Lewiston evening teller. [volume] (Lewiston, Idaho) 1903-1911, 1908-12-10
HARDWARE MYERS & TOPPING cRockERY

fined in the military prison at Fort
Leavonworth. Kansas, instead OF at
military posts; more strenuous ef-
fcrts are made to apprehend and to
punish deserters, and the method of
making enlistments has been chang.
ed.
Very satisfactory results he states
are shown in the target practice OF
the coast artillery. In 1906 about
l6 times as many hits were made as
in 1900 under the same conditions,
and the results for the years 1907
ard 1908 show marked improvement
Ger 1906.
The secretary submits an estimate
OF 100000 to enable the signal
corps to take up military aeronautics
ir more effective way than It has
done in the past. He reviews the
progress of aerial navigation dur
ing the past year and gives 1t great
prominence as a military auxiliary
Congress is asked for consider
investment in permanent military
tories, fire control at Notifications,
electrical installations at seacoast
Notifications, searchlights for har-
Dor defenses, and other accessories
for coast defense, preservation and
repair Of Notifications, repair and
protection Of defenses at Pensacola.
Fla, and New Orleans, La, defenses
of Galveston, Tex, armament for for
tificatons, Notifications in insular
possessions, and additional land for
military posts. These various items
in connection with permanent mill
tary plants call for increased appro-
priatios of $1S,S6S,927. of which
amount about so per cent s asked for
coast defense works, for which about
$9,5OO,OOO Is required for the United
States and $5.4O0,OO0 for the insu-
lar possessions.
i The secretary refers to the good
results accomplished by legislation
enacted at the last session of con
gress to promote the efficiency OF tbs
militia. The principal effect of the
new law, he says, is to make( tht
body of the organized militia of the
several states. territories and the
District Of Columbia more immedi.
ately and generally serviceable to
the federal government in the time
Of war. Having in mind the desir.
ability Of being prepared for any at
tack that might be made ON one or
both of the coast lines, he recon.
mends that the general scheme OF
national defense shall provide force
of organized militia Of approximate
ly $4,000 men, 100000 of these in
combination with the infantry. cav
airy and field artillery of the regular
! army to constitute field army OF
100000. He estimates that about
75 per cent OF 1900 onicers and
r,en in the organized militia would
respond to a call to arms. and OF the
number responding small percent
age would be eliminated probably by
physical disqualifications. 1t Is es-
timated that a little more than GO
per cent-that is about $1,000,
would be available at present in the
case Of an emergency.
The secretary states that the re-
suit OF careful study in the war de-
partmert shows that in the event OF
war with any first-class power we
would need at least 100000 men for
first line OF defense. and that as the
| regular army is limited to 10000
men. It ould be necessary to draw
| $50. 900 men from the organized mi
litia. He suggests that II might be
we'll for the general government "a
! stimulate this result bv increasing
he annual appropriations for the
! equipment Of the militia and for
general rnaneuvers Of the militia with
| the regular army.