The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-10-13
THE POSTS IN THE SOUTH
Present Quarters Cramped,
 Stuffy and Uninhabitable. :.
He Shows That in Time of War We Would Be Poorly Equipped to Contend With Forces
 of Foreigners.

Washington, Oct 12.-General John R. Brooke, commanding the Department of the East, in his annual report for the fiscal year, records the fact that since his last previous report he has visited and inspected with a few exceptions all the posts in that department. He, Is grau- fled at the progro ss made at all the ar tillery 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 comfort able and attractive as possible for their garrisons. The present quarters at these posts, he says, are cramped, stuffy and generally uninhabitable and few soldiers desire to re-enlist at these points, once they have had a taste of the inconven- fences.
 He renews his former recommendation in regard to the possibility, in case Of war; of an attack of seacoast defenses from the land side or the rear. and urges that the approaches from the directions named receive the attention which their importance demands.
 In an appended report of the acting signal officer of the department, Captain l.. s. Lyon, 1t Is recommended that ex- periments in wireless telegraphy be con- ducted with view to it's use in such harbors as Boston and New York.
 The most important feature of the re- port is an appendix by Lieutenant Colo nel J. P. Story, artillery corps. dealing with ordinance problem now pressing upon the artillery show that they will provide officers sufficient to operate the mining defenses of our harbors. It is admitted that the present established strength of the coast artillery will moi furnish relief for the modern armament already provided and that in the event oi war the deficiency must have recruits from the volunteer artillery. If war were to occur with superior naval power ar immediate dash, no doubt, would be made upon one or more of our most important ports.
 To operate the mines in the harbors of the United States and it's dispositions will require about seventy military officers and 27OO soldiers at the time of imme- diate planting. an addition of 5000 men as laborers and boat crews will be tenn porarily needed. All officers employed on this work ought to be expert in electric ity.
 With respect to the officers now being appointed to the artillery from the army their examination and appointment does
 not include even an elementary knowl- edge of electricity and 1t Is probable
 that few, if any of them, will be qualified
 for this work Again, the required num-
 ber of officers Is so large that they could
 not be spared for this duty without se- riously crippling the artillery in the ser vice of the armament. In the late war with Spain the deficiency in officers of engineers for mining work was supplied by civilian electricians. Civilians cannot be held in service or to punishment for
 malfeasance and some scheme, it is said should be devised by which all oof our mining deficiencies should be operated in time of hostilities by military organiza- tions If sufficient permanent estab- lIshment cannot be supplied for this pur- pose. then volunteer reserve must be organized and officered by electrical en. gineers graduates of technical science. This appears to be the only way feasible of securing enough officers for this spe- cial service sufficiently qualified for the work. The advisability of creating vol unteer organizations for mining service should receive early consideration. The first step that should be taken with the least practicable delay is the establish ment of an artillery school of mines for theoretical and practical instruction. To this school. Colonel Story says, ought to | be attached the school for electrician ser geants. now at Fort Monroe. Va
 | Mining material is now, in general, | cared for by civilians, paid from the ap- | propriations of the engineer department. | It would be much more economical and
 probablv more efficient if these civilians
 were replaced by electrician sergcants, and if Is said that one additional elec- | trician sergeant should be authorized by law for each harbor of the United States | equipped with mining material In an | annended report Lieutenant Colonel James A. Buchanan. commanding the District of Porto Rico, says as to the
 canteen5:
 ''The sale of beer at the post exchanges, | recently prohibited by act of Congress,
 will not. I fear, result to the best inter-
 ests of good discipline in Porto Rico, the | low price of native drinks, their injurious
 effects and tn. degrading influences which surround their sale, all tend to the un- doing 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 ] opportunity for drunkenness; again the cost of beer and other beverages outside of inc most exchanges is so great as to compel the soldier to purchase the cheap
 CT and more injurious native drinks" l