Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-01-21

,lAKNN|n agent of the krag-Jo
MIx-XE WY gensen gun regarding
&yJS3Eli the right to manu-
NAANyA facture the weapon in
VIZ this country. The de-
tails have not yet been made public. but the
amount Of royalty to be paid is understood to
be comparatively small and entirely satisfactory
to the War Department. Most of the plant a,
the Springfield armory has already been
changed to meet the requirements for the man.
ufacture of the new weapon. 1t is estimated
that about q, 900 stands of arms will be manu-
featured annually after the new plant is in full
and perfect working order. Gen. Flagler had
hoped to get large number Of the new
weapons in the hands Of troops in season
for the next rifle competition, but this
is now out of the question. No con-
siderable number can be issued until next
autumn, when the competitions will be over.
The policy will be to equip one regiment at a
time. The order in which this will be done
will be determined by the commanding general
upon the recommendations of department COM
manders. While the ordnance authorities would
not be surprised and, in fact, are rather ex-
pecting, to see an inventor come forward with
an improvement on the gun adopted. it is their
purpose to go ahead with the manufacture Of
the new weapon until a better weapon is
provided. Pending the further development
of an American smokeless powder the Wetterin
will be purchased and issued to the troops with
the new guns as soon manufactured.
1t Is therefore evident that the National
Guard will not begin to receive the smaii-cah-
Der shooting machine for about one year. Had
1t been decided to issue them to the regular
troops in time for the 1898 competitions then
the d. @. Y. G. would almost surely have had
sufficient number for its team, but the in
ternationai struggle for buli's-eyes and fame at
Chicago is to be conducted under present con-
ditions then the most that can be hoped for
will be sufficient supply of the best the mar
ket affords. Team candidates may be sure of
one thing and that is high-grade ammunition;
the best that can be turned out of any factory
in the United States. The Frankford product
has been thoroughly tested and will never again
be used in a match of any importance by repre-
sentatives of the District National Guard.
CHANGES TO BE WROUGHT BY sMoKELEss POWDER.
Deeply interesting and very clear was the
lecture delivered some little time ago by L. G..
Duff Grant before the United Service Club in
New York. Mr.. Grant was discussing smoke
less powders and their connection with the i'm
proved rifles. In concluding his essay Mr..
Grant said:
There can be no dispute about the numer-
Gus advantages possessed by small-bore rife
over one Of a comparatively large caliber. They
arc these: Reduction in size and weight OF car
tridges, lis rounds of the new ammunition
weigh no more than seventy of the Martini
HeBry; increased accuracy and penetration;
practical absence of recoil; higher muzzle We
locity, giving lower trajectory; using the fixed
sight a man can be struck up to 40 yards;
saving In transport of ammunition; a greater
number Of cartridges can be carried in the mag
azine Of tho rife without increasing the weight
Of the former.
The introduction of magazine rifles and
smokeless explosive agent must be followed
speedily by revolution in tactics. For were
contending forces approaching each other I'M
der the tactical conditions now in vogue, one
dependent on gunpowder would suffer tremend-
Gus blows from batteries whose position and
distance they would be quite unable to deter
mine except by the sound and report, and their
outposts would be completely demoralized BY
being harassed and picked off by an unseen
enemy. Their attacking line would suffer Sc
vere losses without being able to adequately
infict them on the advancing enemy, and,
lastly, when at close quarters enveloped in
dense smoke from the rapid use of their own
magazine rifles, their enemy, provided with the
smokeless explosive, would have perfectly
clear front.
From what have said I am sure you will all
agree with me that the days of black powder
are numbered, and that the adoption Of smoke
less or nitro powders and magazine rifles for
all military purposes is only matter of time. No
doubt there are occasions during naval and
military operations when the shroud Of smoke
produced by musketry or artillery fire has
proved Of important ad vantage to one or other
or to both OF the belligerents, but this smoke
will have to be found from other sources.
SPECIALLY MANUFACTURED SMOKE.
Invention begets invention. The latest is
that Col Crease has invented a sort Of fuse or
rocket case which, on ignition, gives forth dense
screen for the attack. Also. from Berlin, we
learn that Prof. Scheiller has improved upon
Col. Crease's fuses by inventing a machine tor
producing artificial smoke on a battlefield to
counteract the Introduction Of smokeiess
powder, and the French have a new invention
in the shape Of q smoke bomb intended to be
fired into the ranks of the enemy who use
smokeless powder, and SO obscure their view.
With the adoption of smokeless powder the
duties Of the guard and patrol will be made i'm
measurably more difficult by the absence Of
smoke ard noise which in the case of the en-
ployment Of ordinary powder attracted their
attention to and pointed out tine position of the
enemy. On the other hand 1t will render capi-
tai service to the frsnctireurs whose object il to
escape from and confuse the guard.
Sudden attacks and surprises will become
matters of such daily occurrence that outposts
and patrols will have to be immensely strength
ened and kept at the utmost tension Of watch
fulness. Firing drill and discipline must
necessarily be made much stricter than at
present The most important fault OF the
smOkeiess powder Is, however, the terrible
clearness. the overwhelming distinctness with
which. when it is used in battle, every man will
be able to see the carnage and slaughter around
him. Hitherto the heavy roll of the firing has
mercifuily smothered the cries and skrieks of
the wounded, the cloud of powder smoke has
yelled the horrible sight OF men piled in heaps
dying and dead. their dreadful sufferings, their
agonized end. Each man fighting behind thick
fog of smoke, which was only waited aside now
and then by IA gust Of wind or lightened by a
pause in the firing, felt certain sense of
screened security, mistaken indeed, but none
the less reassuring, until he himself was struck
by the fatal bullet. How will it be in the
future! The fall of each man who Ia
shot down will DO clearly seen by his comrades,
every cry of anguish will be heard BY half the
company, the least hesitation, the least vacilla-
ton, which, through the rapid change OF COM
mander, that death or q severe wound often
renders necessary, will be Immediately observed
feet confidence they ought to have in their
officers. On the other hand, the advantages of
smokeless powder may be summed up: The de-
moralizing and bewildering effect on the corps
exposed to infantry fire, and the difficulty expe-
rienced by the enemy in determining the dis
lance and the direction whence the fire comes
the increased certainty of aim arising from the
absence of smoke from their own fire, especially
in the Of artillery, where 1t enables at least
three times as much to be fired as with the old
powder. For the defense, ii is an inestimable
boon; for the attack, it means certain death.
THE FEBRUARY GALLERY PRACTICE.
RiAa v,rnrtica for has hoor