Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-12-12
ARMY EST|MATE S
Secretary Taft on Increase in
Last Years Sum.
MILITARY ESTABLISHMENT
Will Require Appropriations for Per
manent Plants.
SYSTEM OF COAST DEFENSES
What is Now Needed to Be Done to
Perfect It, According to
Secretary.
SYSTEM OF COAST DEFENsEs

In his annual report the Secretary of War
says the estimates presented this year for
| the support of the military establishment
proper, involving chiefly things consumed
during the year, are $3.50, 1874 greater
than last years appropriations and $9,779,-
$500 greater than last years estimates.
Congress is also asked this year for con-
siderable increases in appropriations for in
vestment in permanent plans, such addi-
tional land for military posts, gun and NOR
tar batteries, fire control at for;ifica tons,
sites for Notifications and seacoast de-
lenses, searchlights for harbor defenses,
preservation and repair of Notifications,
classmates. galleries. etc, for submarine
mines, armament of Notifications, subma-
rine mines, fortified lions in lnsuiar posses
sions, submarine mines in insuiar possess
sions and buildings and grounds, Military
Academy, aggregating the sum of $14, 916,-
$780, %.
Secretary Taft again calls attention to
certain needs of the Artillery Corps, and
to emphasize the Importance of early action
to meet those needs, bebcause of the longer
time required and the greater consequent
difficulty of bringing this technical arm of
the service to the highest degree of eff
cheney.
Coast Defenses.
Apart from providing a sufficient person.
mel, the Secretary says, the most important
things that now remain to be done to per-
feet our system Of coast defenses are to
complete the submarine mine equipment,
to complete the installation of our system
of range and position, finding, and to pro-
vide for the necessary searchlights for har-
Dor defense at night. According to the
estimates of the national coast defense
board the total cost Of this work for the
United States will be s14,513,0s4 To this.
the Secretary says, should be added the
sum of s., O62, 664 to provide power plants
and electrical installation for use in con-
nection with both guns and mines.
The sending of an expeditionary force to
Cuba Of course, Secretary Taft says, In
wolves a. very. considerable expenditure for
army purposes additional to that which
would be necessary II the same force were
employed in their ordinary places of duty.
An itemized: account of such expenditures
is being kept by the department., and it
seems just and proper, says the Secretary
that the increased cost to the United States
of sending expeditionary forces to cuba
should be paid out Of the funds of the Gu
ban treasury.
Military Departments.
Secretary Taft makes the interesting an
nouncement that the military departments
are to be reorganiZed. There are now"
he says, -four geographical divisions in
the United States proper, each in the COM
mand OF major general The Philippines
constitute a division in command of a
major general. In the divisions within the
United States are nine departments. Ex-
perience shows that the Intervention of
major general in these geographical divt-
sions is not of any particular utility, and
merely increases the correspondence and
lengthens the time in which orders issued
from Washington reach the officers who are
to execute them It makes duplication
Of work and Increases the necessary cleri-
cal force This criticism is not true with
respect to the Philippines, where the neces-
sity for having military head of the divi-
sion is unQuestioned.
I'm the United States proper, however, in
the near future it Is expected to issue an
order abolishing divisions and bringing the
brigaIe generals commanding the depart
ments into immediate relation with the
War Department at Washington. Under
this arrangement major generals will be as
signed to the more important departments
and a number of general officers will then
be available to be put at the head of the
brigade posts, which 1t Is expected to es-
tablish, and also to be put in charge of the
great schools at Fort Leavenworth, Fort
Riley and the artillery school at Fort Mon
roe"
Further Legislation Needed.
Under the law of Congress creating the
international waterways commission its
Jurisdiction is limited to the waters whose