New-York tribune., 1906-12-17
CALLS ARTILLERY WEAK.
General Murray Says 1t Could Not
GiUe Reasonable Good Service.

Washington, Dec 16-"Both the coast and the
field artillery badly deficient in both per-
sonnel and material: neither is In even approx
mately proper condition for instruction in time
of peace much less in condition for reasonably
efficient service IN war and the time necessary
to put either in the latter condition is not
matter of days weeks, but Of years"
Brigadler General Arthur Murray chief Of
artillery. thus sums up the condition of his arm
OF the service in his annual report, which is
made public to-day. and in which he says 1t
cannot be too strongly urged that appropriate
legislation be obtained to make good the de-
fciencies and to correct the defects referred to-
The total cost of the present system Of coast
defence OF the United States to February 27
last General Murray says, was s72.750.S53. and
the estimated cost TO complete the defence OF
the United States. including estimates for am
munition and cost of sites, is s5o.879S39. From
these figures the deduction is made that con-
sderably more than half the work of coast de-
fence has been completed. The three elements
OF defence most needed, which will give the
greatest measure OF public safety at the least
cost, General Murray says. are the completion
of the installation of the approved system of
range and position finding for all guns mounted.
the providing Of necessary searchlights for
harbor defence at night and the completion OF
harbors.
The proper defence Of insular ports, It is esti-
mated, will cost s1s,S73,S95. and the entrance to
the Panama Canal, $4,S27,6 ,6S2
The value OF submarine mines as an element
OF harbor defence, General Murray says has
been demonstrated and he maintains that the
system adopted by the United States army is
practically perfect as weapon. Being
under complete electrical control from the shore,
he says line of mines may be rendered In
stantIy destructive TO enemy harmless
TO passng friendly vessels. Therefore he adds
having many guns and nortars already
mounted in the United States, 1t is believed that
the greatest amount of harbor defence at the
least cost can be procured by the completion
of the mine defence of all fortified harbors of the
United States.
further states. Ito wait for before com
plettng our mine defence but must be prepared
beforehand"
But even then, he says a complete equipment
would be of no use unless there were trained
personnel to plant the mines, maintain them
intact and explode them at the proper instant
General Murray calls attention to the matter
Of providing power plants for use in connection
with both guns and mines. The desirability of
separation of coast and field artillery. General
Murray says, is apparent.
The combination Of the coast and field
tiiiery into a CORPS as is now done" he says.
lis not only unsound as a military principle,
but the frequent interchange of officers between
these tactiCally nIelated arms is considered to
If a reasonable standard of efficiency, he says,
is TO be maintained by the artillery. it Will DO
necessary to provide additional officers and men
for the purpose of manning the submarine de-
fences. He contends that a regimental OrGaniZa-
ton should be provided for the field artillery.
and finally that certain new grades should be
provided with appropriate pay connected there
with for expert enlisted men of coast artillery.
Previous recommendations for boats for ar
tillery work exclusively renewed.
Pointing out that it will require ITS officers
and 0J,110 men TO provide one relief for all the
coast defences constructed and proposed in
the United States, at the entrances of the 18th
milan canal and in the lnsuar possessions, Gen
eral Murray remarks that under the present
system it would be inpracticable to furnish this
number Therefore he says attention must DO
directed to some plan that will supply at the
outbreak OF war the deficiency from the or
ganized militia. He thinks that most Of the
non-expert class of aTtUerymen may he thus
supplied. we'll as number of second class eX-
pert artillerymen drawn from those forces in
the states which give special training to their
guardsmen in coast artillery duties.