Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1891-08-21

penditure of more than million dollars at
one fell swoop; the construction of a hum
dred of the most powerful guns known to
modern warfare; the protection of our sea-
board cities against the fleets of any posi-
BILE enemy, and ultimately, as other and
perhaps larger contracts are let in future,
the uplifting of our country from fourth
o. fifth rate as a fighting power to a proud
place among the stanchest and most puis-
SAINT of nations. We have long had the
men and the money, and now, by lingo,
we are getting the ships and the guns too.
Reading in the papers that such a great
gun building contract had been let by the
government, l called on a distinguished Of
fcer of the ordnance bureau of the war de-
partment and said to him:
Captain, this seems to be the era of big
guns. If there is any one thing in the
world l know less about than another it is
big guns. Now tell me all about them,
please"
The captain did tell me all about them,
and l I'M going to tell you, or rs much as I
can remember, for the captain told me a
great deal, and it was all very interesting.
ITO begin at the beginning" said the
captain, ''tve or six years ago congress-,
stirred up by public opinion, came to the
conclusion that something must be lone to
protect u seaboards and to arm our new
naval ships. 1t decided that instead of
buying our guns in Europe we were smart
enough to make them ourselves. A gun
factory board, composed Of officers of both
army and navy, was appointed to inquire
into the subject. They visited Europe and
made a very thorough Investigation. The
substance Of their report was that we
would do we'll to separate the army and
navy in our operations, and establish a gun
factory for the army and another for the
navy. It was feared if we were to try to
get along with one factory %jealousies and
troubles would arise. If an army officer
were placed in charge the navy people
would complain that they were not getting
a fair show, and vice versa. So W gun
factories were established, one at Washing
at Watervliet arsenal, West Troy, N. Y,
for the army.
"Then various questions arose, such as
how extensively the government should go
into gun making on It's own account, and
how much dependence it should place on
individual enterprise. In Germany we had
an example of a nation buying all its guns,
and of a single maker, Krupp; in England
we saw a government making all it's guns
on it's own hook. There were difficulties
in either plan, and 80 another board of in
quiry was appointed, and congressional
committees took a hand in the investiga-
ton. We finally settled down to the policy
Of France. which was a compromise be-
tween the other two plans, in that the
French bought some of their materials of
private manufacturers and then put the
guns together and finished them in their
own shops. Right here another ques-
ton arose for us to decide: Should
the government 60 to the expense of
putting in complete plants, or should it
substitute private individuals to do this?
More boards and committees were set in
vestigating-you see we have taken no step
without inquiry and deliberation-and it
was finally determined that in view of the
great expense, the uncertainty of profit,
and for more thorough, systematic, scien-
tiic and uniform creation of guns, govern
ment should equip itself with two COM
plete plants and in them manufacture the
first or type guns. This has been done,
and the type guns have been made; and
now we have reached that important stage
of our development as a gun making ma
ton In which we let a contract for the
building of 100 high power guns to one
firm. We have passed the experimental
stages and are now in the process of
achievement"
"But how was it ascertained what sort
of guns we wanted2" a
Il will tell you about that. While the
gun factories were being built and equipped
a fertilization board was at work. It made
a thorough and critical examination of all
the harbors and navies Of the world. It
examined all our WI harbors, and de-
termined what vessels of foreign and pos
sibly hostile navies could enter u har-
bors, It ascertained that some vessels
could menace Boston that could not men
ace New York or account of their draft,
and SO on with other ports. By taking into
consideration the armament and the armor
of these vessels in each case it was able to
determine what sort Of guns were needed
for the defense of each Of our harbors. The
board did more than this. From its criti-
cal analysis of the navies and navy build
ing operations of foreign powers 1t en-
deavored to look ahead ten, twenty OF even
thirty years., and foresee as clearly as
possible what the navies would be then
and what we should have to guard
against. You see that we know what we
ara ahn,If and ttnf xrh3Jo M 80 a~rpand