Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-07-24
NEW COAST DEFENDERS
SCHEME EVOLVED BY THE GEN.
FRAL ARMY STAFF.
Enlisted Personnel to Be Drawn From
a Number Of Different
Sources.

Based on the belief that in time of war
the regular army cannot depend on militia
organizations for the immediate service OF
the seacoast batteries. the general staff
of the army has evolved a general scheme
for a coast defense reserve" the enlisted
personnel of which is to be drawn from dis
charged soldiers of the regular army, the
volunteers and militia and from specially
qualified civilians, preference being given
in the order named. In report on the
subject the general staff says:
Thus far the results following our at
tempts to provide a coast artillery militia
have not been encouraging, either in he
numbers of the militia or in the proficiency
attained. Accurate gunnery Is the soul OF
good seaeoast defense and such accuracy
cannot be attained without long continued
and careful training. 1t is believed. how
ever, that in addition to the coast defense
reserve we should make every effort 10
provide for the instruction of the coast ar
.tillery militia, as the latter would. in any
event, be useful reinforcement OF the
other coast artillery forces, which neceS-
sarily will have to be reinforced from such
troops as may be available, especially for
the defense OF our minor ports.
Enlistment for Three Years.
The general plan for the coast defense
reserve provides for enllstInents for three
years with pay as follows:
Enlisted men, $40; second lieutenants,
SEQ; first lieutenants. $50, and captains, $itO
per annum In time of peace, and such OFF,
Ger and man to receive in addition to this
the full pay of his grade during periods of
instruction.; officers and men to receive the
full pay of their respective grades Curing
war service, but to receive at no time any
further allowances or emoluments than
those above specified. except that a suitable
uniform shall be provided for the enlisted
men and that subsistence for the latter
shall be provided by the government dur
ing instruction and that during war sery-
ice all allowance for clothing, subsistence,
etc. shall be the same in the regular
army
Under Presidents Authority.
In it's report the general staff says, in
part:
This force will be under the direct au-
thority of the President in time of war for
the service of any element of the coast de-
fense and in time of peace during the
period of instruction. The men would, dur
ing this period, be under the orders of regu
lar officers and would be instructed in the
use of the guns Non-commiSSiOned officers
of the regular establishment would take
them in charge during this period of IN
structon and prepare them in the best man.
ner possible for the specific duties required.
They would be available to be placed
in the Notifications before the outbreak
of war under orders of the President and
it is believed that as an auxiliary force
to man the guns of our less important
harbors in which the more technical work
of the mine defense and power plants
would be handled by the regular troops.
they could perform their duties effective
do hxyf no fnaf
OF the enemy. 1t should be borne in mind
that this would not be an inexperienced
force of coast artillery. but that the
greater part of its personnel would be
derived in the first place by the enlist
ment of men already instructed during
an enlistment in the regular service.
THE annual cost of one company OF the
proposed coast defense reserve is So, GAS 43.
AS the entire coast defense reserve would.
If at it's full strength, consist of $50 COM
panies. the total annual cost tpay, cloth
ing and subsistence) of the proposed organ
ization would be S99I 264 30.
''In, time of war the President should of:
authorized to appoint in the volunteer army
one field officer for each two companies of
the coast defense reserve called into service
These field officers should be In the pro-
portion of one colonel and one lieutenant
colonel to each three majors. and for eacn
two companies thus called into service the
President should be further authorized to
appoint one captain. first lieutenant
and one second lieutenant who, when not
required for duty with the company, should
be assigned for any staff or other duty ap-
propriate; and 1t should be further provid-
ed that the field officers thus appointed
should be selected from the officers of the
regular coast artillery. and that the cap
tains and lieutenants thus authorized
should be selected from the officers and
non-commissioned officers of the regular
coast artillery of the coast defense reserve,
with the usual provision for discharge at
the end of the war"