The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-03-09
NOT READY TO FIGHT.
We Lack Sufficient Ammunition, RI
Hes and Cannon tn Begin War


CHICAGO. March S-W. E. Curtis in a
dispatch from Washington to the Record
says: The very men and papers that are
now urging the President to make war
would be the first to condemn him if he ac-
copied their advice and plunged into hos
tilities unprepared. While few nations en-
joy the resources that we possess, and none
could organize and equip an army more
rapidly, the President feels that We should
not take any chances until we are ready
to support our contentious. 1t was
"Howdy'' Martin of Texas. who offered
this sage advice: IF Teller wants to fight,
the time for him to do his fghtin' is when
the fghtin' begins But every officer of the
army and navy. almost without exception,
who is competent to speak, will tell you
that Spain is much better prepared for
war than the United States, and that it is
probable that it would be victorious in the
first two or three battles, although we
would certainly win in the end.
A man who knows said: IF all the pow
der factories in the country were kept run
ming night and day it would take seven
months for them to pile up ammunition
enough to make it safe for us to begin
shooting. There is not enough ammunition
in sight to-day to half fill half the maya
zines of our navy or half the classmates
OF half our coast defenses. The new guns
the big ones, take half ton of powder
every time they are fired, and it must be
a certain kind of powder in order to make
them effective. If we should use the old
fashioned powder III one of those big rifles
the smoke would not clear away for a
week. All of the powder factories are now
running on government orders to their full
capacity, and they are turning out some
pretty good stuff, but we are not ready
for battle by a good deal, and we don't
want to lose the first one if we have got
to fight. We don't want any Bull Runs in
the next war.
There is no doubt that we could raise
an army or 5,OO0,eQO men, and we could equip
them with policemen's clubs in a few
weeks, but we could not make arms enough
for such force for several years. While
there are probably 5000,0 600 rifles and shot
guns and other shooting irons in the coun-
try, they would be practically useless, and
there are not enough modern rifles in reach
to-day to arm the existing militia. In most
Of the States the militia are carrying
Springfield rifles that were made in 1873. In
other States they have Peabody, Sharps.
Spencer, Martini, Remington and Whitney
rifles. which from the inspectors reports
range from 'wretched up to fair in
condition. In several of armories and
arsenals, both of the regular and State
troops, we have Calling guns breech-load-
ing rifles of two-ineh, and, three-inch cali
Der, twelve-pound Napoleohs, Parrot guns
and other obsolete ordnance which would
have been condemned Iang go in any other
army than that of the United Staets. while
the artillery harness is absolutely worth
less. ~ ffi F1o
IF the militia of the United States were
to be called to arms to-day not more than
one-third of the men could pass an ordi-
nary inspection, and the regulars are not
too well provided. The greatest difficulty
with the militia would be the variety Of
their equipments and the fact that they
carry arms that are obsolete, and very lit
tie ammunition is made for them any more
We have military storehouses at Philadel-
phia, Jeffersonville, st. Louis and San
Francisco but the material on hand would
not be sufficient to equip the regular army
If 1T were called into action. OF course we
people. We could do all that needs to be
done quicker and better than any other
nation on earth, but the youngster spoke
not make two-year-old colt in a minute"