The daily morning journal and courier., 1906-03-06
MESSAGE TO CONGRESS
 ON COAST DEFENSES
Continued from First Page.)

Continued from First Page)
 'The board organized under the fore
 going provision of law, popularly known
 as the Endicott board, in it's report of January 29, 1886, cited the principles on
 which any system of coast defence | should be based, and clearly stated the
 necessity of having our important stra- tegic and commercial centers, made se- l cure against naval attacks. In determ-
 ming the ports that were in urgent
 need of defense, since a fleet did not
 exist for the protection of the mer-
 cEant marine, Notifications were pro-
 vided at every harbor O importance along the coast, and at several of the
 lake ports. For any particular harbor
 or locality the report specifics the ar
 maments to be used, the number of
 submarine mines and torpedo boats,
 with detailed estimates of cost for these
 various items. Tue proposed guns,
 mounts and supplements, were of types that seemed at that time best suited to accomplish the desired re- suits, based on the only data available, | namely, experiments and information of similar work from abroad.
 After the report was made part of
 the public records the development and adoption of suitable disappearing gun
 carriage caused the substitution of open
 supplements for the expensive tur-
 rets and armored easements, material ly reducing the cost of installing the
 armaments; the great advances in ord
 nance increasing the power and range
 of the later guns caused diminution
 in the number and calibre of the pieces
 to be mounted, and this fact combined
 with advances in the science of engln-
 eering rendered unnecessary to con
 struction of the expensive floating bat
 teries designed by the Endicott board
 for mounting gunse.to give sufficient
 fire for the defense of wide channels, or
 or harbors where suitable foundations
 could not be secured on land. Further
 more keeping pace with the gradual
 development and Improvement in the
 engines and implements of war, forti- fled harbors are equipped with rapid
 fire guns, and to a certain extent with power plants, searchlights and a sys
 tenn of fire control and the direction
 now essential adjuncts of a complete system of defense, though not so con- sidered by that board
 While the details of the scheme of defense recommended by the Endicott
 board G1ave been departed from, in making provision for later develop ments of war material the great value of it's report lies in the fact that 1t sets forth a definite and ineligible plan or policy upon which the very important work of coast defense should proceed and which is as applicable to-day as when formulated.
 "The greater effective ranges possf- ble with the later rifled cannon, the ne- oessity of thoroughly covering with gun fire all available waters of approach, and the growth of sea coast towns be- yond the limits of some of the military reservations have combined to move defensive works more to the front and many of the gun positions now occu- pied have been obtained from private ownership The cost of such sites has been large item in the present cost of fortifications and this purchase of land was not included in it's estimates by, the Endicott board.
 An examination of the report also discloses the fact that no estimates were submitted covering a supply of ammunition to be kept in reserve for the services of the guns that were rec commended due perhaps to the fact that a satisfactory power to give the energy desired and a suitable projectile to ac- complish the desired destruction of ar nor were still in experimental stages. These questions, however, are no long CT in doubt, and congress already has made provision for some of the ammu- hilton needed. The omissions in the estimates of the Endicott board and the changes in the details of it's plans have caused doubts in the minds of many as to the money that will be needed to defend completely our coasts by guns, mines and their adiuncts New localities are pressing their claims for defense. The insular possessions cannot be held unless the principal | ports, naval bases and coaling stations are fortified before the outbreak of war. These considerations have led me to ! appoint joint board of officers of the | army and navy to recommend the ar | mament, fixed and floating; mobile tor pedoes, submarine mines and all other 1 defensive appliances that may be nec- | essary to complete the harbor defense with the most economical and advan- | tageous expenditures of money; the board was further instructed to extend its examinations so as to include esti- | mates and recommendations relative to | the defenses of the insular possessions and to recommend the order in which | the proposed defense shall be completed | so that all the elements of harbor de- fense may be properly and effectively | co-ordinated.'
 "The board has completed it's labors. l and its report, together with a letter of | by the secretary of war, is herewith transmitted for the informa- | ton of the congress. It is to be noted | that the entrance to Chesapeake Bay,