Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1886-10-27
MAGAZINE RIFLES.

The question recently treated in these
columns Of supplying the army with re.
peating or magazine rifles, is beginning
to attract attention in the eastern States,
and will doubtless assume such proper
tions as may yet demand the attention
OF Congress and the War Department.
The conservative New York Times in
commenting on the present outlook for
war in Europe has the following:
The war clouds are gathering again in
| Europe. The situation becomes periIous.
| less from any insurmountable difficulty in
the Bulgarian problem than from the sus-
plclon that Russia wants war, while France.
under the guidance of Boulanger, is perhaps
turning her mind toward it. During the
year Germany, Austria and France have
taken an important step in providing their
| troops with magazine arms, and now all
| three countries are busily converting their
rifles into repeaters. The French war au-
thorltles seem also to have q new machine
gun: and talk of secret high explosive
with which shells are to be filled. The Rus
SLAMS are believed to be experimenting with
an explosive to supersede ordinary gun
powder. The possession of improved de-
ing forward war wherever it is thought TO
be sooner or later inevitable.
We differ with the Times in the last
sentence OF its article, believing that the
possession OF improved destructive
weapons tends to make war an act only of
the last alternative, for nation will
think several times before engaging in a
war wherein they know they will meet
their equals, and perhaps superiors.
The history of the wars among the
Powers Of Europe all prove that such
W ars have been waged only when the |
aggressor felt he was the superior force, |
hence, it follows that if each feels the
other is better prepared, arbitration will |
ensue, and bloodshed avoided. In the
case OF the United States, as time rolls
on and finds the presumptuous republics
to the southward of them, fully armed
With the latest improved arms on
and and sea, and with a thor
'ugh knowledge of their uses. it
absolutely necessary TO meet
heir shows of bravado-common with
hem-by an armament which they know !
equal, ifnot superior, to theirs, and in
hat manner only can they be kept in
heck. When one considers the enor-
nous cost Of building and equipping
avy, and arming and transporting an
rmy OF sufficient force to subdue one of
ne South American republics, and the
'ct That the previous possession of first O
lass power by both would obviate the :
ecessity OF doing either, the wonder h
9mes that those in authority do not f,
tend to the better arming of the land u
nd naval forces of the country. The ;,
lly naval engagement worthy the name h
the late war was that between the h
earsage and Alabama, and that would
I'VE been reversed if the Alabama's II
nmunition had been good, for she sent q
smell into the rudder post of the Kear- n
rye in the early stages of the encounter. st
nlch, had it exploded, would have SINK q,
r instantly. One iron-clad frigate of 10
y OF the foreign navies could yanouisb y;
the navy the country owns, and in the co
ne manner, one battalion of veteran Of.
'ops with magazine guns could drive st,
rec OF our crack battalions with single W;
'ech-loaders. An uprising in anv part los
the country, being of sufficient i'm MI
'tance TO demand Government atten- In
1, would find the rebels armed with vo
game guns, while the troops would be for
ed against them with the old arm bo
sensible man can foresee the for
lit. There is a prejudice in certain I'll
ltary circles against taking away the oo;
e-honored musket and bayonet as il
lid detract from the appearance of q I
under arms, and it is of record that =
norlty report OF. commission of of
rs to test magazine guns, among
'r things objected to them because
were not bright, but the real soldier
er IRE never loved a bright gun
'el, and the enormous ADVANTAGE
ed in several ways, should decide
authorities to move in the matter.
make our small standing army in
what it is in name only; the best
pped in the world.