New-York tribune., 1912-01-08
APPROVES COAST DEFENCE
Secretary Stimson Finds ArtII-
Iery Is in Fine Condition.
MOBILE ARMY STILL NEEDED
Head of War Department De.
clares There Isn't a Fort That
Is Safe from Land Attack.


! Following his inspection Of the coast
artillery defence at Forts Wadsworth
! Hamilton and Hancock. Secretary Stimson
\ Of the War Department said yesterday
/ that our seacoast artillery was in fine
condition. lie hoped. however, that such
n statement would not lull any one into
/ the belief that an effective. mobile army
was not needed because OF the fine condi-
ton Of the seacoast defcnces.
The most that seacoast fortihcations
can hope TO do" said Mr. Stimson. "in
I the event Of standing or an enemy who
( had control Of tho sea Is TO protect
7 our seacoast cities against a sea raid and
TO drive the enemy 10 land elsewhere.
| There isn't scacoast fertilization that
couldn't bc walked into from behind so II
does not remove the necessity for a mo-
/ bile army
Mr. Stlinson said tho War Department.
! plans for sea coast fortihcations were al
| most complete. but even when completed.
, he repeated, they would simply stand off
an enemy from our coast cities. and IL
| would he manIfestly impossible to for.ify
! our entire coast line. The burden Of the
defence, apart from the big coast artillery.
| he said, rested with an army so effective
| that II could he moved 10 any necessary
J point to rcpcl a landing that would bc at
tempted by any enemy driven of from the
fortified cities
lc II-
trip OF inspection by General Weaver. chief
Of the coast artillery; Captain Bishop. sta
toned at artillery headquarters. In Wash
ington. and Colonel White OF the Depart
ment OF Southern Artillery.
Leaving Pier 70, North River. at 10 o'clock
Saturday morning, the party went first to
Fort Wadsworth, where the mine charts.
together with the keys and levers which
work them, were explained 10 Mr.. Stimson
by General Weaver. At Fort Hamilton
Colonel White and Captain Wiley went
through an imaginary defence, big guns
being operated just as they would he In
case OF an attack by an enemy, and at
Fort Hancock the big mortars were op-
Grated for the inspection Of the Secretary.
AT his fathers home In Lexington ave-
nue.. YESTERDAY Mr. StImson discussed also
the general conditions Of his department
with regard to the pending Hay bill, which
Is now tackled on as rider TO tho appro-
priations bill. lie hoped the bill would not
20 through. and particularly that II would
eventually come up az separate bin, SO
that II could be considered strictly OH Its
own merits.
"The great reforms started by Secretary
Root ten years ago are just getting In
effective work now" Mr.. Stimson said be
fore that we did not have any nucleus In
the department for intelligent interchange
of opinion on military affairs but now the
General staff. the line and STAFF schools
and the War College furnish such "A
nucleus"
,, c,ir,sop said he appreciated the fact
ha, tho General staff was much mis-
,ndorstood institution, but he hoped it's use
fulnoss would ultimately be demonstrated
and understood generally Another feature
of tho Uav bill that the Secretary thought
would work incalculable harm 10 the army
n,os tho nroposaI 10 increase the term of
enlistment TO five years Such provision
n.aa Going against the trend in army mat |
ters I'm all countries, he said' III would tend |
TO make enlistment more difticuit TO obtain |
and would tend to raise 'he PeIceh'dSe oi
desertions. he thought.
Az 20 the general Impression prevalent.
even among soldiers, of the General Staff
tho secretary told an anecdote Of an in
snection trip to a fort on the Mexican
border He was with General Wood, he
said and 10 reach the fort in question they
had 70 take a freight train and ride in the
cahoose. The general was In civilian at
tire and on the seat adjoining them in the
oahoose were two enlisted men, apparently
returning from furlough
,rha t,yo soldiers were discussing the i'm
nond,ro visit OF the Secretary of War and
the chief OF stat.
"I hear" said one of the soldiers, "tha:
sa,o,,s on the General STAFF get 500
a month and don't do thing"
yen" responded the other soldier; but
cot ~ :, straight that they're going to STOP
,,st Graf, ard have just one man to DO
that work"
rbc secretary OF War had laugh on tile
chief ~ s,afr. hut they let it go at that
and did moi disclose their identity TO the
two frank soldiers