Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1906-11-04
LACK OF MEN FOR THE
 NAVY AND COAST DEFENSE.

Washington NOV. While ev- cry American is proud of the navy, and while Congress has been very lib- eral in appropriating for new shlps' coast defenses and for the military es- tablishment in general. there is dan ger that has not been brought home to the American people, and that lS' the great lack of men available. II ls well known that the navy department SCOUTS the country for recruits, au- ycrtising bv means of postal cards, bill boards and i'll the newspapers, fo say nothing of the moving picture exhibitions, and yet the navy is notor- iously under 2manned. This Is largely due to the fact w have nc merchant marine worth HentiOHiis. but that is another story The depIorabie cohdl- fion of our c6a5t ttefenses however. is one which should attract the taouehtful attention of all Americans. For some Eeaf- fhr government has been pxpendlns millions of dollars ali naaIl> iu constrHetine concealed forts, mounting heavy gaus on disappear ing carriages. instal'ih4 costly and intricate machinery for their opera tion. laying mines fer practice. etc. The whole is q part of d comprehen- siyp scheme of coast defeuse, careful Iv worked out to the smallest detail. and requiring the expenditure ot many millions of dollars. Many ol these forts are now on a war footing. so far aS equipment la concerned. But should war break ollt tomorrow, or within the next few months, or even years. unless something is done promptly the county would find it. self unprepafed.
 The forts already constructed. and the guns already ill place, with one shift of men only. would require F. OOO men. There are now now avail able for this purpose only l4,133 men. or one third the number necessary That means that in war time 42,ooU men would be required, working night and day, to man these guns. while three shifts of eight hours each are generally considered necessary. The ,l33 men now available are spread over the thousands of miles of coast defenses until the line can not be extended A new fort at New port, Rhode Island, is nearing com pletion, and large number of big guns are being installed together with the expensive machinery incl dental to their operation. When that fort is completed there will not be a man available for it's guns and ma" chinery will deterorate if not kept i'll good condition, and it is matter ot dollars to the people if there were no other consideration. Recruits can not be secured and train in short time to load point and manipulate these guns, lay mines and discharge them or to manage torpedoes That can be odne only by training. but only one third of the men necessary are no" available, and as soon as they are trained in the electrical work requir- ed they are able to secure good pay ing positions in civil life No electric ian. even if he receives his training at the government expense, wishes to re- main in the service. for an enlisted man's pay, when he can get from six " to seventy-fve dollars a month in private life Gonsequently, the coast
 artillery. as at present organized
 k merely d training school. and as fast as one man learns the business he leaves and anolhtl. must be train- ed