Show WAR department U S A we have absen favored with an advance copy of the annual report of th the e secretary of war for the year 1890 a document covering 20 octavo pages it is of insufficient importance to warrant its publication in full but there are some features of it that possess a real interest amoni these are the Secre remarks upon desertions offenses off anses which decreased for the year ending sept 30 to 2083 2086 as against 2751 for the twelve months previous a decrease of 24 par per cent and which he ascribes to improvements in the service service recent legislation by congress is calculated be thinks to work a still greater im improvement pro for it proceeds upon the theory that by making it possible to quit the service in an honorable way there will be fewer attempts to do so dishonorably by offer of ferini iniz a possible and reasonable escape from a life that has become a source of discontent the discontent itself may thereby be diminished the secretary recommends that the appropriation of the general government for the militia now about per annum be increased he arg les ies that euch such a step would tend to increase the state appropriations now aggregating about and greatly promote interest in and the efficiency of the national guard under the joint re resolution of congress passed april 25 1890 the war department purchased and distributed to mississippi flood sufferers pounds of pork over a million pounds of bacon three fourths of a million of flour and almost a million of cornmeal corn meal ata at a total cost of for the further exploration of alaska secretary proctor says he baa his approve approved ed a proposition to organize a thoroughly equipped expedition the area of that vast territory is nearly square miles about one fifth the area of the whole united states three or four reconnaissance have been made by officers of 0 the army through portions of the territory and the sources of several of its great navigable rivers have been determined but no systematic exploration of the interior has ever been attempted by the government and the topography resources and capabilities of alaska are practically unknown the expenses of the war department including public works and river and harbor improvements were for the fiscal year ending june 30 about 47 millions the appropriations for the current fiscal year are in round numbers and for the next fiscal year ending jane june 30 I 1 1892 the estimates are |