The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-12-17
COAST DEFENSE
NOT EFFICIENT
Time Necessary to Better Con-
ditionS Not a Question of
Weeks, but of Years.
GEN. MURRAY'S REPORT
ADDITIONAL OFFICERS AND MEN
NEEDED.


defense and the artillery are bad
ly deficient in both personnel and ma
terial, neither is in even approximately
proper condition for instruction in time
Of peace. much less in condition for rea-
sonably efficient service in war, and the
time necessary to put either in the lat
ter condition is not matter of days or
weeks. but of years"
Brigadier General Arthur Murray, chief
of artillery, thus summed up the con-
dition of his arm of the service in his
annual report made public today. He
says it cannot be too strongly urged that
appropriate legislation be obtained to
make good the deficiencies and to correct
the defects referred to.
Estimate of Cost.
The total cost of the present system
of coast defense Of the United States to
Feb y last General Murray says was
s72. 40, sos. and the estimated cost to COM
plete the defense of the United States,
including estimates for ammunition and
other necessities, is S50,S79, 339. The
deduction is made that clearly more than
half the work IF coast defense has been
completed. The three elements of de-
Tense most needed and which will secure
the greatest measure of public safety at
the least cost, General Murray says, are
the completion of the installation OF the
improved system of range and position
finders fer all guns and mortars mount
ed. The providing of necessary search
lights for harbor defense at night and
the completion of the submarine mines
equipment of all fortified ports.
The proper defense of insular ports and
the entrances to the Panama canal Il
is estimated, will cost s1s,S ,S95 in the case
of the former and s4S27. 6S2 for the lat
ter.
Submarine Mines.
The value of submarine mines as an
element Of hsrbOr defense General Muir
ray saws, has been demonstrated. and he
maintains the view that the system adopt
ed by the United States army is prac-
ideally perfect as war weapon. Being
under complete electrical control from
the shore, he says. line or mines may
be rendered instantly destructive to an
enemy or harmless to passing friendly
vessels. Therefore. he adds, having SO
many guns and mortars already mounted
in the United States. it is believed that the
! greatest amount of harbor defense at the
! least cost can he procured by the COM
/ pletior of the mine defense of all for
/ titled harbOrs OF the United States.
! I'VE cannot afford General Murray
| further states. ''to wait for war before
completing our mine defense, but must he
prepared beforehand"
Trained Men Necessary.
/ But even then he says. a complete
/ equipment would be OF unless
there was a trained personnel 10 plant
the mines. maintain them intact and ex-
plode them at the proper instant in ac-
ton.
The desira ability of separation of coast
and field artillery. General Murray says,
is most apparent. He says:
THE combination of the coast and field
artillery into corps, as is now done, is
not only unsound as a military principle,
but the frequent Interchange of officers
between these tactiCally = related arms
/ * considered tic be clearly Etrimental 70
the efficiency of BOTH
If a reasonable standard of efficiency,
he says. is to be maintained by the ar
additional officers and men for the pur-
pose Of manning the submarine defenses.
He contends that 4 regimental organZ1-
ton should be provided for the field ar
/ tillery. and finally that certain new grades
should be provided with appropriate pay
connected Herewith for expert enlisted
men OF coast artillery
Present System Inadequate.
Pointing out that it will require 227S
Officers and 551f0 men to provide one
relief for all the coast defenses construct
ed and proposed in the United States, at
the entrances of the Isthmian canal and
in the insular possessions. General Muir
raw remarks that under the present sys-
tenn it would be ifnpra cticable to furnish
this number. Therefore he says attention
must be directed to some plan that VIII
supply nj the outbreak of war the de-
ficiency from the old militia. He thinks
that most of the non-expert class of ar
tillerymen may he thus supplied. as well
( as a number of second class expert ar
tillerymen drawn from these forces IN
the states which give special tralnInS
I to its guards in coast artillery du-
ties.