The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-11-22
The Krag-Jorgensen Rifle.

| teer regiments on active service. but
throughout the entire National Guard.
Even more than this is required. The
| close of the war has left the National
| Guard in a state Of DISCRIMINATION and
Generalization which it will be to the
best interest Of the country at once to
rcctify. We have assumed new and far
reaching responsibilities in the inter.
national affairs of the world Since the
country has made up it's mind not to
shirk them. we must be prepared to
| meet them in a spirit equal to the con-
| sequences which they may at any
| moment entail. We must cast off the
swaddling clothes of military infancy
and don the uniform. cap-a-pie, Of Il
fully developed military power.
Militarlsm is said to he a curse. one
which is etcrnally dinned into the ears
of those who are responsible, if indeed
| any particular nation or government is
responsible, for it. But it is here, and
the cynical indifference with which the
disarmament proposition of the czar
has been received throughout the world
does not portend it's immediate or re-
mote overthrow. The thorough equip
ment and reorganization of the Ma
tional Guard is beyond any domestic
political issue. We have done with
Spain. and in all human probability
with all countries bearing the same
relative disproportion to our military
and naval strength and financial re-
war, or is forced into hostilities, by
some other European power. the plunge
will be one from which we cannot hope
to rise so easily. We must be in touch
| with the military movements of our
| time. If there is no escape from our
| colonial responsibilities, and we see
none. there is also no escape from
| standing well to the front in their pro-
| lection and defense. The journalistic
and political sophistry which eXtols the
magnificent irresponsibility of our an
| teCedent isolation in the world takes
no account of forces, irrespective of the
war with Spain, which would have led
us ultimately to the same end at per-
| haps an immeasurably greater sacri-
| flee. 1t is doubtful if we could supinely
have acquiesced in the partition OF
| China, just as it pleased Russia. Great
| Britain, Germany and France to decide,
without taking possession Of Hawaii and
| the Philippines with a view to safe
| guarding our own. Our trade with China
! is developing at an abnormal rate. If our
commerce with the Chinese was carried
| on in ships flying our own flag this
| would be al once apparent: but since
| our exports are brought to China in
| sight Of, except by those individually
| interested or by our cOnsuls.
The danger to the country arising
| from the disbanding of the volunteer
regiments in the mood in which they
! would disperse is not quite real
lied, but the dissatisfaction which
| has been created throughout the
| country by their alleged il-treat-
ment during the compaign with Spain
| is sufficiently familiar in outline. The
| antiquity and inediciency of the small
| arms with which our volunteers We're
! provided is oddly at variance with
modern military progress. The Ma
tional guard might as well be armed
with potsticks as with the old Spring
| field breechloading rife. 1t is nearly
| half century behind the time. The
| Mauser, if we may use the expression
| is a magnificent death-dcaling instru-
! ment. 1t is superior in the rapidity
| of its action To the Krag-Jorgensen
| but it is "A clumsier and u heavier
| weapon, which places the two guns
perhaps nearly upon an equality. There
is in reality little to choose between
the Lee Medford, the Mauser and the
ag-Jorgensen rifles. 1t is a question
| IF discretion with the military eXecu-
| tives of different countries. They are
| all constructed on the principle of the
Maxim magazine gun. The British
! army is supplied with the Lee Med
ford; the Spanish, German, Austrian
| and Italian armies use the Mauser;
| Russia has the krag-Jorgensen, while
! France again has a modification Of the
Lee Medford. There is no patent in thu
invention Of rifles. No sooner is a new
,iaa in,.ortad tho, -. dasio,,, &, .,a,or
and soId "a o,bo, o,,,.o,,,,,,,,,, 90
what T., tl,ouoh+ ,,.,r,h,, 80 oao,totiar
odor,ad ,.Ithn,,t s,,rn,, ~ a',aIaa,,
The Thirteenth regiment will also be
| supplied with the knife bayonet, a mul.
dar',,s ,,.aono,, g, ,,,,s, +,'a >.a.,DN',
o,,o.l 70 e., -. =, -, ,,.,,,.l, -, ''
1
is or,, 80 t,,o ,,i,rs ,,.,,ia,, ,,,,,a, =,
~