The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1891-12-16
NO MAGAZINE GUN ADOPTED.
The single Loader TO Rsmain th'
Weapon OF Oar Army.

The single Loader 10 Rsmain the
Weapon OF Oar Army.
The most striking piece OF Information
In the report OF Gen. Flagler, the new
chief OF ordnance, Is that the single-load-
or will probably remain for the present
the weapon OF the American army.
Two reason make this conclusion re-
markable. The first Is that Board OF
military experts, headed by Gen. Kautz,
has been conducting, during the present
year, an elaborate series OF tests with all
the smokeless powders and magazine
guns submitted to them for trial. Among
these were several rifles aud powders OF
worldwide celebrity and OF actual
use In various foreign services. Yet
none OF the guns was found by the Board
good enough to replace the single.
loader for our troops. "The In
vestigations." says Gen. Flsgler, "have
not demonstrated SO much excel
lence In the magazine arms OF foreign
nations as was expected, and have not
shown such perfection In any one OF them
as could warrant its adoption for our SER
vice. 1t is hoped that this country can
produce q better arm; and until IL can. or
until 1t has been demonstrated that 1t
cannot, IL would be wise to defer change
service to a magazine system" Secretary
Proctor substantially approves this de-
cision.
His conclusion, therefore, is directly In
line with that Of his predecessor. Gen.
Benet, while 1t. contrasts decidedly with
the view OF Gen. Sheridan, who declared
long ago In an official report that II
seemed better to adopx the Lest OF tho ex-
listing magazine guns, faulty though IL
might be. than to delay longer In the hope
OF perfection. Inspector General Brecken-
ridge also concluded. In his report OF last
year, that at is so injurious to an army
to know that Its arms are obsolete and
inferior, that the demand for something <
better than We have now Is very earnest.
Our citizens. especially the militia, are not
satisfied. knowing that they must pay
with their lives for any lack Of prepara-
tion when the next war comes"
The second fact which makes the result
reached by our military authorities 80 re-
markable, Is that nearly every foreign
country OF consequence has already
adopted some magazine arm. Even Rus
sia, which so long resisted the introduc-
ton Of magazine gun. has adopted one
In France with tho greatest possible
iopiditys
Still we have the word of our military
authorities that not one OF these, so far
as can be ascertained by their expert
ments, is worthy OF our adoption.
Another point to note Is that some OF
these nations have armies OF half a mill
lion men or moro to supply with rifles,
exclusive OF their reserves. Our country
has an army Of $4,000 enlisted men, with
organized State militias of about 100, 900
Yet Secretary Proctor makes the point
that IL is wise to 60 slowly on account OF
the cost incurred by selecting and making
rife which might afterward be found In.
ferior.
But IL must In justice be noted that the
present chief OF ordnance, like his prede-
cessor. Is fully In favor OF securing a good
magazine gun. No efforts will be spared,
he says, to obtain one; and after all u
may be Acknowledged that the problem
for our country is little different in this
respect from that Of foreign nations.