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![handle is hein.usccsset/usconset32654 and id is 1 raw text is:
55TH CONGRESS, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. REPORT
2d Bession. No. 544.
ADDITIONAL REGIMENTS OF ARTILLERY.
FEBRUARY 25, 1898.-Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the state
of the Union and ordered to be printed.
Mr. HULL, from the Committee on Military Affairs, submitted the
following
REPORT.
[To accompany 8. 2640.]
The Committee on Military Affairs, having had under consideration
the bill (S. 2640) to authorize two additional regiments of artillery,
report, and recommend that the bill do pass.
Senate Report No. 606 is hereby made a part of this report.
[Senate Report No. 606, Fifty-fifth Congress, second seasion.]
The Committee on Military Affairs, to whom was referred the bill
(S. 2640) to authorize two additional regiments of artillery, having had
the same under consideration, return it to the Senate with a favorable
recommendation.
- The speedy passage of this bill, or its equivalent, appears to be an
absolute necessity. The Government, after long and careful considera-
tion by those whose offices and studies qualify them to give the most
valuable advice, has entered upon the execution of a systematic and
elaborate plan of coast defense. The progress therein is indicated is
extracts from the last annual report of Gen. John M. Wilson, Chief of
Engineers, Appendix A.
Existing contracts call for the emplacement and mounting, on or
before June 30, 1898-now rapidly approaching-of 139 modern high-
power steel guns, ranging in caliber from 8 to 12 inches; 12 of 5-inch
caliber, 4 6-pounders, and 232 12-inch mortars, a total of 387.
These are to be scattered, according to the best judgment of the engi.
neers and ordnance officers, from Maine to Puget Sound, having careful
regard to the relative importance of the positions to be defended.
The great expenditure will be wasted treasure unless a sufficient num-
ber of artilerymen, carefully selected and thoroughly drilled, be assigned
to the care and use of these costly instruments of defense. As the works
are from week to week completed, the utmost the general commanding
can do (see Appendix C) is to detail a few care takers to each station.
The weights, calibers, lengths of the guns and mortars, the weights of
powder charges and projectiles, their probable extreme ranges and
energies, are given in Appendix I.
With the aid of the actives of the National Guard, and those who
have been discharged therefrom after years of instruction, effective
cavalry and infantry could be collected in a comparatively short time;
but in case of war short notice would be given to the men in charge of
the great gnus on the coast, whose costly machinery requires much
H. Rep. 8-1](ViewImageLocal?handle=hein.usccsset/usconset32654&div=1&collection=&method=preview&ext=.png&size=3)