The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-11-22
THE WAR OFFICE REPORT.
sEcRETARY AEGER CALLS ZOE $751;
3s7,57I FoR COAST DEFENCEs-

Largely Eeducsa-Two Additonni artillery
Regiments Are narnesiy Recommended.
WASHINGTON. Nov. 2l.-A distinct departure
from the usual character Of annual reportso OF
Cabinet officers IL taken BY the Secretary OF
War In his report. Secretary AlRer' instead OF
following the practice Of including only orig
inal matter in the yearly review, has inoorpora-
tod lettors from commanding Generals and
heads Of bureaus, giving q synopsis OF their re-
ports and recommendation. with OF
his own. His reasons for departing from Gus
tom are explained by the Secretary in his open
Ing paragraph as follows:
1T has been the custom of my predecessors
to review the reports Of the commanding Gen
erals and the heads Of bureaus, and to submit
views and recomm ondations upon tho various
subjects coming within the jurisdiction OF the
department. Such q review OF the work 10 necos-
snry, but as only the last quarter Of tho hscal
year. onded on the 30th Of Juno last, fell within
my term. 1t has seemed best to depart from the
usual custom by obtaining from the officers i'm.
mediatoly responsible q synopsis. in letter form,
embracing the principal and moro important
matters contained In their reports, together
with recommendations for such legislation by
Congress AZ in their Judgment will tend to the
better administration Of their respective de-
partments. These letters arc herein published
In full, followed IN each case by such remarks
anu recommendations as seem 10 me 70 DO ap-
propriate and necessary"
A statement OF the estimates Of amounts re-
CURED for the military service for the year
beginning July /. 1898, shows that 500. 25s,445
is needed to carry out all the recommendations
of War Department officers. Secretary Algcr,
however, docs not approve of tho appropriation
of all Of the &4s. 72s, 100 required for carrying
out river and harbor improvement projects.
This Is the largest item contained in tho esti-
mates. Last year tho expenditures Of the do.
lions FOR tho Esc Current rent Year ;lS were res Se sa ,ss spRt9pFf, For
rivers and harbors the APPROPRIATIONS for the
S som%sni zSsF on ap sSs TasSea to rs ss ;a1s; Ges' f snd the IN
next fiscal year the Secretary says:
"lhave mo-. bad an opportunity to make a per
tion, yet with the exception Of waterways ana
harbors whore there is a large traffic, or whore
/ am convinced that the estimates are largely in
excess Of what they should be at a time when
now. It 10 therefore that the
an noun to % SpProprlated DO largeiy reduced
made by my direction, that the facts might be
placed before Congress. showing what the OK.
Of the above-cited laws complied with.
special attention is invited to the fact that
that will require an expenditure OF over $l7,.
000. 600 during the fiscal year ending Juns so,
s sssgi; Of J HHs5 sds'9 1890; So s .aoo. go 90 d tsfnl y sse
fiscal year ending June SO, 1901; $7ee,o 600 dur.
Ing The fiscal year ending June 30. 1902, and
1908. 1t is to be understood that these stale.
ments are Of course approximate, only, but they
Very little space is devoted BY Secretary Alger
to the two most important matters within his
increase of the army. He relies on the prcsen.
tation of the necessity of modern Qualifications
Ma Of %oee 1ic commSSn rssfEintssn s sr made f,s ey Et The
Of Ordnance, and the Chief Of Engineers for the
enlightenment of the President, briefly stating
tho coasts is included in the annual estimates Of
57ii. a marked Increase over fse approPristion.s
Of any year since the present scheme Of ~fortify-
fiscal Year $S.s45, 15s was expended. and there here
IL an appropriation Of 90, 517. l4l for the current
s yset Chief sft of ordns .1 ssf s esR 9 Gn A sHss ss ssSs: Of
T y.anir saDsnsis are n sSiail Eaai s ssa'i I s. S.i ssSe e e w M
be a wise ~ eS es9}n nSIssyt to push forward that great
remarks Of tn, Chief, Of, Engineers about sea-
coast defences In which the progress of the work
10 noted. ",seaooast d%sfences." says. the .seere.
tary. ARE being rapidly constructed, and they
date. 1 cannot ca OF pemphas IL TIL this to ostronsP Hss and
msts ss sp urge that The full amount of the esti-
Gen. Miles had much to say in his annual re.
port, which Secretary Alscr quotes in full. about
i ihs n% ssny. y. # iin Is ss4nssti he u s%rtiIlsf X, isTss q
AlGer urges. that his recommendation con.
fs sTo4abl two s sssSl.Isaal EoF1ns en- s q %s1F! ~ sSs e
man them: These costly works should. as soon
fsmilar with The handling of the g guns os'o the
s%erViees. to be 81 re @d:Sn at t' ali times s1 q eparsso
them. A visit to any q these batteries must
| Immediate action in thiR maffar A haffary
costing from 500. 900 e 100000 ought not 70
be manned by a corporaIs guard"
require a number Of new barracks. The Quar- mi
termaster-General submitted an estimate for
Generals report, Gen. Alger says:
AN increase 10 also necessary In the appro-
and quarters for a number Of new posts on the
b%eaooast. and to enlarge others. The present
%%SlstsS Is for ss.66oo.oOO.o an insTsa ss't Of 81 .5 $50:
A increase in the appropriation for army
.srs: ~ HS1 estimate ina ts Is So ss .5oo.eco .h sa iasrsa %H Of
S WE G sho a sas Safse ask s99piS Sr ans large, tho
greatest car, q oonfne the expenditures to the
In his reference 70 the condition of affairs In
Ala m'i, Secretary 1s.sy,x AiseT tell 81 so Of The Z, create creation Of
the mouth oof the Yukon. 3. am a measure ass M'G for pr Q.
further military iHis sAT res saSpSies In ha' ooenaSnasaanndd 81
problem Of preserving order In the Territory.
He asks for authority to provide . boat for
great Territory, he remarks. has opened up
lit Is probable" he continues. - that within
another year a very large number Of people
may be gathered there. estimated by many con-
servative men as high as loo. 900, and ! urgently
suggest that some adequate measures be adopted
Territory. II need DO, to guard persons and prop
erty. In q remote country whore there are no
laws, and the territory very extensive, there 10
great danger that there may be much lewless-
ness ana need Of o restraining force. and there
fore hope hat large powers may be granted tho
Executive. to provide as far as possible for any
emergency that may arise"
| Contrary to expectation, tho Secretary makes
no mention of the scheme Of Capt. p. II. Ray Of
the army, who Ia now In Alaska, to establish o
semi-military government In the northern part
Of the Territory adjacent to the Klondike coun-
try. 1t was understood that no would urge the
adoption of Capt. Rays plan.
The revival Of the grsde Of LieutenSnt.General
nations Of the world he says, Give their officers
1 and fauy avan ~ Aha aunnllar nnaa have nnnn-