River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1906-12-20
OUR ARTILLERY IS DEFICIENT
BOTH PERSONNEL AND MATERIAL
In POOR CONDITION.
So Asserts Gen. Murray In Annual Re-
port-Preparation for War Would
Be Work of Years.

lOu, 0CC. 1t DUH luS
coast and the field artillery are badly
deficient in both personnel and ma
terial; neither is in even approximate
ly proper condition for instruction in
time of peace much less in condition
for reasonably efficient service in war,
and the time necessary to put either
in the latter condition is not a matter
of days or weeks, but of years.
Brig. Gen. Arthur Murray, chief of
artillery, thus sums up the condition
of his arm of the service in his annual
report, in which he says it cannot be
too strongly urged that appropriate
legislation be obtained to make good
the deficiencies and to correct the de-
fects referred to.
The total cost of the present sys-
tenn of coast defense of the United
States to February 81 last, Gen. Muir
ray says, was $72,75O.S53 and the esti-
mated cost to complete the defense of
the United States, including estimates
for ammunition and cost of sites, is
$50, $780, The deduction is made
that considerably more than half the
work of coast defense has been COM
pleted. The three elements of defense
most needed, and which will secure
the greatest measure of public safety
at the least cost, Gen. Murray says,
are the CONNECTION of the installation
of the approved system of range and
position finding for all guns and NOR
tars mounted; the providing of neces-
sary searchlights for harbor defense
at night, and the completion of the
submarine mines equipment of all
fortified harbors.
The proper defense of insular ports
and of the entrances to the Panama
canal, it is estimated, will cost $751;
873,895, in the case of the former, and
$4,827, 682 for the latter.
The value of submarine mines as an
element of harbor defense, Gen. Muir
ray says, has been demonstrated, and
he maintains the view that the system
adopted by the United States army is
practically perfect as a war weapon.
Being under complete electrical con-
troll from the shore, he says, a line Of
mines may be rendered instantly de-
structive to an enemy or harmless to
passing friendly vessels. Therefore,
he adds, having SO many guns and
mortars already mounted in the Unit
ed States, it is believed that the great
est amount of harbor defense at the
least cost can be procured by the
completion of the mine defense of all
fortified harbors of the United States.
1--WE cannot afford, however" Gen.
Murray further states, ito wait for
war before completing our mine de-
tense, but must be prepared before
hand" But even then, he says, COM
plete equipment would be of no use
unless there were a trained personnel
to plant the mines, maintain them in
tact, and explode them at the proper
instant in action.
Gen. Murray calls attention to the
matter of providing power plants for
use in connection with both guns and
mines.
The desirability OF separation or
coast and field artillery, he says, is ap-
parent.
Pointing that 1t will require 2,278
officers and 55, 10 men to provide one
relief for all the coast defenses con-
structed and proposed in the United
States, at the entrances of the
isthmian canal and in the insular pos
sessions, Gen. Murray remarks that
under the present system it would be
impracticable to furnish this number.
Thoroforo affonfi0r, must hn dirncfad
to some plan that will supply at the
outbreak of war the deficiency from
the organized militia. He thinks that
most Of the nonexpert class of artil-
lery men may be thus supplied, as
well as a number of second-class ex-
pert artillery men drawn from those
forces in the states which give special
training to their guardsmen in coast
artillery duties.