The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1906-12-01
COAST DEFENSE.
IS IN POOR
SHAPE
President Roosevelt Will Take
Up This Subject in His An.
nual Message.
THE PRESENT CONDITION, IT'S
SAIL, Is WPlURABlE
Increase Of Navy Simply Emphasizes
Necessity and Value Of Increase
Coast Defense-Richness and Wealth
of Our Ports Offers Considerable
Inducement to On Enemy.

Washington, n. c., Dec. l.-One of
the subjects of which President Roose-
welt will treat in his message to con-
gress will be the deplorable condition
of our coast defenses. Deplorable. not
so much through the lack of fortifica-
tions. guns or machinery, although
much remains to be done on all three,
but especially because Of the lack of
men necessary to keep the guns and
machinery in order in time Of peace,
to say nothing of manipulating them
should war break out. What the
president will have to say on this sub
ject will be short, but to the point.
and he will take firm stand in favor
of legislation calculated to remedy ex-
listing conditions. He has already
placed himself squarely on record,
and only six months ago addressed a
special letter to the senate, in which
he pointed out that the increasing i'm
portance and wealth of ports offered
more inducements to an enemy. Thee
fact that We now have navy does not
in any wise diminish the Importance
OF coast offences: on the contrary, it
emphasizes their value, and the neces-
sity for their construction" he said
recently: 1T is an accepted naval
maxim that navy can be used to
strategic advantage only when acting
on the offensive, and it en- be free to
eeeelpia aive-.dp,eati 60 shrdl cmfwb
so operate only after our coast de-
tense is reasonably secure and so rec
ognized by the country"
The president takes the ground that
the security and protection of our in
terests require the completion Of our
coast defenses. and that the plans of
the National Coast Defense Board
should receive the generous support
OF congress.
In his forthcoming message the
president will reaffirm his position, es-
pecially so far as pending legislation
providing for the reorganization of the
coast artillery is concerned. The SEN
ate committee on military affairs ha.
savorably reported bill to separate
the field artillery from the coast ar
sillery, on the ground that they are
two distinct branches OF the service.
The bill provides for the gradual in
crease during five years of 296 officers
and 5,043 men for the coast artillery,
and s5S for the field artillery. The
great trouble OF the coast artillery has
been to secure and keep trained cleo
tricians. engineers and firemen. It
will surprise many to know that most
of the cost of Notifications is for cleo
trical machinery, fire CONTROL" and
search lights, the fire control" being
the system Of telegraphic and tele-
phonic communication between forts
and batteries. and with observing sta
tons. Millions Of dollars have been
spent, and additional millions will be
spent to establish plants and install
costly electrical machinery, and yet
the cost of artillery is expected to take
care of them with enlisted men at $13,
SIS and $18 month. For example:
Sixty engineers are absolutely neces-
sary, and the bill provides for the
sary. and the bill provides for that
number at $3.50 per annum each. The
places Of these engineers are now FILL
ed by privates and non-commissioned