The San Francisco call., 1908-03-17
ALLOWANCES FOR
FORTIFICATIONS
House Committee Reports Bill
Carrying SS,2l0,6l1
for Defenses
Estimates Submitted by the
War Department Pruned
Thirty Millions


tifications bill, carrying. total ap-
preparation of sS,21O.611 instead of the
s3s,443,945 asked for by. the war de-
partment. was reported today to the
house committee on appropriations by
Chairman Smith of the subcommittee
on fortifications. The subcommittee
believed, aside from other consfdera-
tions, that to recommend an appropria-
tion Of s3s,oO0000 for fortifications at
this time would be an action which
might be very reasonably construed by
Japan as an official declaration that the
United States was preparing against a
war with that nation.
The amount recommended by the
committee is larger than any which
has been annually appropriated since
the Spanish American war. The cut
ting down of the departments esti-
mates by s30,283,334 means. among
other things, that the committee has
recommended nothing for continental
United States, and has appropriated
mainly for the Hawaiian and Philip
pine islands The committee has turned
down entirely the departments pro-
posal for the fortification of Manila
harbor by the construction and fortifi-
cation of an artificial island and moth
ing Is carried TOT SuDlR pay
FEW HOUSE APPROPRIATIONS
The only points in continental
United States appropriated for in the
bill as revised by the committee are
Deception pass in Puget sound. Charles
ton, s. C., Pensacola, Fla, Mobile, Ala.
and various points where expenditures
are required for the installation OF
range finding apparatus.
the Hawaiian iSlaDdS l1y
everything is allowed that was recon-
mended by the Taft board. excepting
the fortihcation of Pearl harbor.
Provision is made for the fortifica-
tion of Carabaio island in Manila bay.
While the fortifcations bill never desig-
mates the particular points where ex-
penditures under it's appropriations are
TO be made. il is known that this years
bill, as revised by the committee, is in
tended to cover. among various pro-
jects, the following: For raRge finding
(fire controD in continental United
States. s270,000; for guns and implace-
ments at Deception pass, s573,00O; for
fortihcations at Honolulu, including
placing in a few additional mortars al
Pearl harbor. S1,100,o00; for fortifica-
tions In the Philippines, $1,94s.ooo.
ESTIMATES PRUNED
The following brief and incomplete
comparison gives an idea of the way
the war departments estimates were
pruned in the committee: For the Phil
ippine islands $6,4S9,000 was asked.
This includes s3,5O0,O00 for the con-
struction and fortif1cation OF an arti-
fetal island in Manila bay, which was
entirely disallowed. and 100000 for
fire control. which was cut to 100000
The department wanted $3,000,0o0 for
Pacific coast cannon in the insular pos
sessions and was given 100000. For
implacements in continental United
States, s4.247,000 was asked for. and
only $4,000 allowed; for fire control
S1,6S5,000. which was cut to $4,000
for supplying electric current for bat
terry and other uses $1,000,000, cut to
100000.
The department estimated s3,4SS,00C
to be necessary for the purchase of new
sites for batteries in the United States
The committee decided that $1.000,00O
would be sufficient allowance. For
new searchlights s1.ooo,000 was asked
The bill as revised allows only $4,000
For the lining of easements in torpedo
plants the sum of $464,964 was esti-
mated This was trimmed down to
sl75O 600 light hundred thousand dol
lars was designated for the purchase
of mountain. field and siege guns. The
committee allowed only 100000. Fol-
seacoast guns in continental United
States the department wanted s2,6S0.00
and got s27S,00O. For reserve ammuni-
ton for seacoast guns s1,000,000, which
was cut to $325,000.
Two hundred thousand dollars was
considered by the department as
necessary appropriation for purchase
and experiment with flying machines
This estimate was thrown out entirely
the committee deciding that the so4,O0C
balance on hand for that purpose, plus
the $50, 900 regular allowance, should
be more than necessary TO meet all de-
partment demands in this line for the
present.
PACIFIC COAST ITEMS
The bill carries many items relating
to the Pacific coast. 1t was developed
at the hearing that Puget sound was
badly in need of defenses. Most of the
$500 600 carried in the bin for construc-
tion of batteries was allotted for fire
control stations, the greater portion OF
II for San Francisco. That work there
is nearly completed. The $4,000 al
lowed for searchlights will be used fol-
Pacific coast ports. The committee
allows ss175,000 for casemates, cable
gallery and torpedo storehouses and
other structures for submarine mines
which VIII pe expended on tne racine
coast The cost of such work would
give San Diego sS6,S14, San Francisco
$4,000. Columbia river s30.400 and Pu-
get sound $13.S00. The bill grant.
$40o,oo0 for seacoast batteries in Ha.
wall. The total cost of these batteries
would be much greater. There will bs
mortar batteries both at Diamond heac
and Pearl harbor. and IL inch guns al
Pearl harbor.
Two IA inch guns will be placed a.
the entrance to Honolulu harbor, OF
the island at the edge of the town.