Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1898-07-17

It is a very effective weapon, and so simple in its mechanism that it can hardly be put out Of order.
 Some years ago an army board, after most painstaking consideration of the subject. adopted for the use of the regular army the Krag- -Jorgenson, which l believe to be the best military magazine rife in existence. It is bet ter than the Springfield, being capable of more rapid fire and having a flatter trajectory, so that what we call the danger space" Is increased. But like all up-to-date magazine rifles. it is ex- eeedingly complicated, and q soldier needs six months at least to learn how to use it. It gets out of order as easily as watch and the utmost care is re- quired to keep it in condition for use. do not hesitate te assert that the efficiency of our regiments would have been reduced 50 per cent by placing such guns in the hands of the soldiers. Even to-day the soldiers of the regular army prefer the Springfield, cafiber 45, to the Krag-Jorgenson.
 Not long ago very intelligent man, long familiar with affairs in Cuba, told me that the Spanish government, through some official jobbery, had fur nished defective rifles to it's troops in Cuba, so that actually one-half of them would not shoot. Now, the fact is that the Spaniards in Cuba use the Mauser rife exclusively, and guns of that TTttUTIT 7rr-t,- made at -anl H-one fae- tory in the world, in Germany. That factory never sends out q rifle that is not first-rate, every part being sub jeeted to severe test. But the rifles in the hands of the soldiers in Cuba had evidently got out of order, owing to their complicated mechanism, so that a large percentage of them were rem dered unavailable for service. Hence, it will be obvious why we have preferred to arm our men with Springfelds.
 We have been able to furnish our troops promptly with all the field can non required. As for guns for coast defense we have done pretty well, thanks to prudent foresight. Eleven years ago congress was told what was required to be done for the defense of the coast. A full statement was pre- pared as to the amount of money need- ed, the time that would be consumed in building and equipping the fortiica- tions, etc. It was reckoned that the entire work could be accomplished in an ordinary and economical way in ten years. If the suggestions of the war department on the subject had been carried out, the whole business would have been completed by this time. But congress, instead of granting the money asked for, would allow from year 10 year only from one-ffth to one third of what ought to have been given. Consequently, when this war came, we were only about cnequarter through. Ten years ago took charge of this de partment, and 1 succeeded in pedsuad- ing congress to let us go on with the making of guns. This was most i'm portant, because it takes a year or more to make a big gun, whereas other things may be inprovised to some ex- tent. Accordingly, at the outbreak of this conflict we found ourselves with lot of first-rate guns on hand. We have been hurrying the making of carriages for the guns, and our strides have been so rapid that the coast defenses of the country are at present in very fair condition.
 For some time previous to the declar- ation of war this department bent every energy to the accumulation of small arms and cartridges, and of the lot n II opening of the sonflict. A great many millions more have been made and bought since then. and manufacturers are now delivering 700,00 per day We have already sent to the field large number of 5-inch siege guns and Finch siege howitzers, with their carriages and equipments complete. All of this siege material is of the latest pattern Smokeless powder is now being used for all field and siege guns.
 Statement by Brig. Gen. George NJ.
 Sternberg, Surgeon General of the
 Army.
 At the opening of the war we had in our depots medical and surgical sup plies for 25,00o men. My orders had been to make no emergency purchases until war was declared; consequently,
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