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Show COAST DEFENSE BILL REPORTED Third Great Element of Preparedness Pre-paredness Program Before House Largest Fortifications Fortifi-cations Measure Ever Presented. Washington, April 6. The third great element of the national preparedness pre-paredness program was today brought into the house. It is the largest fortification forti-fication bill ever reported and the first of four annual measures under which it Is proposed to spend approximately ap-proximately $100,000,000 for increasing increas-ing and modernizing the coast defenses, defen-ses, already officially declared to be superior to any in the world, and to supply an ample store of reserve ammunition am-munition for the guns. Included In the bill are provisions for mounting 16-inch direct fire rifles to guard New York, Boston, San Francisco and other great cities from wlong range naval bombardment. Provision Pro-vision is also made for mounting 12-inch 12-inch rlfleB now in reserve so thoy will have a range of more than 30,000 yards, or 15 sea miles. No ship could live within that distance of the guns. Great Mortar Batteries. The plan will add 16-lnch mortar batteries to the present 12-inch emplacements em-placements because of the Increased armor protection of modern battleships. battle-ships. In addition It provides for 16-inch 16-inch mobile howitzers and 14-inch guns on railroad cars to defend points not protected by established forts. In approving the bill the committee commit-tee accepted almost without alteration altera-tion the proposals of the war department depart-ment and the officers who have studied the subject of coaBt defenses for years. The bill carries appropriations of $23,305,123 and additional authorizations authoriza-tions to reach a total of $34,299,050. It Is the first of the bills mapped out by former Secretary Garrison to cover a four year program of expenditure expendi-ture totalling $82,064,557 on the continental con-tinental coast defenses and reserve material. The Panama canal defenses defen-ses will add $13,995,000 to the project reaching a grand total of $96,059,557. The committee cut down the 1917 estimates $1,378,073. As the bill stands, however, it represents an increased in-creased expenditure over laBt year of $16,936,833. Reserve Ammunition Increased. As to reserve ammunition the report re-port says: "A review of the subject in the light of the European war caused the board to very greatly Increase the amount of such reserve ammunition thought to be requisite and it has submitted sub-mitted this -year an estimate of three millions of dollars, with a contract authorization au-thorization of three and one-half millions mil-lions to be expended toward securing a new reserve. The committee has allowed In Its entirety the estimate submitted, making an appropriation in effect of six and one-half millions for this purpose, as against previous annual an-nual appropriations of $200,000." The report shows that four of the new 16-inch guns will be emplaced at Capo Henry, Va., two at Rockaway Beach, New York, others at San Francisco and San Pedro, California, Long range 12-Inch guns will go to New York, Boston and either Portland, Port-land, Ore., or San Francisco. oo |