The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-12-01

| the same practice, and to provide for the
| most liberal allowances of ammunition
| and projectiles for general target prac-
| tice with full service charges in which
the entire coast artillery can take part.
The progress of events and changes in
ordnance and ship construction, since
| the Endicott board of 1856 determined
| upon the plan Of coast defense along the
| lines of which we arc now working,
| have made it necessary to consider the
| defense of many points not considered by
| that board. Porto Rico. Culebra. naval
| and coaling stations in Cuba. and pos
sbly the Danish Islands-all in II region
| made specially important by the prob
able construction of the Isthmian canal
| Hawaii Guam and the Philippines. and
possibly the lake ports and tho st. Law
renee river should be considered with
| reference to the construction of defen-
| >ive works in the same way that the
| FndiCott board considered our Atlantic
| and Pacific coasts ] concur in the rec
| Ommendation of the chief of engineers,
constituted. like the Endicott board, Of
| the secretary of war. the chiefs of en-
Gineers, ordnance and artillery. one high
| ranking officer of each of those branches
of the service, two naval officers Of
| high rank ana two civilians expert in
| the subject of our foreign commercial
relations.
The work was commenced in 1883; but
| for the eight years which followed prior
| 10 1896 the total appropriations for the
| construction of fortitlcations amounted to
but $3,52l, 900. or an average OF $ii0 900 n
year while for the last seven years.
beginning with 1886. the appropria tions
have amounted to 81, 2236 600, or an aver.
age of S3.1I6OQO a year. an annual in
crease of more than sevenfold The ap-
| propria tions for the construction of guns
and carriages for seacoast defense for
tl,n At,,lNt
SSlO0,00O an average annual rate of ST.
| Ol2, 900, while the appropriations for the
same purposes for the hast seven years
We're S2i, $4,000, or an annual average of
3d. i5G,0oO an annual increase of more
than threefold. Out of the $5S, 600. 900 eX-
pended for both classes of work, over
| SAG, ,00O, 900 have been appropriated in the
last seven years. The En(icott board
plan of coast defense contemplated the
expenditure OF over 100000, 600 Before
1896 we We're progressing at a rate which
would have required seventy years to
complete the defenses according to the
plan. Since 1896 we have been progress
| ing at rate which will finish the de-
fenses according to the plan In fifteen
years. With ii half-fiished work so re-
| cent and so rapidly pressed it follows
| necessarily that formative process is
constantly going on, mistakes are being
made and corrected, new experiments
are DtllS new lHlllSS are DellS
learned, ana many difficult problems re-
main still unsolved. II follows also that
neither the officers nor the men of the
artillery have as yet had much oppor-
tunity to become proficient in the use
of the new weapons, and there Is great
need for practical instruction and train
ing In their use,
Another reason why there is special
urgency for the training of the artillery
Is the great preponderance of new and
inexperienced officers and men. Before
the Spanish-American war We had but
five regiments of artillery. We now
have a corps which is equivalent to
added in 1899 and the equivalent of six
ity of the officers and the great majority
of the men are new
Other Features of the Report.
The need of a reorganization of the
militia system is considered at length
and review is given of the closing
OF American authority in Cuba and
of the progress of military and civil
administration in the Philippines. The
need of further education of junior
| oficers-15i2 of whom have come into
he army from civil life since 1895
is emphasized and plans are outlined
whereby this education is to be adj
ministered, The improving character
OF the army is shown by the fact that
of 26,026 new enlistments during the
year s9.5 per cSat. were native born.