The Washington herald., 1914-12-20


yesterday submitted TO the Secretary Of
War a report on the advisability OF a re-
vision of the coast defenses of the United
States to meet the advancement in naval
RTmaments.
While the report is being held strictly
confidential for the present, there is good
reason to believe 1t contains strong rec
concentrations that comprehensive and
continuous program be worked out for
constant reimbursement of the coast de-
fenses of the country whenever such as
made necessary by advances in naval
armaments or other changes in the con-
ditions which must be met in case of
war.
Garrison Plans ReadjuEted.
This report is the result Of a work un-
dertaken at the direction of Secretary
Garrison, who has for some time been
giving his attention to the discrepancy
between the efficiency Of our coast de-
fense guns and that of the latest stand
ard of guns for modern battleshlps.. To
this end he constituted a board. headed
by Assistant Secretary Breckinridge, rep
resenting the civil authority Of the War
Department: Brig Gen. Crozier, chief of
the Ordnance Bureau, charged with the
task of making coast defense guns; Brig.
Gen. Kingman. chief of engineers, who
supervises the construction of the fortifl-
cations; Brig. Gen. Weaver, chief of the
Coast Artillery Corps, which fires the
guns, and the Chief of Staff, Gen. Scott,
representing the army. In addition
Capts Harry S. Knapp and William F.
Shoemaker, of the navy. were made
members of the board. Gen. Scott's de-
partuTe for Naco. Ariz, caused the sub
stitutIon of Mai. Gen. Leonard Wood for
him on the board.
The need for such consideration of the
problem was pointed out by Mai. Gen.
". W. Wotherspoon, until recently Chief
Of Stan, when, in his annual report, he
made the following statement:
Naval armament in the last few years
has rapidly developed. particularly in
respect to the caliber of guns, their
ranges, and the rapidity with which fire
from these guns can be delivered. At
the present time the tendency is to
place on the higher type of battleship
guns as large as Is inches in caliber.
The largest gun used at present in the
United States navy is 4-inch gun
Have Distinct Advantage. -
These guns, while carrying a projec-
tile of less weight than those used with
our direct-fire type or seacoast guns
have, owing TO the greater length of the
guns and the higher powder pressures
used. a very distinct advantage in range,
inch guns from 2,COO to 5000 yards. While
this advantage in range is to degree
offset by the instability of the naval
platforms and the less accurate meth
DDS of obtaining ranges from ships
than from land defenses, there still ap-
pears to remain a distinct advantage IN
this respect. which, coupled with the
number of these caliber guns now being
carried on the stronger type OF naval
ships, makes it necessary to give care
full consideration to the question whether
there should not be change not only
in length, caliber and powder pressureS
of our heavier type of guns, but whether
there should not be a change in the en-
placements 50 as to give overhead pro-
lection to the crews operating the guns
In other words, Il is my opinion that
careful consideration should be given, AT
least in the establishment Of new de-
fense districts, to the question OF the
caliber, length and range OF the sea-
coast guns, as well as to the question
whether the turret system for the protec-
ton of the gun and its crew should not
be adopted, in order to put the land
defenscs somewhat nearer on a parity
with the naval guns which are liable to
attack them. As a feet of eight battle
ships of the most modern type can throw
against a single target 1lS projectiles
minute, the danger that must arise from
the possibility of fragments OF these
shells and the debris thrown up from
their impact against the concrete para
pets which protect the guns to the crews
as well as TO the delicate and COM
pIicated machinery which operates the
guns. would indicate that overhead pro-
lection against such fragments should be
provided in order to insure the most ef-
fective operation of the coast arma-
ment-"
Realize Deficiencies.
The realization of the deficiencies Of
the American coast defenses with re-
spect to the hitting powers of battle
ships constructed long since the coast
fortifications were built, has been grow
ing in the minds of officers of both the
army and the navy. These views have
been to A certain extent brought out dur
ing the hearings which have been recent
~ before Congressional committees,
though only incidentally to the chief is
sues discussed there. 1t is declared that
not only are the American coast guns
Outranged so that they could not be
counted upon to keep of a hostile fleet.
but that the disappearing gun carriage,
of which so much has been made in the
United States, is in reality source of
weakness.
from a bombardment of a fort might
easily put out of commission the COM
plicated machinery of the carriage,
though the gun itself might be wholly
unhaTmcd. The gun would be quite as
useless under such conditions, however,
as if it did not exist.
Many officers of the service are of the
opinion that a plan should be worked
out for the coast defenses similar to that
adopted by the General Board of the
navy for battleship construction. The
General Boards plan contemplates the
creation OF n fleet of forty-eight battle
ships by 1920 and then such construction
as may be necessary to replace vessels
as fast as they are retired from first and
second lines of defense on account OF
age.
The program cor upbuilding the United
States coast defenses has never included
such a provision for replacing guns rem
dered less efficient because of progress
made in gun manufacture Rapid strides
have been made in installing guns in
new fortifications. but Congress has
made no provision for replacing older
guns. Neither has the War Department
worked out any complete program to
this end. Many officers are now of the
opinion that this need should be recog-
nized, and that such a program should
be aodpted as would permit the replace
ment of some older guns each year, so IS
to keep the entire coast-defense system
in the highest possible state of develop
rnent, without ever being compelled TO
reconstruct the whole at any one period.
TRAINING YOUNG AND OLD.