Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-10-14
GENERAL WESLEY MERRITT,
Commanding the Department Of the
East Makes His Report,

+ IN WHICH HE FREELY CRITICISES
THE WAR DEPARTMENT AND
! SEVERAL OF THE BUREAUS.
COAST ARTILLERY IS NOT IN
EFFICIENT CONDITION, AND
ARTILLERY OFFICERS. ARE NOT
TO BLAME.
WASHINGTON. d. C.. October a.
The annual report of Major General
/ Wesley Merritt, commanding the De-
partment Of the East. headquarters
+ Governors Island, New York. was made
public at the u S war department to.
day. The report is a strong arraign-
ment Of the whole situation in the ar
/ tillcry branch CT the service. being par
ticularly directed against the ordnance
bureau, and incidentally the quarter
masters department.. the latter for fail
| ure 70 furnish what Gen Merritt con
siders proper quarters at artillery posts.
Gen. Merritt says that the system on
which the artillery Is organized il
wrong in that the artillery man who is
/ held responsible for the work he has to
do with his guns, has no voice in the
making or selection Of them. this be-
| Ing left entirely 70 the ordnance bu-
rcau- But, he adds that since the en-
gnecr department in the same indie
pendent way furnishes the artilleryman
with mis- emplaeements and there has
been no fault to find with this portion
of the equipment. there must be some
thing more than the mere system TO
blame for the unsatisfactory condition
Of affairs
Gen. Merritt says he resumed charge
OF that command June last, since
which time most of the infantry and
cavalry in the department have been
ordered on foreign service. leaving at
the present date only four troops of
cavalry and three companies Of In
fanhy. He says he has no specific rec
concentrations to make regarding any
one place. The officers are known TO
be intelligent, industrious and serious
in their efforts to improve the efilcien-
cy Of their commands.
THAT the coast artillery is not to-
! day in an efficient condition. Cen Mer-
rift says, is due to causes over which
artillery officers have no control nor
can these impediments be reached by
| the department commanders. Some re-
quire the action of the Secretary. II
War and others can be remedied only
! by Congress. The needs Of the artillery
are most ably presented In the report
from the artillery inspector to which
| invite attention / DO not feel called
upon to urge the specific remedies
which he proposes, but ! certainly Coz
| incide with the opinion he expresses
| that the artillery is in need Of remedial
| legislation. | deem It my duty to call
/ attention to the def5cts which Major
1 Storey treats in detail and then leave
! the question of how they shall be re-
moved to the law-making authorities
land their advisers. Our cavalry and in
! fautry to-day are organized on mod
ern basis, are splendidly differed and
equipped. and, with regular supplies OF
! food. clothing and ammunition, contain
within themselves the elements OF CONF
plete efficiency. This Is not true OF the
artillery. The officers are well educ
Gated and jealous, but their efforts are
oramped by an imperfect organization
/ and responsibility for the efficiency or
/ inenciency Of their arm lies, not as II
should with themselves, but very
largely in other quarters Either
/ through defects Of law or their own in
efficiency. the supply departments upon
/
1 pendent. have frequently failed TO 10y
Iallv and energetically serve It's inter-
ests. The fact that the engineer de-
partment, working under the same law,
| has under It's present chief given the
artillery no cause for complaint, would
seem TO indicate that something 10
wrong beside the law.
/ "rnls condition gives rise % the
( often expressed deire Of the artillery for
I a chief Of that arm Of the service WHO
wonld see that It is supplied with what
+ II needs to be effective; but personally
have ye~y grave doubt as to this belns
I the most suitable remedy, as IL may
result only in adding another bureau
7 10 the War Department which Il may be
a. difficult to make efficient as some Of
I those already in existence
Il desire In addition 70 call speeiai
attention TO the following points In the
report 0f the artillery inspector:
Il The failure Of the quarteTmaster'f
7 department TO make timely provision
for housing the garris0ns at new ar
tillery posts.
2. The necessity for providing at ar
( tillery posts a permanent post non.
commissioned staff 81 specialists, cleo
I trioian and observer sergeants.
! g. The recommendation that thu
+ strength for the coast artillery be fixed
at the number OF officers and men re-
quiFed TO fully man the guns
/ 1T Is also observed that the artillery
/ should be inspected by artillery on
/ GERS and the fact that the department
/ commanders artillery inspector has 10
power 70 inspect IS a patent absuralfy
and one which | urge may be disposed
of at an early date The means oe
making any arm ~ the service all y
should be should rest with the general
/ commanding the geographical DEPART
ment in which the said arm of the SER
| vice IS stationed"
The Weather