The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-07-17

and so simple in it's mechanism that IL
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-Jorgensen,
which / believe to be the best military
magazine rife In existence. II is bet
ter than the Springfield. being capable
of more rapid fire and having a fiatte-
trajectory. so that what we cal the
danger space" is increased. But. like
all up-to-date magazine rifles. ii is ex-
ceedingly complicated. and a soldier
needs six months at least to learn how
to use ii. 1t gets out of order as easily
as a watch. and the utmost care Is re-
quired to keep IL In condition for use.
I do not hesitate to assert that the
efficiency of our regiments would have
been reduced so per cent by placing
such guns in the hands of the soldiers.
Even to-day the soldiers of the regular
army prefer the Springfield. caliber
IS. to the Krag-Jorgensen.
Not long ago a very Intelligent man.
long familiar with affairs in Cuba, told
me that the Spanish government.
through some official robbery, had fur
nished defective rifles to its troops in
Cuba. so that actually one-half Of
them would not shoot. Now, the fact
is that the Spaniards in Cub use the
Mauser rifle exclusively, and guns OF
that pattern are made at only one fac
tory in the world. in Germany. That
factory never sends out a rifle hat Is
not first rate, every part being sub
jected to severe test. But the rifles in
the hands of the soldiers in Cuba had
evidently got out of order, owing 20
their complicated mechanism. so that
a large percentage of them were rend-
cred unavailable for service. Hence. it
will be obvious why we nave preferred
to arm our men with Springfields.
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 a prudent foresight. Eleven
years ago congress was told what was
required TO be dom for the defense Of
the coast. A full statement was pre-
pared as to the amount of none need
ed, the time that would be consumed
In building and equipping the FORTH
cations, etc. 1t was reckoned hat the
entire work could be accomplished in
an orderly and economical way in 10
years. If the suggestions of the war
department on the subject had been
carried out. the whole business would
a w been completed by this time. But
lliSltdu VI SIdllNluh IlC
money asked for. would allow from
year TO year only from one-fifth to one
third of what ought to have been CIV
en-. Consequently, when this war
came, we were only about one-quarter
through. Ten years ago I took charge
of this department and j succeeded in
persuading congress to let us go On
with the making of guns This was
most important, because il takes a
whereas other things may be impro-
vised to some extent. Accordingly, at
the outbreak of this conflict we found
ourselves with a 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 decla-
ration Of war this department bent
every energy to the accumulation OF
small arms and cartridges, and of the
latter 10000. 900 were on hand at the
opening of the conflict. A great many
millions more have been made and
bought since then, and manufacturer
are now delivering 100, 900 per day. W.
have already sent to the field a large
number of five-inch siege guns and sew,
en-inch siege howitzers, with their car.
riages and equipments complete. Al
of this siege material is of the latest
pattern. Smokeless powder is now be.
ing used for all field and siege guns.