The record-union., 1898-11-14
Large Sum Remaining for the
Ordnance Bureaus.
Thinks 1t Best for Government to Equip
Volunteers.


There Should be No Halt in
Providing a Complete Coast De-
fense, Which Takes Much Time.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 13.-General
w. D. Flagler, Chief of the Bureau of
Ordnance, has made his annual report
to the Secretary of War. 1t shows that
there were expended during the fiscal
year ending June 30, 1898, 81 1,34S, l9o,
and that there still remains of the ap-
preparations made for the Ordnance
Bureau, $40, 793, ,359 This large sum is
derived from the appropriations for the
fiscal year which were made for war
purposes, amounting to $21, ,504, ,592.
Regarding the equipment of volun-
teers, the General thinks it would be
as well TO have the Government equip
them instead of their bringing their
State arms into service, saying that it
could be done as quickly, owing 70 the
condition of the arms of State troops.
He speaks in terms of praise of the
manner in which work has been per-
formed in putting the country on
footing for war with Spain. AS to
the equipment of the army he says:
80 long as the principal dependence
in this country in a time of war is
large volunteer force newly levied 1T IS
impracticable to keep on hand large
supplies of cavalry, artillery and horse
equipments, as these in the course OF
a few years will not only deteriorate,
but will have to be materially modlf1ed
to keep pace with improvements. The
major part of such material can. by
taking advantage of the resources of
Rock Island and other arSenals and the
numerous private Establishments ca
pable of producing it, be supplied as
rapidly as troops can be raised, mus
tered into service and prepared for
campaign. There should, however, be
on hand field and siege artillery with
carriages and a portion of the harness
required for 100000 men. Such guns
and carriages cannot be turned out in
large numbers until about six months
after initiating the work"
For equipping an army with supply
of small arms he thinks there should
be the supply of 100000 on hand of any
new arm, and the arsenals kept in con-
dition so as to produce $500 per day
is that which treats of coast defenses.
The General says:
Attention is especially invited to the
experience of the last few months in
attempting to provide quickly coast
defense 1t is believed to be impracti-
cable and we will always be forced IN
any emergency to rely upon what has
been provided in time of peace. I think
it fair to state. though not in the way
of complaint, that this has been urged
on Congress for the past ten years. The
situation is very simple. A plan has
been adopted for providing a complete
coast defense. With the present facili-
ties of the department, this work can
be carried on economically and in the
most efficient manner in such a way as
to complete the present plan in about
seven years. Estimates ought TO be
submitted each year for so much of the
work as the facilities for it's production
VIII permit. 1t rests with Congress to
determine how much of the work can
be provided for each year consistently
with the resources of the country. But
the work cannot progress faster than
the appropriations provide for. It is
probable that there must be added to
the plans and estimates for the coast
defense some provision for the defense
of added possessions"
Details are given of what was done
to rapidly increase the coast defense
when the war began. He calls atten-
tion to the fact that Congress has
never appropriated what was asked for.
powder and projectiles. and in conse-
quence the supply at the beginning Of
the war was inadequate, and he gives
some instances of the work done bv
the department to make good the de-
ficiency.
The following statement is made as
to powder:
For several years this department
has been experimenting on smokeless
powders for sea coast guns and had
completed the determination of the
specifications and requirements for the
smokeless powders for nearly all the
sea coast guns and mortars. Some of
the powder manufacturers that had en-
gagged in the production of these ex-
perimental powders had ample plants
for their production. 1T was impossible.
however, to produce the powders fast
enough TO meet the emergency, and in
some cases experience in their use was
necessary for adapting them to all the
requirements of the service. All the
companies, however, We're ready at once
to take up the manufacture of the car
bon powders. and as the requirements
Tor this were simpler they could expand
their plant for this production more
rapidly, and for a time this department.
therefore, devoted all its energies to
providing sufficient supply of the
carbon powders. Later and as fast as
possible the manufacture was changed
to srnokeless powders.
The furnishing of siege and field guns
and ammunition for the war encounter
ed the same difficulties as in other
branches of the ordnance equipment,
yet the bureau furnished such guns for
the Manila and Porto Rican expedi-
tions. The artillery was not used at
Santiago to any extent. OF siege guns,
twenty-five were taken for sea coast
defense al the beginning of the war.
'"The war has furnished an oppor-
tunity for determining by experience
the effect of our modern sea coast
armament against modern battleships.
The reports of the experience gained,
however tend to confirm the opinion