The weekly chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Craig County, Okla.) 1905-1913, 1910-12-16
FAVORS USE Of
AEROPL LANES IN THE ARMY

detached duty who could possibly be
irelieved was ordered to join his pro-
per command but the net result was
disappointing as few of these officers
could be spared from the important
details to which they have been as
signed.
The most serious feature of the
Ipresent military situation and one that
should be corrected Immediately in
the opinion of Secretary Dickinson, is
the shortage of field artillery material
There is a very inadequate supply of
guns, carriages and ammunition, due
largely to lack of appropriations. 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
quantity.
The chief of ordinance 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
lin time of war unless provision were
made accumulating the stock far in
advance.
Touching the progress of the work
of uncoyering the wreck of the Maine
in Havana Harbor, the secretary states
that the plans for the construction of
a cofferdam of interlocking steel piling
around the wreck have been approved
and are now under execution. 1t is
proposed to draw off the water as soon.
as the dam is tight and remove the
overlying mud and other material in
order to permit, if desired, of thor
ough examination of the condition of
the wreck in present position to deter
mine the cause of the explosion.
The appropriation of 100000 al
ready made will accomplish all of the
preliminary work contemplated at
present but the actual removal of the
wreck and the restoration of the har-
Dor to its original condition will re-
quire a further appropriation. The
amount of which will depend upon the
disposition to be made of the structure
as a whole. In this connection the
Isecretary says that it is desirable that
congress should indicate the disposi-
| tion to be made Of the wreck upon
completion of the work of removal
Little more can be done than already
has been done in the very important
work of instruction of the organized
militia until some provision is made by
congress which will allow the depart
ment 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 officers for reg
Iimental service.
Success has attended the efforts of
the department to secure one half of
the persone1 necessary for manning the
coast Notifications, from the militia
of the seaboard states All of the
coast states have provided for these
coast artillery reserves except New
Jersey, Delaware and Louisiana and
! it 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
the militia may be employed in the
service of the United States and leg
Iislation should be had that would en-
able the war department to deter
mine in advance of war just what of
Ificers and troops of the militia can
be depended upon for service and
There suitability. The present law was
built up piece meal during and since
the Spanish-American war and is at
best only a temporary measure.
The secretary says that a compre-
hensive act providing for the organic
alton of a volunteer army only after
congress has made a declaration of
war would be of inestimable value if
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
Iplans for the organization, equipment
and supply of volunteer army and
the selection of places for mobiliza-
tion, thus avoiding delays that might
be almost fatal to defense The nation,
he insists should be ready with a
complete system for passing from a
peace to a war establishment in order
to avoid the waste inseparable from
going to war without full preparation.
The total estimates for military pur-
poses for the next year aggregates
39,674,27S. which is $3,257 ,9O4 less
than the appropriations for the cur
rent fiscal year, the decrease being
due to the fact that the department is