Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-10-16
INSUFFICIENT PROTECTION
Slow Output in Supplying the New Maga.
zine Gun.
What n Foreign Army Could Do I'm the
United States Before We We're
Ready to Resist.

The work Of equipping the troops of the
regular army with the new magazine rife
is progressing as rapidly as the limited
plant of the Springfield National Armory
will permit. The fabrication of the COM
plex and accurate machinery necessary to
make the new weapon required much time
and now that the plant is in running order
the output is about 25,O00 arms per year.
AS fast as the arms are completed they
are issued to the troops, and at this rate of
will be about a year before our small army
is brought up to a modern standard by
being supplied with magazine guns. When
this work is accomplished the ordnance Off
GERS will turn their attention to the militia
sample weapon has been sent to the Ma
tional Guard of each state, so that the men
may famiiarize themselves with it. but at
the present rate Of output it will be several
years at least before they can all be sup
piled.
An Impression on Military Men.
This fact has deeply impressed some dis
tinguished military men in Washington
taken In connection with the rather start
ling suggestions made by General Scho-
field in his annual report, just published,
touching the insuf!ciency of our army in
the point of numerical strength, and his
comparison of the United States with China
from military standpoint 1t has always
been the proud boast of the public men
who have resisted the establishment of a
good standing army that i'm case Of a hos
tile attack the government could secure a
million volunteers in day. To this the
military experts of today are replying by
the question, what are we to do with these
raw volunteers and how shall they be
armed?
What Could BE Done.
Of fha
now living, who is perhaps more familiar
with our military resources than any man
in the country, has asked this question.
Following out his line Of reasoning he made
a rather surprising observation. Said ne:
Having In view the incompleteness of our
scheme of coast defense. and the absolute
insignificance of our navy when compared
with the magnificent navies of Europe, 1
have no hesitation in saying that it is en-
tlrely possible for at least two of the ma
tiCns Of Europe to land 25O,UuO troops On
our Atlantic coast. To these we can op-
pose at short notice about 10000 soldiers
5000 being of the regular army and 70 Oa
lillltla, Tor L am convinced that this is
about our effective militia strength in an
emergency. In the course of time we could
add a great number of raw volunteers. But
lhe lalter we cannot arm and equip.
Could Occupy st. Louis.
1t requires. as you see, much time to do
thls' and am of opinion that the foreign
invaders would be able to occupy ST. Louis
before we could make the arms, for, of
course we would be prevented by the neu-
uaIIty acts from purchasing abroad l be-
heVe that Gen. Schofield rather understa led
me case in comparing the United States
WIN CHINA, for the fact is that we are not
nearly So wei prepared by I'd or sea to
resist attack from even one European power
as was China to resist Japan The dispro
portion III effective force is even greater.
ana for the United States to rely on its
latent power and on its vast population and
n, mealth Is as latuous as Was China's re-
lance on the same factors"