Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1904-11-30
GREAT NEED IS FOR TORPEDOES.
Entire Defense Of Our HarbOrs Should
Be Made Complete I'm
mediateIy
If SUDDENLY CONFRONTED BY WAR
No Amount Of Money Could Procure
Submarine Mines ia Time--FIeld
ARTILLERY is Neglected

Washington, Nov sO,.-Brg.- Gen.
STOREY chief OF artillery, U. $. A., in
his annual report to Gen. Chafee, the
chief Of staff, dwells upon what he re-
cards as the most urgent demands Of
the coast dcfenscs. he says that tho
best and most economical use OF the
entire armament Tor the coast requires
one complete relief to man each and
every element Of defense. and adds.
III IS inconcciyable that Congress
after appropr,atlng millions for natlon-
al defense would be- willing II ils atton-
lion were drawn to the fact to leave
this defense ineffective for won't OF a
proper organization TO man and con-
duct It."
lie says that If torpodoes are coop
Grated with proper armament as al
Port Arthur and Nladyostok It is not
probable that any enemy however en-
lerprislng, would attempt TO force their
line Of defense.
ITO secure at the present time he
continues, 'the greatest measure OF na-
tlonai safety al the least cost, the en-
tlre torpedo defense OF our harbors
should at once be made complete, and
ne ADDS ~ would be criminal neglect
u / dlu not urge as earnestly as | can,
the Immediate completion OF the tor
pedo defense Of All our fortified ports.
Today this defense Is lamentably def
Gent both Ia material and personnel
continuing Gen, Storey says;
III We were suddenly confronted by
war no amount Of money could procure
I submarine mines IN time 10 be OF ser.
/ vice Tor our harhor defense. The
/ materials Tor such defense are made
/ only to on ordart AVID tHeir delivery
| would occupy many months and only
/ such as might be on hand could be uti.
! HEED for an early attack"
The report further says that even
] win complete material for torpedo de-
| Tense Il Is practically yalueloss with.
out q tiained personnel carefully in
| slructcd how TO operate Il and that
| today sc are practically without such
! a force, only about 700 men can be
assigned, he says, FOR the service re-
! Qulring about 1000 IL would be un-
wise, the report remarks. 90 attempt to
! provide q personnel for the submarine
! defense from the present force OF coast
/ artillery since there are today only one
! half the number OF officers and men re-
! Quired to man and serve the arma
| mtnt already provided
Gen. Storey says there has been de-
! veloped In our coast artillery a system
OF fire action which, as far as he can
/ ascertain. ls not eQualled I'm the world.
! but Us accomplishment ne says, De-
! Ponds upon a sl9ndafd equipment, which
! a not completely installed IN any OF
| our horbors He says that they have
to improvise Ia many harbors means n
! position finding IN order 10 conduct ar
| tillery practise.
! The poor showing made by the Rus.
| sian coast artillery at Port Arthur
/ against the Japanese fleet has caused
/ surprise the report recites but The
! explanation rs lhat the artillery there
| when The ranges are 10000 to 1900 me.
tars does not shoot al an on shoots
without results
Tho report adds
TT would be- impossible " we hnve
| our position finding equipment COM
pletely installed for hostile vessels n
remain 10000 or 1900 meters from our
| batteries Of l2-inch guns OF
( mort8rs for two or three hours
! and not be destroyed. regret,
| however to have TO say that even az
! this day most OF our fortified harbors
! are not better supplied with a position
finding equipment than apparently Is
Perth Arthur II % war were TO brca',
out we would not have the trained force
| required TO serve our guns effectively
However good our guns are yet one
| half of them would not be OF much more
uso ,han So many tons " inert metal
Gen. storey Is Of the opinion that
the nfld artillery falls IS batteries short
OF The number tactically needed for the
| present infantry and cavalry organi2a-
| lions. and Do this connection says
There Is no FIRST class power which
has so systematically neglected It's field
artillery as the United states
lu his judgment the experience ~
| the Russo-Jupunese war show the
foreign practise OF having usually about
four guns per 1000 men is better than
the ono proposed for our service