The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1906-11-30
Will Be One of the Subjects
Treated Upon In the {
Presidents Message.
Reorganization of the Coast
Artillery Favored By
the Executive.
GREAT NECESSITY EXISTS FOR
MORE AND HIGHER sALARlEp
MEN TO TAKE CARE OF lNTRI.
GATE MACHINERY OF WAR IN
TIME OF PEAcE-THousANps
MORE NEEDED.

Washington, d. c., November o.
One Of the subjects Of which President
Roosevelt will treat in his message
to congress will be the deplorable con-
ditioR OF our coast defenses. Deplor-
able, not so much through the lack of
notifications, guns or machinery, al
though much remains to be done on
all three, but especially because Of the
lack of men necessary to keep the
guns and machinery in order in time
OF peace, to say nothing of manipu-
lating them should war break out.
What the president will have to say
on this subject will be short but to
the point and he will take a firm
stand in favor of legislation calculated
to remedy existing conditions. He has
already placed himself squarely on
record, and only six months ago adj
dressed special letter to the senate
in which he pointed out that the in
creasing Importance and wealth of
our ports offered more inducement to
an enemy. The fact that we now
have navy does not in any wise
diminish the Importance of coast de-
lenses; on the contrary it emphasizes
their value. and the necessity for their
construction" he said recently. at
it an accepted naval maxim that a
navy can be used to strategic advan-
tage only when acting on the often
siye, and it can be free to so operate
only when our coast defense is reason
ably secure and so recognized by the
country"
The president takes the ground
that the security and protection of
our interests require the completion
Of our coast defenses, and that the
plans of the national coast defense
board should receive the generous
support of congress.
In his forthcoming message the
president will reaffirm his position, es-
pecially so far as pending legislation
providing for the reorganization Of
the coast artillery is concerned. The
senate committee on military affairs
has favorably reported bill to sep
arate 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 in
crease during five years of 296 off,
GERS and 5,043 men for the coast ar
tillery. The great trouble of the coast
artillery has been to secure and keep
trained electricians, engineers and
flremen. 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
telegraphic and telephone communica.
ton between forts and batteries. and
with observing stations. Millions Of
dollars have been spent, and addition
al millions will be spent to establish
power plants and install costly cleo
trical machinery. and yet the coast
artillery is expected to take care Of
them with enlisted men at $13, SIS
and SIS a month For example, sixty
engineers are absolutely necessary,
and the bill provides for that number
at $3.50 per annum each. The places
of these engineers are now filed by
privates and non-commissioned on
GERS, the pay of the highest being SIS
per month. AS such engineers can
get from SIS to 800 per month in
L., oIv srr,rN C1h 80
get the men to re-enlist after they once
qualify as engineers, and thus the
costly and intricate machinery of our
coast defenses is almost constantly In
the hands of untried men. In add
ton, the work of constantly breaking
in new men is extremely trying to the
officers, and discouraging to those
who are attempting TO bring the coast
artillery to a high state of efficiency.
A private statement of the condi-
ton of the coast defenses of twenty
eight fortified ports shows that to
man them with one shift OF officers
and men, that is to say, each man at
his proper station, would require 40
CTS men, and 1884 officers. There are
today available at the different forts
1918 men anu oOt ohhCeIS, sCdICciy
enough to keep the guns and ma
chinery from rusting.
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 1otten. Schuyler.
Continues on second Pase.)