Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-06-21
POWDER STOREHOUSE.
A Contingency Under which Patriotism
Would Not Save Us from Licking.
One Thing the United States Hayn't Got is
Nitre to Make Gunpowder Ont Of
Forced to Store Our Power.
Correspondence of the Gazette.

Correspondence of the Gazette.
DOVER, N. j., June 13.-Everybody
knows of the sad and often ludiorous
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 official circles ever recognized
the sore tax upon our national govern
ment in the same all-essential 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 instant
set lis face TO face with test of our best
national resources for defense or agrees
sion.
Because conditions might at any time
arise making the carrying on OF for
eign war impossible, from the lack of
the one necessary article of gunDowder,
the proportion of its ingredients in United
States military use-76. of nitre, IA. of
charcoal and 10. of sulphur, so simple
fact that the ordinary reader smiles wise
IL at its repetitioR-tskes on, reflective
ly, grave and serious importance. We
could never fall short of charcoal. There
are inexhaustlble sulphur mines within
our own boundaries, and though one of
the most important elements OF matter,
sulphur must ever remain one of the
cheapest and most available. But while
all are accustomed tC boast of our limit
less natural resources, nitrs, or saltpe-
tire, so far as has been discovered, is not
one of them. To be able to fight, we
must have powder. To have powder we
must have nitre, to the extent of rs per
cent. of its bulk. We must therefore
have nitre, or turn Quakets and refuse
to fight.
When the matter is presented just this
way, and just as it is, every citizen of
the United States must become seriously
interested; and it is gratifying to feel
that the military authorities have for
some time fully realized the situation as
it is exists, and have quietly and effect
lively instituted measures of provision
against a future
FATAL WEAKNESS
in time of war. Ny own attention was
recently directed to the subject by the
remarks of French military attaohe in
Algiers, who said:
wise and prudent in proper measures of
protection against future dangerous ex-
egences. The very ascendency and
greatness of your country, with lis GER
tain refieXive influence against monarch
ial institutions, renders it shining mark
for attempted conquest by imperial pow
ers, which see in republican greatness
their own most fatal weakness.
''It is no uncommon confidential dis
cussion in European military circles that
American pride might bear humbling.
The entire mouarchial system and the
preservation of titled and military Of
fetal interests are in direct and deadly
antagonism TO all American progress.
England has old scores to settle with you.
Germany hates you for depicting her
population. Spain is livid with rage
over the loss of all her American de-
Tendencies, save Cuba, and the con-
slant menace of possible annexation
of that island by your country.
And the Russian car fairly writhes
at the universal public Indignation in the
United States over his devilish treatment
of exiles in Siberia. The tremendous in
creage of naval and other armament by
these powers may mean prolonged Euro
peau war. 1t might mean combined
attack by European powers, on the
slightest pretext of American offense, to
simultaneously destroy every city upon
the Atlantic and Pacific coast.
s'Aside from this possible danger,
there is, and combined with it, danger
nearer home. The South American re-
publics whose progress and material in
crease has for the past quarter century
been almost as phenomenal as your own,
are plainly FESTIVE under North Ameri-
can diplomatic dominance. This was
made clear in countless ways during the
an-American congress. The develop
ment of these countries has been largely
due to English, Dutch, German and
Spanish capital. European statecraft
has directed this. 1t has also cultivated
powerful anlmosities against the United
States. Once let the latter make a
downright quarrel over the Monroe doc
trine, attempt the annexation of Cana
da or Cuba, or in aDysmanner become
offensivly involved in South American
complications, and, many European
military authorities believe and secretly
prophecy, every American port would,
IN fifteen days, be as effectively closed as
though hermetrically sealedi'
Now this is rank European pessimism,
though the apparent honest conviction of
a millitarlst in the service of q friendly
power. But admitting that along this
line of possibility there is something
worthy of reflection; indeed, supposing
81sst, relying upon the digrsceful condi-
sffon of our coast defences, and the ridic-
ulous cipher our 'n6vy'' represents in
international influence, combined for
eign enemies should force just this sort
of dilemma. Our ports in the posses
sion of invaders, our very integral cohe-
siveness endangered, and all recourse to
the remainder of the world destroyed,
how far would our
CHARACTERISTIC NATIONAL VANITY.
boastlng and asssrtiveness 60 toward
mending tine fatal folly of supineness
co ncerning sensible preparation against
such annihilative calamity? We have
patriotism, oceans of it. We have men,
millions of them. We have foundries,
iron, steel, cannon, small arms; COM
misssries and transportation. Certain
"; numberless and incalculable. But
all this would not avail if we had no
powder or nitre for making powder, and
considerations pretty close to those hint
ed ut above have led our military |
authorities, through our ordnance de-
partment, TO adopt policy of gradual |
storage of both powder and nitre on so |