Omaha daily bee., 1910-12-10
DICKINSON WANTS GIRSHIPS
Secretary Of War, in Report, AdvO
Gates Fleet for Army.
NEED OF MORE FORTTICAT1ONs
Entrance 20 Chesapeake nay Not
Properly ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
in United states Army Crow
tnu Gewer.

WASHINGTON. d. c.. Dec. As might |
have been expected after his personal /
flights IN aeroplanes in France. Secretary /
Dickinson comes out IN his annual report /
with a strong Endorsement Of the flying
machine, and with recommendation 20
congress for an appropriation to provide
the signal corps with q reasonable number
Of the better type OF machine for instruc-
tion purposes and field work.
He recalls the fact that the United states
was the first nation officially TO recognize
tho aeroplane for military purposes, and
conducted at Fort Myer in 1908, the first
public flight OF a heavier than air ma
chine. yet II has since that date made no
addition TO its aeronautical equipment.
which at present consists Of one small
dirgible balloon. one Wright aeropiane. and
three small captive balloons. Nor has It
added to It's trained personnel, which at
present consists Of one signal corps iieuten-
ant and nine enlisted men, on duty in con-
nectlon with aeronoutics. There Is only one
officer who Is q licensed pilot for free
balloons.
The secretary calls attention to the fact
that the entrance to Chesapeake bay. one
Of the most important strategically on the
Atlantic sea coast, Is wholly unfortifed,
not single gun being mounted to defend
the channel between Cape Charles and
Cape Henry At another important point
tho eastern entrance 70 Long Island sound
additional guns are needed Except for
these instances. so far as guns alone are
concerned. the sea coast defenses at ell
home ports are I'm very satisfactory state,
but much remains to be- done in providing
such auxiliartes as searchlights and In
developing the fire control system. which
n Of
Congress is asked to authorize an ex-
penditure OF $19,54s.s43 for the fortification
Of the termlni OF the Panama canal. in
GLIDING the construction Of posts for the
permanent garrison, and 100000 Of this
sum should be made available Immediately
in order 10 complete the project within
three years. The additional sum of S2,O00,OO0
is also wanted Immediately to be applied
towards the creation of naval establish
ments in the canal zone as a necessary
part of the defense OF the canal.
The secretary notes with qualification a
reduction by 500 per cent in the number
OF assertions last year, compared with the
preceding year Altogether there were 9464
desertions, or a percentage OF S.66 Of the
strength Of the army, which was less than
any fiscal year since 1899. The decrease
was most marked in the engineers, field
artillery and cavalry
This is believed to be the result of the
extraordinary effort made by the depart
ment in the direction OF prompt and Wig
orous pursuit OF a deserter by means prac-
tically certain to result in his apprehen-
sion and subsequent punishment as a mill
itary convict under the hard and rigorous
conditions Of prison discipline.
The attitude Of the department is that its
duty isNo safeguard and protect the inter-
ests Of the army; to correct the evil rather
than to reform the evidoer, and to inn
press the fact that desertion from the
army, which in time of war may be pun
ishable by death. is in time of peace a
criminal offense, and that the punishment
of the deserter will be severe
The death rate In the army last year
was the lowest that has ever occurred, the
total number being $40, of which 22s were
from disease and 142 from injuries. six OF
the latter being killed by hostile Moros
in action or while on sentry duty Tuber-
culosis claimed the greatest number Of
victims, numbering 49, and there were 81
deaths from gunshOt wounds. There were
80 suicides and IS homcides.
remarkable fact is that no deaths oc-
CURED from sunstroke or snake bite among
the troops in the tropics nor from cold
among the troops in Alaska and along the
northern frontier. Alaska. by the way, as
in former years had the best health rec
ord, decidedly exeelling the United States.
which came second, followed by Porto
Rico. Hawaii and the Philippines The
rates for the Philippines, however, improve
year by year. and now approximate more
closely to those Of the United States than
those Of the United States do to AlaSka.
n. H. a.
ton the secretary urges the adoption OF a
provision Of law, similar to that govern
ing the navy for the elimination Of inef-
fcient officers There is pressing need for
efficient officers to replace those detailed
from their regiments on necessary staff
and miscellaneous duty. and the secretary
makes a strong plea for the passage Of
the pending bill providing for the addi-
ton of 612 officers Of various grades. Last
June every officer on detached Auty who
could possibly be relieved was ordered 10
Join his proper command, but the net re-
suit was disappointing. as few OF these Of
Ulcers could be spared from the important
details to which they have been assigned
The most serious feature OF the present
military situation and one that should be
corrected immediately, in the opinion OF
Secretary Dickinson, Is the shortage CT
field artillery material There is a very
inadequate supply OF guns, carriages and
ammunition due largely to lack Of appro-
4 priations. The types needed have been de-
velopod and some Of each are under man
ufacture. but the appropriations do not
permit Of the production Of any consider
/ able quantity.
/ The chief Of ordnance already has called
attention to the fact that much time Is
required to manufacture this material and
Il would be impossible 10 obtain enough
/ 70 supply the army IN time OF war unless
provision were made accommodating stock
/ far in advance.
Touching the prosress Of the work OF
uncovering the Maine In Havana harbor
the secretary states that the plans for the
construction OF a cofferdam Of interlock-
Ing steel piilng around the wreck have
been approved and are now under exeeu-
ton tits proposed 10 draw off the water
as soon as the dam is tight and remove
the everything mud and other material in
order 10 permit. II desired. OF thorough
examination OF the condition OK the wreck
IN nresent position to Determine the cause