern entrance Long Island Sound, \. Y
( Plum Island, eastern entrance Long ISIanC
Sound, n. y; Fort Hancock, New Yort
/ Harbor; Firms Point approach to PhHa
deIphia; North Point, approach to Balti
4 more; Hawkins Point, approach TO Balti
! more; Sheridan Point, approach to Wash
! ington, D c.; Fort Caswell, Whining ton
| NC; Fort Sumter, Charle estGn, S. c.; Tybee
! Island, Savannah, Ga; Fort Morgan, No
bile, Ala; Fort st. Philip, New orleans
| Fort Point, Galveston, Tex; Ballast Point