The age-herald., 1901-10-13
Major General Brooks Issues the Annual Report flor His
 Department
URGES SEA COAST OFFENCES
Soldiers Whose Term of Service Ex. plres In the South Seldom Re. enlist-Harbor Mining and Army canteen Discussed.

Washington, October 12-Gen. John R- Brooke, commanding the Department of the East, in his annual report for the last fiscal year records the fact that since his last previous report he visited and in- spected, with few exceptions, all the posts in that department. He was much gratified at the progress made at all the artillery posts, where modern armament has been installed.
 The barracks at the infantry and cav airy posts he found inadequate in size, and he recommends an enlargement. Gen eral Brooke lays great stress upon the desirability of having the lonely and re- mote Southern posts made as comfortable and attractive as possible for their gar risons. The present quarters at these posts he says, are cramped, stuffy and generally uninhabitabIe, and few soldiers desire to re-enlist at these points, once they have had taste of the tnconven- fences,
 Fears Rear Attack.
 He emphasizes and renews his former recommendation in regard to the possi- bility. in case of war, of an attack of seacoast defenses from the land side or
 
 named receive the attention which their importance demand.
 In an appended report of the acting sig nal officer of the department, Capt. l.. s. Lyon. 1t is recommended that exper1- ments in wireless telegraphy be conduct cd with view to it's uses In such har- bors as Boston and New York.
 The most important feature of the re- port Is an appendix by Lieutenant J. P. Story. artillery corps. dealing with ord- 1 nance and artillery. He says the most important problem now pressing upon the artillery is to provide a sufficient number of officers and men qualified to operate the mining defense of our har- bors. It is admitted that the present established strength of the coast artlI- lery will not furnish this relief for the modern amendment already provided. and that in the event of war the deficiency must be supplied by raw recruits or by volunteers.
 To operate the mines in the harbors in the United States and it's distant posi- ticns will require about seventy officers and 2700 soldiers. at the time of the immediate planting and an addition of OUu fuei dS idporefs anu Dodt crews VIII be temporarily needed. All officers em- pioyed on this work ought to be expert in electricity.
 Artillery officers. With respect to the officers now being appointed to the artillery from the army their examination for appointment does not include even an elementary knowi- edge of electricity and 1t Is probable that few if any of them will ever be qualified oof Der of officers is so large that they could not all be spared for this duty without seriously crippling the artillery in the service of the armament. In our late war with Spain the defi- ctency in officers of engineers for mining work was supplied by civilian experts in electricity. Civilians cannot be held to service or to punishment for malfeasance, and some scheme. 1t is said. should be de- vised by which all our mining defenses may be efficiently operated in time of hos- tflities by military organizations. If a sufficient permanent establishment can not be supplied for this purpose than a volunteer reserve must be organized and officered by electrical engineers. grad uates of technical science The Army canteen. In an appended report lieutenant Colo | nel James A. Buchanan, commanding the | district of Porto Rico says as to the | canteen
 .The sale of beer at the post exchanges recently prohibited by act of Congress l will not fear, result to the best inter- ests of good discipline in Porto Rico; the low price of native drinks. their injurious effects and the degrading influences which surround their sale all tend to undoing rather than the uplifting of the enlisted man. The number of places where these drinks are sold is greater than in the United States. thus affording more op- portunity for drunkenness; again. the cost of beer and other beverages outside of the post exchange Is 80 great as to com pei the soldier to purchase the cheaper and more injurious native drinks"
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