East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1906-12-04
BILL TO STRENGTHEN COAST DEFENGES

In his forthcoming message the
president will reaffirm his position
especially SO far as pending leglsla-
ton providing for the reorganization
OF the coast artillery is concerned.
The senate committee OH military af-
fairs has favorably reported a bill to
separate the field artillery from the
coast artillery, on the ground that
they are two distinct branches of the
service.
The bill provides for the gradual
increase during five years of 2a6 Of
ficers and 504S men for the coast ar
tillery and S5S for the field artillery.
The great trouble of the coast ar
tillery has been TO secure and keep
trained electricians, engineers and
firemen. 1t will surprise many to
know that most of the cost of fortifi-
cations is for electrical machinery,
fire control" and search lights, the
fire control" being the system of tel
egraphic and telephone communica-
tion between forts and batteries. aud
with observing stations. Millions OF
dollars lave hsan spent, and addi-
tional millions will be spent TO estab-
lish power plants and install costly
electrical machinery, and yet the coast
artillery is expected to take care of
them with enlisted men at S1S, SIS
and SIS a month.
For example: 60 engineers are alb
solutely necessary, and the bill pro-
vides for that number at $3.50 per an
mum each. The places of these en-
gineers are now filled by privates and
non-commissioned officers, the pay of
the highest being SIS per month.
Poor Pay in Army.
As such engineers can get from SIS
10 500 per month in private life, st
is almost impossible TO get them to
rc-enlist after they once qualify as en-.
gincers, and thus the costly and intri-
cate machinery Of our coast defenses
Is almost constantly in the hands of
untried men. In addition, the work
of constantly breaking in new men is
extremely trying to the officers, and
discouraging to those who are. at
tempting TO bring the coast artillery
10 a high state of efficiency.
4 private statement of the condi-
tion of the coast defenses of 2S for
titled ports shows that OF man them
with one shift Of officers and men,
that is to say. each man at his proper
station, would require 40 675 men, and
1884 officers. There are today avail
able at the different forts 1918 men
and 257 officers, scarcely enough to
keep the guns and machinery from
rusting
Large Force Required.
Commercial interests in general
and especially those concerned with
shipping and terminals at our great
ports will be interested in this matter
If they take the trouble to investigate
the facts. Take New York. for in
stance, with Forts Totten, Schuyler
Slocum, Wadsworth, Hamilton and
Hancock, equipped with big guns
torpedoes, search lights. etc. 1t would
requires PA officers and 5662 men to
man these forts alone, without pro-
viding for any relief whatever. That
is more than tWc-thirds Of all the
Officers and half Of all the men now
engaged in taking care of all the coast
defenses of the entire United States.
Other cities present interesting sta
tistics. There is San Francisco. the
terminal Of the Hartman and other
great transcontinentaI lines, and from
which the ships OF the Pacific Mail
and other trans-Pacific lines carry our
goods to ;he orient.
Cost l. Enormous.
To defend San Francisco are Forts |
Foster, Miley, Parry, Baker. Bacon