Morning journal and courier., 1890-06-21
HILARY,



 HILARY. MR. wAKEMAN,s JOURNEYaNGs. In auaine Old Dover. N. J.-A Chap
 ter on Gunp0wder and Ets Use in
 War-The Ingredients Used in Hts = ExanufactHre-Vghere the Materials
 are Obtained Our InexhauasibIe
 Supply of Charcoal and Sulphur
 Ezineg-The Vast Nitro Beds of Peru
 -Procautions Taken by the Govern
 nent i'm Storing Large Quantities of
 Che Latter Subssance-Where the
 Gevernnaena,s Powder and Hisre He.
 serve Is Located.
 I DOVER, N. J., June 13. To the Editor Of the JousxALAND COURIER:
 Everybody knows of the sad and often lu- dicrous straits to which the government of the late Confederacy was put to provide the necessary gunpowder for carrying on the war of the rebellion. A very few outside of of. ficial circles ever recognized the sore tax upon our national government in the same all es- sential provision. Fewer still ever give thought to what could be depended upon in this respect should some sudden outbreak of great and prolonged foreign war in an in- staut set us face to face with test of our best national resources for defense or aggres- sion.
 Because conditions might at any time arise making the carrying on of foreign war ina- possible from the lack of the ops necessary article of gunpowder, the proportion of i!s ingredients in United States military use 76. of nitre, IA. of charcoal and TO- of sul- phur, SO simple @ fact that the ordinary reader smiles wisely at it's repetition-takes tance. We could never fall short of char. I coal. There are inexhaustible sulphur mines | within our own boundaries, and though one 1 of the most important clements of matter, sulphur must ever remain one of the cheap. est and most available. But while all are accustomed to boast of our limitless natural 1 resources, nitre or saltpetre, so far as has l been discovered, is not one of them. To be l able to fight we must have powder. To have powder we must have nitre to the ex tent of sevsnty-six per cent. of it's bulk We must therefore have nitIe or turn Qua kers and refuse to fight.
 When the matter is presented just this | way anu Jubb do Ab every cl1lZou OI GDt United States must become seriously inter ested; and 1t is gratifying to feel that th' military authorities have for some time fully realized the situation as 1t exists, and hay, quietly and effectively instituted measures of provision against future fatal weakness in time of war. My own attention was re- centIy directed to the subject by ths-remark | okk oba ;, fosa said
 "Your government is at last bscomtns
 wise and prudent in proper measures of pro
 tection against future dangerous exegencies The very ascendency and greatness of you
 country, with its certain rehexive influence lagainst monarchial institutions, renders 1t
 shining mark for attempted conquest by I'm ! perial powers which see in republican great
 ness their own most fatal weakness.
 Ut Is no uncommon confidential discus
 sion in European military circles that Amer
 ican pride might bear humblink. The entir
 monarchial system and the preservation Q
 titled and military official interests are in al 1 rect and deadly antagonism to all American
 progress. England has old scores to settl with you. Germany hates you for depletin her population. Spain Is livid with rag over the loss of all her American depender eies, save Cuba, and the constant menace C , possible annexation of that island by you , country. And the Russian Czar fairl , writhes at the universal public indignatio in the United States over his devilish trea ment of exiles in Siberia. The tremendor , increase of naval and other armament ,, these powers may mean prolonged Europea
 war. It might mean combined attempt
 European powers, on the slightest pretext
 American offense, to simultaneously destrc , every city upon the Atlantic and Pacif ) Coast.
 , stAside from this possible danger there and combined with it, danger nearer hom The South American. republics, whose pr . gross and material increase has for the pa quarter century been almost as phenomen l as your own, are plainly restive under Nor American diplomatic dominance. This " a made clear in countless ways during the pa
 American congress. The devslopment
 these countries has been largely due to En D European statecraft has directed this. l, has also cultivated powerful animositi !. against the United States. Once let the l, ter make downright quarrel over the Mo roe doctrine, attempt the annexation of Ca Z. ada or Cuba, or in any manner become { l. fensiyely involved in South American col Ia plications, and, many European military 6 ' thorities believe and secretly prophecy, eve 'e l American port woHld, in fifteen days, be GA4CCUN0Ay CASooA 0o OAOuSA AvAnc ,e sealedl"
 ls Now this is rank European pessimis ' though the apparent honest conviction of !, militarist in the service of 8 friendly DOW n But admitting that along this line of pos
 bility there is something worthy of reh
 tion; indeed, supposing that. relying up
 the disgraceful condition of our coast
 fenses, and the ridiculous cipher our "nav
 represents in international influence, col re bined foreign enemies should force just u at sort of dilemma. Our ports in the poss :" sion of invaders, our very integral cohssi' SC ness endangered, and all recourse to the p, mainder of the world destroyed, how 10 would our characteristic national vani ws boosting aad assertiveness go toward mel n- ipu the fatal folly of eupineness concernl CT eensible preparation against such annih re tive calAmityf We have patriotism, oce ha Of 1t. We have men, millions of them.
 have foundries. iron, steel, cannon, sn
 arms; commtaaaries and trAnsportati ,.. Certainly; namberlees and incalculal But all this would not avail if we had F powder, or nitre for making powder nd conniderations preEty close sto thpsa hintei