Show CHIEF OF ORDNANCE SUBMITS HIS I REPORT TO GENERAL YOUNG 1 w Nov KoY Gen Gee General eral Crosier chief of ordnance has baa sub submitted submitted Ms lila annual ann report to the chief of staff of ot the army anD The general lien design d and nd ballistic quail quaD qualities ties of the Ute new De rifle the report port states stat are markedly superior to those of the present pre service Ice arm Experiments conducted with the gun called for in the resort report Ort of the fortifications fortifications board were wen attended with entire success the report says The heavy vy armament of the seacoast defenses def Q General Crosier Crosler reports to be in ina Ina Ina a very satisfactory tory state of or advance advancement ment meat but bet says that th the practice which produces produce skill aklU in the use of the arma anna armament mont ment has now an importance greater than that of new Dew installation I IL I General Crosier Crasher dwells dwell on the Importance i tance of ot proper defense of our insular possessions o saying It may Be se and ad probably is Ia true that permanent p possession lon of the island could not be maintained continuously against an enemy n the sea lie approach approaches es ea thereto but in the vicissitudes of war wari warthe warthe i the contingency must be contemplated of ot ofa ofa I Ia a temporary loss Iou of sea ae power in fD par particular particular waters and the necessity recognised r recognized for Cor providing against the occur occurrence rence ince of complete disaster dl during such uch In Interval interval Interval so 80 that it would woud seem Hem the part of Gf common prudence to provide works which should enable a smaller force fo to hold out against lUIt a larger one for a time He says 8 that a territory as large as u that comprised in the Philippine archi archipelago pelago with the assistance latance u of proper p r de do defense fune for tor its important harbors harbo might be beable beable beable able to maintain itself even although cut cutoff cutoff cutoff off by sea during the continuance of a Ii short war Without fixed defenses clef be he head adds ad It would be possible ble for a fleet flees to occupy a harbor and ad hold at Its Ita mercy a city as did the American fleet filet at Ma Manila nila in 1895 |