New-York tribune., 1908-12-10
ARMY AND IT'S NEEDS
MR.. WRTGHT'S REPORT.
Asks 619 More OfcerS-Coast De
fences and Militia.

Uyoebtrg+op Dec. s-The total estimates OF the
War Department for the next fiscal year, aS
shown by the annual report Of Secretary w
amount to Sls9 75.OSs. increase OF aDoul S'o ,
Op0 over the appropriations for the present -
,aar This increase is largely for river ana lial-
bor work and other public works OF d ci'ii .,
acter for which about s24O0O,O" is aSAeu' -
remainder about S10.500 900 IS an addltona' -.
for the support of the army, the MlntaIy I1oS t
and the militia For military puohc +b
as forti6cattons arsenals military posts, etc. '
estimates call for increase Of NhSVWo
Secretary Wright especially recommends an al-
7f+on of 612 officers to the army ana also 1Pp =
a noIicv for the elimination from the seI
all oeicers who fail to maintain the requisite s'
81 80 eelc,encv Both Of these propositions We
before Congress at its last session. ~
strongly urged this year ., +he m
o,-oidab1e detachment of officers from tner res
lar service with troops At present ta, h
detached duty 691 officers. and lo' I,..,s.s
sent on leave or on account OF SICKNESS 80
80. - ~ ,ao+,ona court martial service ana
numerous other kinds of special duty thousn $500 -.
porary in character, make a coisiuei - ~,
in the number of officers that are con''' zs
available for regular service with thelr 80
He adds that 1t would be measure OF "iso ',red
~, +o rrovde an extra number of hlghy eau-Pp a1S
/ offfcers for these added duties TO ProVlu +bars
$40 additional officers, the secretary - ooo noo
LIN ba added an annual cost OF between NA'O'
and s., 100000. .ao,o,ov of
Another method Of increasing the enCio not .ta
the army is TO eliminate officers VINO ~ A - s,,b
highest qualifications. The present ID" O .o,,,
,ac+ does not apply above the grace ol Itsb
- a. e. setd has utterly failed TO accoIlPllsiA
a.. n,rnose except IN cases of physlca! olSaOy -,
~ raror+ shows that the army is no" Oiit'
oo+ 1fs+od men short Of the authorized suene'i-'
a. - e-rsat Improvement in recruiting. III '
- ~. hos heen an increase IN the aC'1di
te,+b ~ the army of 19.16s making tne preSeitt
strength 4116 officers and 6S'o1z eni'l @ " s-,-z -
total of 7262s. OF this number o0to1 ,5,'~,a t1
,oog 4, cuba I 1O2 in Alaska, 611 IN Porto tHOo'
9Es IN Hawaii with 551 troops en- route ana oilice
at other foreign stations 49, es.aI
car ended June 80 1905 exclusive OF the hoSpl'dl
corps and Philippine scouts, was 4I'4oo- ~ - -
r,,r17har 1743 were re-enlistments and zS''@o W.
original enlistnlents. The percentage Oh ratlL ,.
5,-bita and negro) among the Original ems -
was IS; of the total number of enilstmehls,
- ..t,-o horn \ $50 were of foreign birth' u
80 rrdfans % were born IN the Philippine ISL
ands (enIisted re-enlisted for Dahu .+I
ard % were born in Porto Rico. or ule 'o'a4
number 80 953 were white and 1,3l were HeeiO-
IT.. ,,,,,to- of desertions fell off to AS per cent
- tho whole number of enlisted men in the service
as compared with 56 per cent IN the preceu. +ooa
year The number of desertlons was les9 -
than during fiscal year since ~. 80 -. 1one
counts for this Improvement by the f1l tila' Ce
+a-, military convicts are confined IN tle mn
tarv prison at Fort Leavenworth' Kansas -
of at military posts more strenuous -, -
made to arrest and punish deserters' anu l"e
o5 of making enstments has been chdhseu
,+fafoc+orv results are shown in the target prac-
+ioa of the coast artillery. In 1906 about sixteen
times as many hits were MADE as IN 1'VO - ,ooT
same conditions and the results for the yes 1'''
and 1908 show marked improvement over L9oo
- coo-a+arx- subnits an estimate Of S5OO'ooo 10
enable the signal corps to take UP military hero-
nautcs in more effective way tlah l. H1 -,
in the past He reviews the progress OF aerla n1
cation during the last year ano gives II ete ~
Dortance as a military auxlllary, l.,
Congress is asked for O conslderaOle -
the aDproprIations for permanent niillUaIE p'0t
such as gun and mortar batteries hre 0. 0oi1'4o
+o-+i6oatfons electrical installations al sedCoas.
tr+teco+iore searchltghts for harbor defences ana
otber accessories Of coast defence preserV A
renair Of Notifications, repair and protecIoh OI 10
fences at Pensacola and New Orleans defences al
Galveston armament for fortihcations. foruhca-
+,ops n fnsuIar possessions and additional land for
military Dosts These items In connection with
permanent military plants call for increased aPpio
riations of SIS 86s 927 of which about % per cent
is asked for coast defence works, about $s5oo'oW
being required for the Unlleo STATES anu '''+0'
for insular possessions.
The Secretary refers to the good results accom-
rrsbe5 nv legislation enacted at the last session
Of Congress TO promote the efficiency of the nlua-
The principal effect of the law, he says IS 10
make the body of the organized militia OF the
several states, territories and the Ds'rlcI Oh CoN
hia more Immediately and generally seFFCeap'o ~
the federal government in time Of war having III
attack that might be made one or botn OF the
coast lines he recommends that the genera scI-eIle
of national defence shall provide force OF oIsi1l
Ted militia of approximately 10000 men, 5o'Vo Oh
,l,eo =, combination with the infantry. cavalry
ord field artillery of the regular army 10 CoHsIi-
80 . cold army Of 10000 He estimates that ABOUT
y ,er cent of the l11O0O officers and men IN the
rartzed militia would respond to a call OF arms
Cd of the number responding small percentage
,16 he eliminated probably by physical disquall-
eoa+ior II is estimated that little more than co
-e- cent-+bat is about 6L000-would be aVailaoie
st nresent in case OF an emergency
The Secretary says that the result or careIIuA
study, in the War Department shows that IN the
event Of war with any first class power at Ie1S-
qzo Gao men would be needed first line of de-
fence and that the regular army Is Hihlteu 70 70
100 ono men I would be necessary to draw 10000
men from the organized militia. He suggests thaN
# might he we'll for the government to stimulate
bt ras,71t b increasing the annual appropriations
for the equipment of the militia and for generaI
17anoeuvres of the militia with the regular army.
In his report on the Philippines Secretary wright
saws that the postal savings bank shows continued
and increasing success. At the end of the fiscal
wear 1903 there were 1886 depositors against 1916 at
t1a end Of 1901 Gratifying progress has been made
in the. construction of railroads in the islands In
Panay 80 miles and in Cebu nearly 90 miles already
have a regular passenger and freight service un-
der oneration. Omtting items of refundable char
acter Philippine revenues from all sources fer the
fiscal wear 1903 show an increase the preceding
year of 1858 O7O AZ and a total of $17,59S559 81
The total value of imports into the Philippine Isl
ands for the year the report states. shows an in
crease of little more than S2.00O000 1907 and
reaches total Of SSo9lS357. The exports fall short