The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-10-11
REPORTS FROM ARMY OFFICERS
Divided Responsibility for Food supply
Long Rnnge Practice mt Coast Forts.

WASHINGTON. Oct. 1O-Col. Royal T. Frank.
commanding the Department OF the Gulf. has
transmitted to the War Department the annual
reports OF Capt J. NJ X. Davis. Acting Inspec-
tor General Of the Department Major Edward
+. bravo. Chief Com missary, and Capt. John Il.
Martin. Acting Judge Advocate and Signal ON
cor These officers make several recon en- da-
tions regarding the conditions OF the military
service. Capt. Davis recon men DIS that steps he
taken to secure an appropriation from Congress-
sufficiently large to authorize a much more
liberal allowance OF ammunition for target
practice and says that this il essential to full
knowledge OF the capabilities OF the guns and
mortars
In concluding his report Major bravo says:
Tho military operations OF the past year have,
to my mind at least. demonstrated that the
responsibility for the proper feeding OF our
army 10 too greatly divided. For instance. the
Subsistence Department provides the meat
for the men. the Quartermaster's Department
the ovens and pans to cook 1t. the Ordnance
Department the meat cans and the knives and
forks with which to eat It, Again. the
Subsistence Department supplies the coffee
and tho roasters properly to brown it. the
Quartormaster's Department the coffee mills
to grind 1t and the pots in which to make IL:
tho Ordnance Department the tin cups and
spoons to enable the men to drink it. Il is the
same with all the componcnts OF the ration. 1t
is hard to get complete un son between Z ree
distinct departments, and have the three
essentials needed properly to feed command
arriving at given place ut a given time in
proper quantity. 1t would seem much
simpl or problem II the army had to look to but
one department for everything connected with
Its food supply. and IL certainly would lessen
the Danger OF a misconnection between tho
food. the means OF preparing 1t. and the means
OF consuming it,"
Can't. Martin complains that OF the posts
pertaining to the Department OF the Gulf. at
the close OF the fiscal year Just ended. Fort
Barrancas Is the only one at which regular.
systematic instruction and practice In sig
Mailing was had. The facilities for long- range
practice are reported very good at Fort
MCPHERSON. good at Fort Barrancas and ut
Sulivan's Island. fairly good at Key
West barracks. very poor at San Fran
cisco barracks and 6TSn, JH Eek,
Scrven. He says During the past year teIs-
phonic communication by cable has been es:
tabished between Sulllvan's Island and
Charleston. S. c. This Office has also received
information that telephone connection will
soon be made batween Fort Taylor and Kew
West Estimates and recommendations have
heretofore been made to connect Fort Barran-
cas- Fort Pensacola and Fort McRae by cable and
telephone: also to connect Fort Morgan. Fort
Gaines and tho mainland by cable and tee-
graph but final action has apparently not, yet
should be made soon as practicable. 1t Is
not thought those telephones will he suitable
means OF comm unication between position
finders and the batteries in time Of action and
hence 1t should not he contem plated In time OF
peace. While suitable for target practice. the
noise OF actual conditions OF attack would
render them useless"