The times., 1898-09-04


that they are worth five times as much.
and Admiral Walker estimated them as
of three times the value. There never
yet has been a successful attack by naval
vessels upon well-defenGed land fortifi-
cation. There is no proof of IL. The
account of the bombardment of Charles
ton is interesting reading as TO the COM
parative value OF guns on land and on
shipboard. Take the English lombard
ment Of Alexandria. A fort was aban-
doned and one of the English vessels, the
Temeraire, got up wi hin three hundred
yards, and yet ii had 10 fire thirty times
TO hit gun which was neither protected
nor on a disappearing carriage. The rec
ord of the fight at Alexandria is a very
Interesting one and it is very important.
Look al the battle of Port Arthur, be-
tween the Japanese and the Chinese. The
Chinese fleet was in the harbor. and they
had a land defense. What the Japanese
fleet did was merely 10 hold the Chinese
fleet in the harbor and keep up its firing
while the Japanese on land took the for
tifica ton.
Senator Proctor can quote many au-
thorities TO prove the superiority of the
gun on shore. One in PARTICULARS Com
mander Goodrich of the navy, who made
an exhaustive report on the British oper-
ations before Alexandria.
Having the essential fact" said this
report '-of the last engagement between
ships and earthworkS at hand, il is i'm
possible not TO draw one broad nfer-
ence. that vessels are not yet and never
viii be able TO fight on even terms with
forts
Commander Goodrich also stated that
in these encounters the English gins
were immensely superior to the Egyp-
tian guns. In spite of this disparity he
WAS convinced from what he saw at Alex
annTia that fleet will ha
able to cope on equal terms with land
forts.
In his appreciation of the needs of the
army, Senator Proctor has never been
lacking in a like understanding of the
good points of our navy. What he said
Of cur naval men in speech which he
made three years ago sounds almost as
though it We're prophetic now
No matter what the Odds said Mr..
Proctor, they may be counted on TO do
all American manhood can do TO sustain
the honor of the flag under which they
fight The deeds of Farragut passing the
forts at New Orleans or flashed to the
mast at Mobile, of Foote at Fort Henry
and on the Mississippi, OF Porter at Fort
Fisher. OF Worden on the Monitor. of
/ Gushing at Albemarle, of Winslow on
the kearsage, will be equalled or sur
passed whenever duty calls for such
+ daring. In fact, the whole history of our
navy has been such as to stimulate our
national pride"
Speaking again of the proposed increase
IN the army, l asked the senator if he
believed it would be necessary TO garri-
son Cuba very long.
The Cubans are naturally a peaceful
people, he said. '-and / think there is
no doubt they viii be easily controlled.
/ The greatest difficulty is going to be
found in the disbandment of the army
- sLs.-r4
the service now for three and half
years without compensation. Many of
them have lost their homes and all their
little property through Weyler. 1t would
be hard now TO send them away without
anything, especially as they must begin
life again in what is almost a desert.
suppose the Cuban junta N this city will
give them certificates OF service which
will entitle them TO pay al some future
time
Asked if the rush of Americans to Cuba
and Porto Rico was not likely TO result
in trouble AIr. Proctor said that on the
contrary he believed it would help TO set
tie the question of the prosperity and
contentment of the natives.
Wherever our people go to open up
new enterprises they viii take money
with them" he said, land the distribu-
ton OF that will bring prosperity"
Senator Proctor is preparing himself en-
the subject of the army increase, with
the assistance of number of officers in
the War Department, experts in certain
subjects. who have been making up state
ments of the organization of foreign
armies in contrast with our own. While
he is on his short visit to Switzerland
and Great Britain. he may pick up some
facts which will be of value to him, and
on his return he will give the whole sub
ject thorough consideration, with a view
to laying a fully matured plan for the
reorganization of the army before Con-
gress. GEORGE GRANTHAM Balm.
Members OF the Military Commuters
The views of Senator Proctor have the
support of the members of the military
committees of the Senate and the House,
as to an increase Of the standing army.
Senator Francis e. Warren, OF Wyo-
ming. says: we need a larger standing
army. Our home force should be at least
as large as the present authorized regu-
lar army (about CO. 0eW and we ought
never under any circumstances to let ii
fall below that number. In addition 70
this we need for time prehaps one-half
as many volunteers as are now enlisted,
say 100000 volunteers, decreasing the
number of volunteers according to the
fishing government in the conquered ter
ritory TO perhaps 1900 troops"
Representative j. A I. Hull, of Iowa,
Chairman of the House Military Commit
tee. says: You ask me my opinion on the
strength of the standing army of the
United States when peace is declared,
how many troops may be needed in the
colonies, and what should be the home
force; and l frankly confess / do not like
to answer this offhand. / would say in
general terms. the strength of the army
should be at least one hundred thousand
men. The chances are that we will need
TO come, a much smaller force in Porto
Rico the strength of the army in the
Philippines to be determined largely upon
what the President finally decides should
be our policy in regard to those islands.
We should have at least twenty-five thou
sand men in the United States. / would
not want to be regarded as tied up to this
opinion if further investigation should
demonstrate that / am wrong as to my
estimates. Personally l am in favor OF
a regular army in time of peace regard
less of any colonies or outlying posses
sions. OF at least $4,000 men. but very
much doubt if my views on this subject
would prevail, as there seems to have
I been, in the past at least, a very strong
4 jealousy of even a small standing army
My impression is that the war has edu-
Gated a good part of the national guards
men up to the point of knowing that
actual warfare is much harder work and
carries with il more additional discom-
forts than going into camp in their own
States for a week each year; and if the
letters l am receiving are any indication
they all insist upon having a regular
1r...~