The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1910-12-10


ular Army Enlistment Reports
Additions to Coast Defense.
Washington, Dec. 10.-J. NJ. Dlckin.
son, secretary of war, In his annual
report recommends that the govern
ment provide the army with both dir.
gible airships and with aeroplanes for
INSTRUCTION purposes and for field
work. He says in part:
Aerial navigation is attracting
worldwide attention. Marked progress
has been made in this art during the
past year. Its possible influence upon
the art OF war is much discussed
among military authorities the world
over. Recently in Berlin and taris
opportunity was afforded me to wit
ness aviation tests that we're being
made there by the military, and was
impressed with the interest and ac.
tivity displayed In the development
OF this new art with special reference
to its possibilities for use In the mill.
tary service.
Information from abroad indicates
that at the present time Germany
possesses IA military dirigible air
ships and number of aeroplanes
and France seven military dlrlgible
airships and thirty aeroplanes.
Late information received from
France indicates that the French gov
ernment has recently ordered eleven
new dirigibles OF different dlmen.
sions, whose delivery will take place
ut different times within the next
twelve months.
The following is an extract from =
report of an officer of the United
States army on the autumn maneu-
vers of the French army from Sept
10 to Sept. IS. 1910:
"But the most striking thing was the
aeroplane. The French have made won
yeerful progress In this respect saw
Lieutenant Bellenger In his monoplane
rise right out OF wheat stubble field.
The biplanes and monoplanes were every
where. They Travelled with great speed
and must have seen everything except
where the troops could be concealed In
the woods. An efficient aeroplane corps
Ia certainly indispensable to an army.
"The United States, which was the
FIRST nation officially to recognize the
aeroplane for military purposes and
which conducted at Fort Myer in 1908
the first public flight Of heavier than
air machine, has since that date made
no addition to its aeronautical equip
ment, which at present consists Of one
small practice dirlgible balloon, one
Wright aeroplane and three small
captive balloons.
1T is contended by some tnat dirig-
ible ballons and airships will at best
prove to be of doubtful utility in war
fare. The fact remains that all Eu.
ropean first class powers are devotlng
a great deal of attention to the sub
ject of military aeronautlcs and are
displaying marked activity in the de-
velopment and supply of both the
dirigible and the aeroplane for war
purposes, while the United States is
practically at a standstill in this mat
ter.
I'm my judgment the time has come
when It would be wise to make ap-
propriations adequate for providing
the signal corps with a reasonable
number Of the better type of machines
for instruction purposes and for field
work.
"The total excavation Of the Pan
ANA canal during the fiscal year
amounted to 3l.s58,l22 cubic yards
\ against 37,968, ,926 cubic yards exca-
waited during the preceding year. OF
the amount excavated during the last
year 19.903,4S0 cubic yards were taken
out by steam shovels and 1884, ,642
cubic yards by dredges against 22,670,-
955 cubic yards by steam shovels and
15.295,971 cubic yards by dredges re-
spectively In the preceding fiscal year.
Strength Of the Army.
"At the date of the last reports re-
ceived from the military departments
(Oct. 10, 1910) the actual strength of
the regular army was 4,310 officers
and 67,459 enlisted men, a total of
7l,769. AS compared with the strength
reported last year this shows an in
crease OF 101 officers and decrease
of 1881 enlisted men, making a net
decrease OF the regular army during
the year of 1880. These figures do
not include the 3,486 men of the hos
pital corps excluded by the act OF
March /, 1887, from classification as
part of the enlisted force of the
army. There were also In the ser
vice 166 officers and 5,l00 enlisted
men OF the Philippine scouts.
Enlisted Men.
"The total number of enlistments in
the army during the fiscal year ended
June 80. 1910 teTclusiye OF the hos
pital corps and the Philippine
scouts). was 1873. of which 7,26S
were re enlistments and 10,705 were
original enlistments.
j ''The death rate from disease IL
? the lowest which has ever occurred
In the army.
During the past fiscal year lh:ss