The Portland daily press., 1897-11-22
INCREASE ARTILLERY.
Secretary Alger Recommends Two
Additional Regiments.
ARE NEEDED TO PRESERVE NEW
FORTfFICATlONS,
Secretary of Wars Annual Report-In-
l@Mcrease in Number of Cadets at Military
academy Also Recommended.

Socretafy OF wars Annual Report-in-
l&Ncrease in Number of Cadets at Military
Academy Also Recommended.
Washington, November 81 - The annual
report of Secretary Of War Alger, departed
from the custom of his predecessors who
| reviewed the reports of the commanding
generals and the heads OF bureaus. AS
only the last quarter of the fiscal year
ending June 80, fell within the present
secretary's term he presents q synopsis OF
the reports prepared by the officers imme-
diately responsible together with their
recommendations for legislation tending
to the better administration of her depart
nents. The Secretary then expresses his
Judgment of each report with such recon-.
mendations as seemed to him appropriate
General Miles considered the army, al
though inadequate in spoint Of numbers,
never In higher state of efficiency. He
recommended that artillery gunners and
gunnery specialists receive proper COM
pensation. He pointed out the necessity
OF gymnasiums and drill halls along the
line of northern military posts. In the
| construction of modern Notifications and
high power guns, approximately $40, 600,
OOO had been expended, nearly one-third
of what was required to put the country
in safe condition of defense General
Miles recommended the addition of two
regiments of artillery that the mortar
| batteries and high power guns already in
| position might be properly preserved and
manned in time of hostility The general
! yllQn for dQfnn adj Sod bryt tbo
ment should be steadily pursued until the
| nation Is in condition of security. He
recommended that in the appropriations
for the coming fiscal year the following
sums among others, be appropriated: For
| The mouth of Penobscot river, $175, 1000
Mouth OF the Kennebec river $l96, 800;
| Portland, Maine, ST., 173, coo: Portsmouth,
N. H., $377, 600; Boston harbor, 81, ,347, ,OO(
New Bedford, Mass, $204, 600; Narragan-
set Bay, $685., ,000; defences of Long Island
| Sourd, 81, ,070, 900.
The maximum of enlisted men should
be limited to one soldier to every thousand
population and the minimum one soldier
to every two thousand population. The
Secretary in reviewing the commanding
generals report urges the favorable con.
sideration of General Miles's request for
two more artillery regiments. The Secre-
tary believes that further military reser.
vations should be created in Alaska. On
account of the terrible rigor of the
weather, and also the inducements for
desertion, the pay of the enlisted men
| serving there should be increased, with
the hope that extra compensation will be
| an inducement for a very high grade of
men to enlist in that particular service.
He recommends the revival of the grade
Of lieutenant general.
The Secretary wants an increase in the
number of cadets at West Point, where
on September 1, there were 339, the
largest number ever there at one time.
He says: 1.-THE military academy at West
/ Point can accommodate more students,
and if provision is made for two addi.
tional regiments of artillery as recon.
mended the army can absorb more of its
graduates. The superintendent recon.
mends legislation to authorize the ap-
pointment of two cadets at large from
each state, to be nominated by Senators
This would give ninety cadets more than
| at present.
1t is desirable that there should be nc
surplus graduates, and recommend as an
alternative that the President be author
lied tn appoint ten cadets at large each
year. This would be an excess of cadets
over the number now authorized.
| Adequate appropriation for the mainte-
| nance of the national guard was the
burden of the inspector generals recon-
Inendations. He Thought funds should be
appropriated for field manoeuvres COM
bined when practicable with the national
guard.
Secretary Alger dwelt upon the necessi-
| ty for legislation to provide proper sys.
| tenn Of ordinary criminal juridiction in
military reservations, to amend the sum.
mary court act, and to leave to the discre-