The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-02-18
MILITARY MATTERS;
 GUARD OF ALABAMA
] By D. ". McIVER.



 , like this. with its poor roads and great distances. is preposterous.
 The automobfie will hardly replace any of the engines of war now in use. but in Colonel scriven's opinion 1t. will become more and more valuable in the work of the signal service.
 We want ears of simple construction and powerful make" he goes on to say In an interview published In The New York Evening Post. They do not have to be exceptionally speedy. We would rather have cars that run stead fly and normally and are good. con- sistent hiil-climbers. A great difa- culty we have to content with is tho securing of good men to drive cars. We have to use enlisted men. and they are not generally intelligent enough to thoroughly understand one of the moro complicated designs. The day may come when we will have an automobile section, as we have balloon section And that reminds me of another use the motor car can be put to. It can tow the balloons around. We have al. ways used horse and wagon"
 Improving the Sights.
 Lieutenant George c. Lewis. 18th U. s. Infantry. while recognizing the sight on the 1905 model Springfield rifle as the best sight ever placed on
 
 tends 1t can be made still better oy certain changes. He points out in The Journal of the United States Cavalry Association that this sight has a peep of .05 inch diameter with white metal rays pointing to the aperture to aid in catching the peep with the eye Tho sight is In the wrong position-too ia, from the eyes for the best results. The standards yield either to the front or rear under shock. and so are not liable to damage. There Is an excellent slow motion wind gauge. but the windage must be altered with every change of range The standards have a rough sight-bar. and are also curved for a drift gauge. There Is no slow vertical motion. The front sight base Is rough ened to prevent the reflection of light
 Coast Artillery.
 Brigadier General Arthur Murray, Chief of Artillery of the United States Department. favorss the utilization of the militia of the several States to sup plement the scanty ranks of the field artillery of the regular army. He quotes from the report of the Secretary of War. in which the ground is taken that one of the most valuable services which can be rendered to the country
 
 made the easiest and most natural for 1t to render. is to supplement the regu- lar course of manning coast defenses in time of war.
 Mir. Root has pointed out the differ ence between the two elements of the National Guard, the one which desir- ed to perform its duty to the State but did not care to leave home unless ab- solute1y necessary. while the other was willing to go anywhere there might be | adventure and a chance to fight. General Murray expresses the hope 1 that this most important question will be taken up seriously by the author ities of the seacoast States in connect | ion with the War Department and Con- | gross, "and that certain proportion of 1 the troops in these States may be set aside for home-defense purposes, each | State providing the Coast Artillery re- serve and Coast-Defense Infantry that may be required for the defense of it's own coast lines Among the men in each coast State who would not care 1 to leave family and business interests, there are doubtless many electricians. machinists, civil engineers and others 1 constituting the best possible material for coast-artillery troops.
 "The plan should have for it's chief object the organization of these classes of men, into separate coast-artillery IIOtAPduACS III Ck1CH oldbO- u SuOulQ De kept in mind particularly, that the regimental organization Is not adapted to coast defense. and 1t Is recommend cd that in case any of the States con- 1 template the organization of coast-ar- tillerv reserves. they he advised of the War Department to adopt the organiza- ton now provided for the United States Coast Artillery-namely, a corps or- ganization of separate companies. This need not in any way interfere with the organization of these separaee compa- nies into battalions and regiments for administration purposes and for em- ployment as infantry. whenever desir- ed by the States or the United States It is recommended further that each separate coast-artillery company of the militia be linked for instruction 1 purposes in peace and armed for ser vice in war with the company of regu- lar coast artillery that is stationed con- vanientiv to the homo station of the former, and that the afiliation of the militia and regular companies be fos- teie ed in every way possible% In carry ing out such plans the officers and men of the regular coast-artillery compau- les should act as the coaches to or in-