El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-12-10
ANNUAL REPORT OF
THE SECRETARY
Of WAR
Continued From Previous Page.


CONTINUED From Previous Page).
of the better type OF machines for in
struction purposes and for fieldwork.
Fortifications.
The secretary refers to Notifications
of the various coast cities, Manila and
Honolulu harbors and says it will cost
S19.000,00O ard over to fortify the Pan
anna canal and recommends that steps
be taken for the work.
The secretary calls attention to the
fact that the entrance to Chesapeake
bay, one Of the most important points
strategically on the Atlantic sea coast,
is wholly unfortified. not a single gun
being mounted to defend the channel
between Cape Charles and Cape Henry.
At another important point-the east
ern, entrance to Long Island Sound
additional guns are needed. Except for
these instances, so far as guns alone
are concerned the sea coast defences
at all home ports are in very salts
factory state, but much remains to be
done in providing such auXiliaries as
search lights and in developing the fire
control system, which will require
about 100000 of expenditure.
Short on Artillery.
artillery guns, carriages and arr1muni-
ton, due largely TO lack of appropria-
tions. This shortage of field artillery
material is the most serious feature of
the present military situation and one
that should be Immediately corrected.
Raising the Maine
As q result of preliminary investi-
cation, the board decided upon a way to
raise the sunken battleship Maine. 1t
provides for the construction Of a cof-
ferdam of inferlocking steel piling.
within which the wreck is to be first
exposed by unwatering and the removal
Of everything material, in order to per-
NIT, if desired, Of a thorough examina-
ton of the condition Of the wreck in
its present position While it is eX-
pected that the appropriation of $780,
600 will accomplish all the preliminary
work contemplated at present. the act
ual removal of the wreck and the res
'toratfon of the harbor TO its original
condition viii require further appro-
priation.
The Organized Militia.
The strength of the organized militia,
as reported at the annual inspections, is
e155 officers and 110,505 enlisted men. a
net increase of 734 over last year. This
includes 40 regiments, nine separate
batta1ions. seven separate companies of
infantry. SO troops of cavalry, 81 bat
teries of field artillery and 112 compan-
les Of coast artillery.
The last annual inspections estab
Iished, in a general way. the fact that
the organized militia of the United
States conforms practically in organi-
cation and equipment TO the organiza-
ton and equipment of the regular army,
and while it may be considered as
general proposition that there is a fair
degree of conformity in matters of
training il is To be noted that the eff
ficiency in the training of the militia
for field service varies from a high to
low degree.
Little more can be done in regard to
instruction, until some provision is
made by congress which viii allow the
department TO assign officers on the
active list of the army TO duty with the
organized militia
Coast ARTILLERY Reserves.
The policy of the department which
contemplates that onehalf of the per-
sonnet necessary for manning the coast
Notifications shall be provided by the
organized militia OF the seaboard states.
has been successfully continued during
the past year All Of the coast states
have made provision for coast artillery.
reserves except New Jersey, Delaware,
ana LOulSldnS-rr- n eC1eIllS mas OSoA
drawn up to provide these armories
with a dummy armament. which will
enable officers and men to drill at
dummy guns, including artillery sub
caliber target practice. and thereby de-
velop team work during the aTmory in
struction period.
The Panama Canal.
The work on. the Panama Canal for
the fiscal year, 1910. shows that the
usual steady and satisfactory progress
has been accomplished during the year
The total excavation. during the fiscal
year amounted TO 81, s5s.122. cubic yards
against 37,e66,e26 cubic yards exca-
waited during the preceding year. OF
the amount excavated during the last
year. 1900, $50 cubic yards were taken
out by steam shovels and 1854, 642
cubic yards by dredges. The average
total monthly excavation of all kinds
the past fiscal year was 2,654,s43 cubic
yards. as compared with 3,183,910 cubic
yards in 1909. and 1881 els cubic yards
in 1908.
Civil Service Retirement
/ renew the Recommendation made in
my annual report last year that pro-
vision be made for the retirement on
annuities of war employees who have
become superannuated In the service,
thus following the practice which many
railroads and other large business en-
terprises have found II advisable to