The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1904-12-21
SECRETARY TAFT 0
The Annual Message Of the Depart
ment Made Public.
The Present Standing of Our Regular
Army and Its Future Outlook-Statistics
of the Financial End of the Service.

Washington. D. E.-Secretary of
War William H. Taft, in his annual
report just made public, says that the
actual strength of the regular army
on October Is was STA officers and
54,439 enlisted men. In 1908 it was
1851 officers and $500 men. OF the
present army TO officers and 1855
men are stationed in the Philippines
and the remainder are at various
points in the United States. Porto Ri
co, Hawaii, Alaska and China. The
force in Porto Rico consists of five Of
ficers and five men. The Secretary
recommends that Congress make pro-
vision for additional officers of the line.
The enlistments for the year ending
June 80. exclusive of hospital corps
and Philippine scouts, were 1880, OF
which 6372 were re-enlistments.
During the past year the troops have
not been in action except for a few
encounters with the savage Moros in
the Philippines. rendered necessary
by 'their defiance of the law in Min.
danao and Jolo.'. In n of these ac-
tons 4 detachment Of infantry was
ambushed, resulting in the loss of two
officers and thirteen enlisted men out
of thirty-nine men engaged.
The army death rate last year was
only $50 per 1000. as compared with
1874 for the previous year. sit is no
exaggeration," the report adds, chat
the. troops of the United States are the
best fed. best clothed and best shell.
tered troops in the world"
The present system of coast defenses
is now considerably more than half
completed. T%hirtyAone localities have
been partially protected, and TWEEN
ty-ive Of the principal harbors now
have mounted in Notifications and
ready for use heavy guns and mortars
sufficient to furnish an effective de-
Tense against any possible naval at.
tack. Since the Inauguration OF the
present system of coast defenses the
total appropriations made by Congress
for the work have been, approximate.
ly, 1000, 900, and is it estimated
that it will take S65,O00,0O0 more to
complete the work. !
Provision has already been made for
emplacing 1874 heavy guns, including
twenty-six temporary emplacements,
and 5S7 rapid fire guns, n being tenn.
porary, and 376 twelve inch mortars.
During the fiscal year one twelve.
inch gun, four ten-inch, seven rapid
FIRE and twenty-five mortars have been
mounted. .
Owing to the lessons Of the Russo.
Japanese war, it is stated in the report,
the value of torpedo defenses has been
greatly emphasized. The cost of COM
oleting the torpedo defenses now pro!
jected will be S3,S19,420, but this will
mean that the system will be valneless
unless there is a trained personnel of
5139 officers and men created to oper.:
ate the system. This will cost about
5000, 900 more. Additional appropri,
atoms of $5,000,000 will. Of course,
the report says. be required annually
thereafter for pay Of the personnel.
1t is pointed out that Congress, at its
last session, appropriated $1,31S,92O
for beginning the work Of terrifying
lnsular possessions, and that much has
been done in the way Of f%ortifying the
Philippines, Porto Rico and Hawaii,
but that Congress will be asked at its
'aex.t session for S2,611,O56 more for
continuing the work.
Secretary Taft %deprecates any at
tempt to abolish the General Stair. He
thinks that the War College also is do
ing a good work. -
He points out that it cost $S6,314.42
to prevent deposits in New York Har.
Dor last fiscal year.
Secretary Taft favors an appropria.
ton Of $2,000,000 to promote the eff
Gciency of the militia. "The Military
Secretary" the report adds, "estf
mates that about seventy-ive per cent
of the full strength of the militia
would respond to q call for service un'
der the Federal Government" I,
The army estimate for the fiscal
gear ending June 80, 1906, is S12,70o,'
1867.
Concerning the tariff in Philippine
products imported into the United
States, Secretary Taft urges that a bill
be passed allowing free admission OF
all Philippine products except tobacco
and sugar, and that there be imposed
upon all importations Of sugar and to-
bacco a duty equal to twenty-five per-
cent. Of the rates now imposed under
the Dingley law upon the importations
from foreign countries.
THE Philippine Government" the
report adds, lis the result of an effort
on the part of this nation to assist the
Philippine people to stand upon theit
feet. 1t is a national experiment. The
taxation by States, counties and NUM-
cipalities of this country Of bonds is
sued in the furtherance Of that eXperi'
ment is 4 burden upon it and an OBJ
struction to its success. Therefore.
the National Government through
Congress, may very well declare such
bonds to be exempt from State, coun.
ty and municipal taxation and keer
vel! within it's constitutional powers"