Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-11-30
Qualifications Are made
quately Manned.
GEN. J.P.sTORY'S REPORT
ToRPEDoEs, HE DECLARES, MUST
BE SUPPORTED BY GUNS
Most of the Harbors as Insufficiently
Supplied With Position-Finding
Equipment as Port Arthur.

Brig. Gen. J. P. Story, chief of artillery.
in his annual report dwells upon the needs
of the seacoast defenses and Of the ar
tillery service generally. Speaking OF tor
pedo defense for the fortified harbors, ne
says: THE best and most economical OF
the entire armament. including the torpedo
defense, requires one complete relief to man
each and every element of defense. 1t Is
that Congress after appropri-
atinr so many millions for national defense
would be willing, If it's attention was
drawn to the fact, to leave this defense
ineffective for want of proper organiza-
ton to man and conduct ITO have any de-
fensive value torpedoes. he says, must be
supported by a gun, since without the
support Of guns they can be countermined
or in other ways made innocuous' ana thus
allow a safe passage to hostile vessels.
But II" he continues. "as at Port Arsnas
and Vladivostok, torpedoes are co-operatso
with a proper armament 1t Is not proDapls
that any enemy, however enterpr1slng, Will
attempt to force their line OF deiense. IL
secure at the present time the greatest VI
measure of national safety at the iease
cost the entire torpedo defense OF our
harbors should at once be MADE compete
Defense Lamentably Deficient.
The general adds: 1T would be criminal
neglect if 1 did not urge as earnestly as
can the immediate completion OF the tor
pedo defense of all of our fortified forts.
Today this defense is lamentably defcient
both in material and personnel II harpor
is to be seriously attacked with view
to forcing an entrance, sacn an ns aiao on ten
days after a declaration of war, or II may
even precede a declaration. II we were
suddenly confronted by war no amount VI
money could procure submarine mines III
time to be of service for our harpor de-
fense Torpedo cases, cables, electrical or
other appliances of special design for TOT
pedo defense are not commercial articies
kept in stock to supply demand Du. are
only made to fill orders, ana tneir oehssiS
single mart may render the whole equip
meent for the torpedo defense OF harpor
imperative. go nor 70
prepare our torpedo defense. put NUS IN IN
nrepared for the anticipation OF war. IN
the event of war only those mines, caoies
and many other appliances can De utliizeo
which are already on hand; none can De
acquired in time for effective use against
early attack"
Trained Personnel Needed.
General Story further says that even with
complete material for torpedo oelense II 10
NO ctica,,v valueless without a trained per-
sonnet carefully Instructed to operate, ana
that today we are substantially without
such a force. He says that now only iour
hundred officers and men can De assisheu
for a service requiring about hve tnousano.
The men assigned to the submarine oelens Sc
planted be required to protect thelr ma .1s
fleId by rapid fire guns and be charged Win
other duties such as the care ana operaIon
Of power plants search lights anu othei
accessories Their employment Tor the lat
ter service, the general says. Will solve one
Of the most perplexing problems Wnicn
has confronted the coast artnfeI! ~
would be unwise, he remarks, to Attempt
to provide a personnel lor eae suo nst a sre
tfIIery. since today there are but one-haiI
of the officers and men required to man
and serve the armament already provided.
Position-Finding Equipment.
..There has been developed In our coast
artillery the report recites. "a system OF
fire action that as far as can ascertain Is
not eoualed In the world; but Its accom-
plishment depends upon a standard equip
ment which Is not completely installed in
any of our harbors. We have still TO I'M
provise in many harbors means OF POSITION
finding in order to conduct our artillery
have no installation for directing the fire
action of the higher units, such as a nre
command or battle command He aods
that 1t is most important In the interests OF
efficiency of the service that the approved
system of position hndfng shouio pe M
stalled at all our forts.
.aThe Door showing made by the Russian
coast artillery guns at Port Arthur. ne
says, against the japanese meet mas
caused SURPRISE" but he adds that the ex-
PLANTATION that the Russian artillery when
the ranges are ten or twelve thousand me-
fers does not shoot at all or fires without
result illustrates his views. And ADDS:
s.It would be impossible, II we have our
position finding equipment completely IN
stalled, for hostile vessels to remain at ten
thousand or twelve thousand meters from
our batteries of Pinch guns or mortars
for two or three hours and not be DESTROY
ed. I regret, however, to have to say that
even at this day most of our fortified har-
bors are not better supplied with a position
finding equipment than apparently is Port
Arthur. Money appropriated fol-
position finding equipment will give a
larger return In increase of artillery eff
cheney than for any other purpose known
to me-"
General Story points out the need for
a greater number of majors and lieutenant
coloneIs of artillery, and says there should
be an artillery engineer in every fortified
harbor. He invites attention to the fact
that the personnel now authorized for the
coast artillery is not sufficient to man and
serve one-haH Of the armament already
mounted This means" he says, 'ff a
war were to break out We would have moi
one-half the trained force required to serve
our guns effectively. However good our
guns are. yet one-half of them would moi
be Of much more use than SO many tons OF
inert metal.