Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1898-11-16
ANNUAL REPORT.
Chief of the Bureau of Ordnance Tells
of His Department.
Recommends rhat the General Govern.
ment Arm the Volunteers Instead of
tho states-The Coast Defenses-
Work of tho Arssnal~


Flagler, chief of the bureau of ord
nance, has made his annual report to
the secretary of war. IL shows that
there were expended during the fiscal
year ending June 80, 1895, sT,S4s. T95,
and that there still remains of
the appropriations made for the
ordnance bureau, $40. 1913, $50. This
large sum is derived from the
appropriations for the fiscal year
which were made for war purposes
amounting to SCI, 504, 592. Regarding
the equipment of volunteers. the gen
eral thinks il would be as well as TO
have the government equip them in
stead of their bringing their state
arms into service, saying that it could
be done as quickly owing to the condi-
ton of the arms of state troops
He speaks in terms of praise in the
manner in which work has been per
formed at arsenals and ordnance fac
tories in the rush that was made in
putting the country on footing for
war with Spain. AS to the equipment
of an army, he says:
$50 long as the principal dependence in this
country in time OF war is In a large volunteer
force. newly levied. IL is impracticable to keep
on hand large supplies OF cavalry. artillery
and horse equipments. as these in the course
OF few years will not only deteriorate but
will have 10 be materially modified to keep
pace with improvements The major part OF
such material can. 10y taking advantage of the
resources OF Rock Island and the other
arsenals and the numerous private establish
mentS capable OF producing t. be supplied as
rapidly as troops can be raised. mustered into
the 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 $4,000 men Such guns
and carriages can not 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 "A supply of 100, 900 on hand of any
new arm and the arsenals kept in
condition so as to produce ., 500 per
day.
An interesting feature of the report
is that which treats of coast defense.
The general says:
Attention is especially invited'to the expe-
renee OF the last Few months in attempting to
provide quickly coast defense. 1t is believed
to be impracticable and we will always be
forced. in any emergency, to rely upon what
has been provided in time of peace
think it fair TO state though
not in the way OF complaint. that
this has been urged upon congress each year
for the past ten years The situation is very
simple. A plan has been adopted for provid.
ing a complete coast defense With the pre-
sent facilities OF the department this work can
be carried on economically and in the most ef-
hcient manner in such n 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 its production will permit II 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 can not progress faster than the ap-
preparations provide for.
1t is probable that there must be added To
the plans and estimates for the coast defense
some provision for the defense of added pos
sessions"
Gen. Flagler does not claim for the
As caliber Springfield rifle an equality
with the new so caliber magazine rifle
of the army, but says that it is very
- ONA 81 ~ anu BnoNtSStS many merits.
This feature has heretofore been com
mented upon il discussion of small
arms used during the war. The ma
chinery for the manufacture of small arm
and ammunition was none The best ret
the department turned out 90. 600 OOO
rou nds for the war. For years past. tne
report states. the appropriations for
equipments of infantry, cavalry. artil-
lery and horse have been barely suffi-
cient TO meet the consumption of the
regular army and although there were
buildings there was not machinery
with which to manufacture these sup
plies.
Details are given of what was done
to rapidly increase the coast defenses
when the war began. lie calls atten-
ton to the fact that congress has
never appropriated what was asked
for powder and projectiles, and in con
sequence the supply at the beginning
OF the war was inadequate. and he
gives some instances Of the work done
by the department to make good the
deficiency