The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-12-11
OUR WAR UNPREPAREDNEss,

The report of the Secretary of War
is rather discouraging on the general
efficiency Of the army. More officers are
needed. Desertions mum bercd 1864, al.
though this was a considerable decrease
from the report of a year ago.
The health of the army is good, but
the cost of maintaining il per capita is
enormously above the like cost in the
armies of Europe. 1t appears from this
report that the approximate cost per
capita of putting recruits into the ranks
of the army, amounts to $50.42.
There were 1873 enlistmncts dur
ing the year, of which 1868 were re.
enEstments, and 10,705 were first en-
listments. The total roster of the army
amounts to S7.276 men.
A good word is spoken for the organ.
lied militia. but the Secretary pleads
for new law of better efficiency for
organizing volunteer forces in case of
war.
good word is spoken for the ef-
forts of the troops in suppressng forest
fires. and in fact the morale of the army
is highly praised. There is lacking,
however. in the judgment of the Secre-
tary. the spirit of advancement and en-
terprise in Congress toward the army
as compared with what it should be.
This lack Of an enterprising and IN
telligent support of the army on the
part Of Congress is fairly illustrated by
the condition of military aeronautics
with us as compared with Germany and
France. The Secretary says with re
gret that
The United States. which was the first
nation officially 10 recognize the aero
plane for military purposes. and which
conducted at Fort Myer, in 1908. the first
public flight OF a heavier than air ma
chine. has since that date made no ad-
diton TO its aeronautical equipment
which at present consists of one small
practice dirigibe balloon. one Wright
aeroplane, and three small captive bal
looms, nor to its trained personnel the
Signal Corps at present having but one
lieutenant and nine enlisted men OH duty
in connection with aeronautics There
Is but one officer who is licensed pilot
for free balloons
The Secretary then discusses the aues.
tion Of dirigible balloons, and airships,
as to which will best prove to be useful
in warfare. He notets the conservative
contention that this country had bet.
ter postpone experiments and expendi.
lures in this line until the art has
the efforts of European powers This
is not the opinion Of the Secretary.
however. for he SAYS empbaticaIly: "In
my Judgment the time has come when
it would be wise to make appropriations
adequate for providing the Signal Corps
with reasonable number of the better
type Of machines for instruction pur-
poses and for fieldworb' ~
Decidedly we should say the Secre.
tary is right in this, and his request
for money to experiment in this line
ought, without question, to be granted.
The Secretary reports as to ordnance.
good efficiency in the Government shops,
but general shortage in actual artil-
lery. He calls attention to the fact
that the Chief of Ordnance reports the
supply of field artillery guns. carriages,
and ammunition inadequate, due largely
to lack of appropriations. The quan
tity of field artillery provided for to
date is proportionately less than that
of any other class of fighting equip
ment. The Secretary adds: "The types
needed have been developed, and some
of each are under manufacture, but the
appropriations do not permit of the
production of any considerable guam
tIty.' Which means that we are short
in the number of modern guns of first
quality, and short not because we do
not know how to make them, nor be-
cause we have not the facilities for
making them, but simply because Con-