The Springfield herald., 1898-03-18
NOT READY FOR WAR.
THE SITUATION OF rHlsNArloN
While We Have Immense Resources 1t
Would Require Long Time to Pre-
pare for Actual Fighting

Some time ago Representative Hill
born of California delivered an address
to the students of the University of
Chicago upon our military helplessness.
1t will be remembered that his disclos-
ures caused quite II sensation. and
when Congress assembled half Il dozen
earnest patriots went to the Navy De
partment to obtain material to reply
to him from the floor of the House.
But they were informed by Secretary
Long that the records of the depart
ment sustained Mr.. IiilbOrn's state
mcntS and that II would be better for
Congress to vote money to place the
navy and the army in n proper condi-
tion than to indulge in II debate which
would only expose our weakness to for
eign powers.
Every officer of the army and navy,
almost without exception. who is com
petent to speak, will tell you that Spain
Is much better prepared for war than
the United States, and that 1t is prob
able that II would be victorious in the
first two or three battl !, although we
would certainly win in the end.
A man who knows said: "If all the
powder factories in the country were
kept running night and day 1t would
take seven months for them to pile up
ammunition enough to make 1t safe
for us to begin shooting. There is not
enough ammunition in sight today to
half fill the magazines of our navy or
half the easements of half our coast
defenses. The new guns. the big ones,
takes half n Ton of powder every time
they are fired. and it must be certain
kind of powder in order TO make them
effective. If we should use the old
fashioned powder in one of those big
rifles the smoke would not clear away
for week. All the powder factories
are now running on government orders
TO their full capacity. and they are
turning out some pretty good stun. but
we are not ready for Il battle by good
deal. and we don't want to lose the
first one If we have got 10 fight. We
don't want any Bull Runs in the next
war.
"rhere is no doubt that we could
raise an army of 5.GnO.O 900 men. and we
could equip them with policemens
clubs i'll Il few weeks. but we could
not make arms enough for such IL
force for several years. While there
are probably o.OOO.000 rifles and shot
guns and other shooting irons i'll the
country, they would be practically use
less. and there are moi enough modern
rifles in reach to-day to arm the exist
ing militia. In most of the states The
militia are carrying Springfield rifles
that were made in 1873. In other
states they have Peabody, Shhrp's.
Spencer. Martini. Remington and Whit
ney rifles, which from the inspectors
| reports range from "wretchcd' up to
fair" in condition. In several of our
armories and arscnals both of the reg
ular and state troops. we have Calling
guns, breech-loading rifles of two-inch
and three-inch calibre. twclve-pound
Napoleons. Parrott guns and other OBJ
solete ordnance which would have
been condemned long ago in any other
| army than that of the United States.
while the artillery harness is absolutely
worthless.
"If the militia of the United States
were to be called to arms to-day not
more than one-third of the men could
pass an ordinary inspection, and the
| regulars are not too well supplied.
The greatest difficulty with the militia
would be the variety OF their equip
ments and the fact that they carry
hrms that are obsolete. and very little
| ammunition is made for them any
more. We have military storehouses
at Philadelphia. Jcffcrsonvi1le. st.
Louis and San Francisco. but the ma
! terial on hand would not be sufficient
to equip the regular army If 1t were
called into action. OF course we have
great resources. We are remark
able people. We could do all that needs
to be done quicker and better than
any other nation on earth, but the
youngster spoke the truth who said
that even God could not make two
year-old colt in minute"
The navy is in better condition than
| the army, although eight or ten of our
best ships. including the Columbia
and the Minneapolis. which are the
crack cruisers and the fastest ships
afioat, are quite out OF commission,
and it would require several weeks If
not months to fiji them for sea. From
1900 to 1000 sailors are absolutely
| necessary to furnish crews for the YES
sells we have in time of peace and to
place the navy on a war footing would
require not less than 5000 more men.
1t would be easy enough to get them
but there is vast difference between
naval warfare today and in 1861.
Then any sailor could me made useful
| Now n man-of-war is a monstrous en-
gine, filled with machinery OF the most
complicated and delicate character.
| The guns are loaded by steam and
fred by electricity. and 1t requires
months and years of training to con
into 81, il1p1 mDpniniStS