OCR Text |
Show TORPEDOES AND MINES Need for Better Coast Defense De-fense Pointed Out by Gen. Storey. WASHINGTON, Nov. !0. Brlg.-Gen. Storey, chief of artillery. United States army. In his annual report to Gen. Chaffee, Chaf-fee, the chief of staff, dwells upon what h regards as the most urgent demands of the coast defenses. He says that the best and most economical use of the entire en-tire armament for the coast requires one complete relief to man each and every element of defense. He says that if torpedoes are co-m co-m operated with proper armament as at Port Arthur and Vladivostok It Is not probable that any enemy, however enterprising, en-terprising, would attempt to force their line of defense. He added?: "It would be criminal neglect If I did t urge, aa earnestly as I can, the Immediate Im-mediate completion of the torpedo defense de-fense of all our fortified ports. Today this defense Is lamentably deficient both In material and personnel." Continuing, Gen.. Storey says: "If we were suddenly confronted by war no amount of money could procure . submarine mines in time to be of eer-. eer-. vice for our harbor defense." The report further says that even irith complete material for topedo defense. de-fense. It is practically valueless without a trained personnel carefully instructed bow to operate it and that today we practically are without such a force. Only about 400 men can be assigned, he ays, for a service requiring about 5000. |