The San Francisco call., 1898-03-10
Siunal Officer Greely's Appeal to the War
 Department.
Island FortificatiOnS Are With out Means of Commit
 nicatiOn.
Sbo,,ld There Be an Attack Orders Would Have to Be Sent by
 Messengers.
Special Dispatch to The Call.
Call Office, Riggs House,
 Washington. March 9.

Call Ofnce, RlSSS t1ouSe,
 Washington, March g.
 General Greedy, Chief Signal Officer, has written the following letter to the Secretary of War, who has forwarded it to Chairman Cannon of the House Committee on Appropriations:
 To the Honorable Secretary of War Sir: The estimate of $20 0OO for cables 10 connect electrically the fortifcauons Tn the harborS of New York, Boston ana Philadelphia has been omitted from the sundry bill as reported by the houss oL Representatives. The chief signal officer would be derelict in his duty did he not call the attention of the Secretary or War to the necessity of urging upon the Sen, ate such an appropriation: for several consecutive years the chief signal ofhcer has unavailingly recommended the i'm portance of this matter, recit1ng the Tact that some of our most important de- lenses can be reached only by messen- ger. between Alcatraz and Angel islands and the main land long since left the fortifi- cations in San Francisco harbor isolated and entirely unconnected electrically, ana Fort Warren, in Boston harDor, IS aIso without reach by telegraph or telephone. In New York harbor 1t IS true that seVeral posts can communicate with each other over circuitous commerclai routes put such complicated methods, inadequate Tn peace even, would inevitably break down In case of actual hostilitles-
 These estimates have been recOmmenQ- ed both by you and former Secretaries or War and have been repeatedly urged as military necessities by the commanding generals of the departments affected, and have been heartily approved by the com manding generals of the army.
 Never more than to-day have time and cooperation been more potent elements either in the industries of peace or the art of war. In this busy world the most acute minds of the country are applying themselves to the development of speedy and increased communication, especlally through electrical devices, and the failure of any country to utilize in this direction the highest inventive skill must mater ially lessen it's chance of success in war. In every other country of the world the entire system of harbor defenseS for each port is connected electrically, so that not only is communication and the transmission of orders constantly main tained, but the entire control ana the direction of the defense rests under one master mind.
 It must seem hardly credible to either business men or to experts that Congress lenses to cost millions of dollars should for years refuse to connect the military forts around the great cities or New 1orR Boston and San Francisco either electric ally or telephonically. In critical emer- gencies, such as arise in all defenses military operations at these points would under existing conditions, be necessarlly . conducted without concert or unison, thus needlessly jeopardizfng lives by the thou sands and property to the value Of hun dreds of millions of dollars.
 The present situation Is parallel to that which would exist if our great cities after spending tens of thousands or dol lars in thoroughly establishing a ire de partment should refuse to install there with an electrical system and insist that alarms of fire should be sent either by messenger or by the nearest commercial telegraph lines. Very. respectfully;
 A. w. GREELY, Chief Signal Officer.