The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-12-10
permit Of the productions Of any con.

permit OF the production OF any con-
siderable quantity.
The chief of ordnance already has
called attention to the fact that much
time is required to manufacture this
material, and It would be impossible
to obtain enough to supply the army
in time Of war unless provision were
made accommodating the stock far In
advance.
Touching the progress OF the work
OF uncovering tho wreck of the Maine
in Havana hnrbor, the secretary states
that the plans for the construction, OF
a cofferdam OF interloclking steel pill
ing around the wreck have been up
proved and are now under execution.
It is proposed to draw off the water
as soon as the dam is tight and re-
move the everything mud and other
material In order to permit, IL desired,
dition of the wreck, in present posi-
tion. to determine the of the cx.
plosfon.
Little moro can be done than al
ready has been done in the very i'm
portant work OF instruction OF the or
ganized militia, until some provision Is
made by Congress which will allow
he department to assign officers on the
active list Of the army to duty with
the militia. which is now impossible,
owing to the pressing need Of ot1lcers
for regimcntal service.
.ntcs in Line.
Success has attended the efforts OF
the department to secure one-half OF
the personnel necessary for manning
the coast Notifications from the militia
of the scaboard States. All Of tho
coast States nave provided for these
coast artillery reserves except New
Jersey, Delaware and Louisiana, and 1t
is hoped that these States will fall in
line next year..
unfortunately, the secretary points
out, the existing law does not declare
distinctly the exact extent to which
service Of the United States, and ilegis-
lation should be had that would en-
able the War Department to determine
in advance of wa Just what officers
and troops of the militia can be de-
pended upon for service and their
suitability. The present law was built
up piecemeal, during and since the
4 Spanish American war. and is at best
only a temporary measure.
The secretary says that a compre-
h~ensive act providing tor the organi-f
cation of a volunteer army only after
Congress has made n declaration of
INV aNNOllu nc Ol llcSlllIld ! Ndllc IL
the country ever again is confronted
with a foreign war. Such legislation
would permit of the preparation in
time of peace of all the necessary
plans for the organization, equipment
and supply of a volunteer army, and
the selection OF places for mobilization,
thus avoiding delays that might be
almost fatal to defense.
The nation. he insists. should be
ready with Il complete system for pass
ing from a peace to u war establish
ment, in order to avoid the waste in
separate from going to war without
full preparation.
The total estimates for military pur-
poses for tho next year aggregate
S139,6I4,27S. which is S3,257,904 less
than the appropriations for the current
fiscal year, the decrease being due to
the fact that the department. is asking
for less MONEY for incidental expenses,
post exchanges. transportation and
supplies, public works at posts, cloth
ing and camp enuipage, arms and ex-
penses at the Military Academy. on
the other hand. slightly increased APP
preparations are asked for Notifications
and other works of defense.
The secretary refers to his recent
trip to the Philippines and declares
that the result of the first years appli-
cation of the new tariff more than
justified the prediction that the de-
crease of customs revenue would not
be great and would be satisfactorily
met by an increase of internal revenue.
The pressing need in Porto Rico was
an Improvement in health conditions,
and he recommended the establish
ment of an efficient health department
in the islands.
The report concluded with a strong
recommendation, based upon personal
observation and the reports OF the
chiefs OF all the bureaus in the War
Department, that some provision be
made for the retirement on annuitics
of employees who have become super
animated in the service, thus follow
ing tue practice which many railroads
and other large business enterprises
have found it advisable to adopt.
Il