New-York tribune., 1906-12-11
OF ARTILLERY.
What Is Needed for the Proper
Defence of the Country.
To the Editor OF The Tribune.

To the Editor OF The Tribune.
Sir: There is bill before Congress Oh. f.
7S4). ITO reorganIze ana to increase the efficiency
OF the artillery of the United States Army
The artillery corps az present consists of 126
companies Of coast and thirty batteries Of field
tiIIery. The artillery is charged with the
and OF the dXeI and movable elements
Of land and coast forUications including the sub
marine mine and torpedo defences- The heId artil
lery is the artillery whicn accompanies army n
the fed and includes light. horse, siege and noun
tain artillery
This bill provides:
First-For an increase in the coast artillery OF
forty-four companies and in the field artillery OF
six batteries.
be permanently separated
Th-d-That the pay OF errain enlisted be
increased by a small amount
The questions 20 be considered are:
FIrsr-Why should the coast artillery be IN
creased?
second-Why should the field artillery be In
T1lTd-Why. should the two branches be sepa-
Fourth-why should the pay Of certain be
AS TO the first question: In the summer OF 1905
tie vicinity OF Chesapeake Bay and included the
defences OF Washington. Baltimore and Hampton
Tie garrtsons at these places were all coast art-
pr5vtde Tor one reef for The proper operation Of
the elements Of defence it was necessary 70 send
o1s additional troops into the exercise area ana
these additional troops were drawn from I4e forts
along Qle ALdIJC ana Gun COdSLS rum Mains "
Florida practically stripping those ports which
were not concerned in the exercises These GER
NJ su0s-i1,S | defanoes must be ready 10
yvirbSrsn1 the frst attaCkto DELAY the enemy and
give TINS for preparation urgently needed else
No can The militia mill a 2e 0oed a66f to b TO 9gBDy tas
@ aecghfy n ne AZ ~ sSas fbe mifa as bodR do not
care 10 cooperate with the coast artillery.
oruit does not become of any real value to the
~rr, FyaFrr rrrFr SIX
which there are many from one TO two years.
% oa " hear gYe te f Br6 foasy 6f a s 0e a
tacks and 10 form a nucleus Tor d war increase.
Gus defe1t Il would lay open our large harbors
- ~, L-le Els @ u & 80 j ~ s1-i1 Jee-ea -alT1ri+,
efficiency OF cur navy IN no s!1lt ueSSs IellILlus
that it act the defensive instead OF the offensive
secsndIThe field artillery would be increased by
only six batteries. or six regiments Of six batteries
the other two arms stin less than that OF the
The aeld artillery in the Russo-Japaness war
played highly important part: and with the ad-
field artillery viii be called upon to do stIll more.
ThIrd-The two branches have nothing in COM
mon. The training is entirely different IN each
ana the work required Of one would never be re-
sented 10 the coast are separate ana dsunct from
in the coast artillery which require knowledge OF
electricity machinery and mathematics
The pay OF the coast artillery soldier is the
a. as 1i ssrSea5t o me sg month with Certain small IN
He may by passing a rigid examination, con-
Quoted by board OF three officers be able TO
classify as g first or second class gunner-the
former paying g and the latter 81 month.
The scope OF this examination is large. and In
cludes a thorough knowledge OF the duties OF a
gunner az the guns and in the plotting room call
ing for no small knowledge Of machinery, cleo
tricitv. powders. Instruments, cOrdage. etc II
usually 2 requires yeors years instruction for man 10
Cases are common in recent years where M ar
tillery soldier. by taking a course at OF the
correspondence schools, IN conjunction with the
technical training and three years practical
perience received during his enlistment. has been
able 70 fit himself for some well paid position IN
civil life, the most usual being that Of craftsman
electrician naChulst.
This only thing. that the pay OF
the soldier is not a sufficient inducement to cause
re-enllstment, and the service thereby loses val
uable and efficient soldier, at the time when his
enlistment would be OF great value TO the coast
artillery
The training given these is such as cannot
he dupliCa ed in civil life. and there is a constant
demand for them from those firms who want
disciplined. capable and practical to fill posi-
tl0ns requiring skill and experience.
The Senate committee has passed favorabry Vpon
this bill and IL is before the House Of Repre-
sentatlves for action. IT is TO he hoped that the
true conditions OF the coast artillery will be laid
before II clearly and Concsev. that the members
NAV realize the great importance this measure
bears TO the defenoes Of our seacoast and the eff
ciencv 81 coast artillery. ARTILLERY.
T1~ty 0pr