The sun., 1909-12-02
WAR OFFICE CUTS ESTIMATES
DICKINSON FOL
Lows TAFTS INSTRUCTIONS.
Makes a Reduction of eil .A71. soO-says
Panama Canal wni Cost sSs8.1 =.
OOO-TOo Many Army Omcers Absent
From Commando on special Duty.

w,suISGT"S. Dec. lin his first
report Jacob NJ. Dickinson. Secretary
sof War, Informs President Taft that in
compliance with the Presidents lnstruc-
stions to cut estimates Of the amount Of
Appropriations required for the main.
scnance Of tho Government he has
reduced By siI ,422S00 the estimates
for the support OF the military estab-
slishnsnt for the fiscal year ending June
so, 1911. This reduction is from the
amount appropriated for the expenses OF
1.-The War Department for the current fiscal
year. which will end next June. There
u an increase in only one general item,
ard that Is a mere si4.5io for the expenses
OF the civil establishment under the
War Department.
The estimates for appropriations re-
Squired for the military establishment,
linoluding the support OF the army, the
Military Academy and the militia. are
reduced by % .s36. $50 as compared with
1.-THE estimates for 1910. aud 81 .O5: OO4 as
compared with the actual appropriation
for 1910 A tremendous cut was made
In the estimates fo- public works, incluti-
Nin6 fortiNcAtions. arsensls and military
-posts. 1t amounted to ss ,esc. .7ss. as COM
pared with the appropriations for. the
current year. but represented s2l, ,s38. .o4e
as compared with the estimates for the
current year.
Secretary Dickinson notes that the
Government has excavated just one-half
Of the portion OF the Panama Canal prof.
Scf (which remained after the French
abandoned the work. The French ex-
cavated 2I.sss. $40 cubic yards and the
United States has excavated 30, ,O02, 200
excavation 10 be done Mr. Dickinson
says that the. estimated cost Of sanitation
and civil government brings the grand
estimated total cost Of the canal to ss75.-
In the con,,arative!y brief period that
he has been at the head OF the War De-
partment Mr.. Dickinson has reached the
conclusion that the efficiency and disci-
pline of the army are suffering from the
fact that too many officers are absent
from their commands on special duty
He contends that the absence OF a merit
eystem OF advancement is not good for
the efficiency of the military organization
and speaks favorahly of a nillintroduced
70 Congress on President Iafts recon-
fetary OF War 20 increase the efficiencythy
the forced retirement OF officers who
can best he spared"
Mr.. Dickinson is not favorahly i'm
WctScu WIN the eHcCt OF LRc~pnystcaI
enitIrance trials for army officers estab-
lxRhed by order Of President Roosevelt
after an experience OF two years." he
says. lit is believed that the present
teets fall short OF accomplishing their
fun object He thinks that officers
should be required TO do a certain amount
os riding OF walking every weex instead
having TO undergo @ supreme test OF
as1urance covering period OF three days
Snce year.
II 10 recommended in the report that
the regular army and the militia should
be divided into territorial and tactical
dietricts. 50 that the forces in each dis
trict could combine in war practice.
Under his proposition it would be possible
70 concentrate eight army corps in the
United States.
Mr. Dickinson estimates that slI ,ess. .7ss
viii be required to complete seacoast
defenoes OF the insular possessions. This
includes nearly 5000, 900 for the Philip
pines. Honolulu and Pearl Harbor,
OF the use OF flying machines by the
army Mr.. Dickinson. without committing
: himself as To whether aerial locomotion
win prove valuable to armies in the field.
The fact must be recognized that all
hrst class Powers except the United
States are providing themselves system
atically with aerial heets, Germany and
France being notably in the lead" On
account Of the need OF reducing expenses
Mr.. Dickinson does not submit any esti-
mate for carrying on aerial navigation.
Among other things the Secretary Of
War wants Congress to consider the
question OF Government control Of wire
Hes telegraphy. wants appropriations to
Ocpduct Regular army and militia war
games NEXT year. and wants the rights
Of citizenship to be conferred on Porto
Ricans.