Evening star., 1901-04-11
THE ARTILLERY CORPS CHIEF
DUTIES AND POWERS DEFINED BY
SECRETARY OF WAR
Must Keep the Commanding General
Advised of the Efficiency
of the Service.

The Secretary of War has issued a gen.
eral order defining the duties and powers
of the chief of artillery under the reorgani-
zation law, as follows:
He shall keep the commanding general
of the army, and through him the Secre-
tary of War. advised at all times of the
efficiency of the personnel and material of
the artillery, and make such recommends
tions in reference thereto as shall in his
judgment tend to promote efficiency.
He shall annually and as frequently as
circumstances shall require inspect the
coast and field artillery and he shall from
time to time and as frequently as once in
each year report to the commanding gen.
eral, and through him to the Secretary of
War, as to each coast defense fortification,
whether the same is in all respects ready
for use in case of attack and If not in what
respects the preparations are defective.
He shall from time to time and as fire.
quently as conditions require confer direct
ly with the chief of ordnance, and advise
him of all matters relating to the char
acter and preparation of artillery material
which the experience and observation of
the artillery arm of the service show to be
of practical Importance.
experimenting Examinations.
He shall have general supervision of the
instruction of artillery officers and men
and of examinations for promotion and for
appointments and transfers of officers to
the artillery arm, and shall recommend
such examinations and such courses and
methods of instruction in the artillery
schools and otherwise as he shall deem
requisite to secure thoroughly trained
and educated force.
He shall recommend officers for duty In
coast or field artillery according to spe-
ciai aptitude and fitness, and is charged
generally with the recommendation of Off
GERS of artillery for special duty.
SeacOast Fortifications.
Before any money is expended or any
land is acquired for any seacoast fortifica-
tion hereafter he shall advise the Secre-
tary of War through the commanding gem
eral whether the project under which the
expenditure is to be made includes ade-
quate provision for all the different ele-
ments of a complete coast-defense estab-
lishment. including fortiication, arma-
ment and accommodations for the use of
troops; whether the land which it is pro-
posed to acquire will be sufficient for all
the purposes mentioned, and how far the
appropriations available provide for the
entire work. For that purpose all projects
and plans for coast-defense fortl1catiOns
shall upon coming into the office of the
Secretary of War be referred as, of course,
in the first instance to the chief of artil-
lery for his report thereon.
He shall be a member of the board Of
ordnance and fortification.
The records pertaining to the perform
ance of duties 10 the chief of artillery will
be kept in the office of the adjutant gen.
eral of the army. through whom all COM
munications relating to personnel. disci-
pIine. efficiency, transfers and assignments
should be made in accordance with exist
ing regulations.
Nothing in these regulations shall be
deemed to relieve the commanders of the
several military departments of the duties
of inspection and command, of respon-
sibility for the condition and efficiency Of
the material and personnel of the artillery
In their several departments as now pro-
vided by regulations.