The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-11-27
HOUSE MILITARY AFFAIRS COMMITTEE
TO MEET TUESDAY
THE OUTLINES OF THE MEASURE
Then to be Taken Up-The Admins
tration DESTROYS of Law Providing
for a Large Standing Army, Ham
pered by no Time Limit-Question Of
Enlisting Fifteen Thousand F%flipinos.
Board of Ordnance Urges Increase OF
Artillery Branch OF the Service.

Washington, November 23.-Chair-
man Hull, OF the house committee on
military affairs. today called a meeting
of the committee for next Tuesday. He
hopes that a quorum will be present,
Immediately upon the outlines OF a new
army bill.
1T will be in the direction of econo-
my to pass the army bill without de-
lay, said Mr.. Hull today. The army
now in the Philippines will have TO be
brought home in the summe that is,
those of the men who do not care to
%re-enlist. The transports which so out
for them. should depart laden with the
troops who are to replace them, else
the ships will make one voyage empty"
Mr.. Hull was in conference today
with the president, and with officials
of the war department upon the char
acter of legislation desired by the ad-
miniStration. He said the president
will communicate to congress very full
ly his recommendations about the army
and he did not assume to speak the
presidents mind in advance. He
thought, however, hat the administra-
ton would not be content with any
makeshift Legislation, no proposition
to continue the present law for two
years more. His impression was that
the president wanted authority to raise
a regular army sufficient for the needs
of the country, 100, 900 men if necessary,
the number to be reduced when there
was no longer needed for them.
Mr.. Hull said the last commission
had reported that Is. 1000 Filipinos could
be enlisted Immediately in the army
for the Philippines. and that they
wOul make good soldiers under Amer
lean officers. There was no fear of a
repetition Of Great Britain'S experience
with the Sepoys, for the Filipinos, Mr.,
Hull said, have no national feeling, like
the natives of India Moreover, added
Mr.. Hull, the experiment Of eniisting
native troops had proven successful,
and there are no more loyal nor eff
cient soldiers than the natives enlisted
in the British army in India.
The annual report of the board OF
ordnance and Notifications just made
public sums up conciSely a very large
amount of experimental work accom-
plished by the board during the past
year. A general statement of is
needed in the future is contained in
the following paragraph:
1.-THE work Of equipping u coast
Notifications is progressing rapidly, and
a large portion of the new armament
| is already installed. There is impera-
tive need for an adequate force OF
trained artillerists to care for and mar
the guns now mounted. The board
! therefore, deems it within it's province
to invite the attention of congress Il
the necessity for reorganization an(
material increase of the artillery arm
of the service.
In his connection, also, the boar
recommends that steps be taken at al
early date to provide the coast artil
lery personnel with suitable range.
and other facilities for carrying on
each year a system of periodical drill!
and target practice with heavy gun!
under conditions approximating thos'
Of actual service.
GAS the primary object Of the defense
is to protect the harbors and waterway
along our coasts, the guns are, as
rule, so placed hat target firing witt
full charges and at the longer and NOR
important ranges can seldom TAX
place without endangering the live
and damaging the property Of privat
citizens. This is particularly true il
the case of Notifications defending tn
larger harbors, where there is shipping
constantly within range and where pri
vate houses are in such close proximit
to the guns as to be seriously affecte,
by shock.
cat least three practice ranges Shout
be provided-one for the north Allan
tic. one for the south Atlantic and gull
and one for the Pacific coast"