Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-11-14
WHY WAR MUNITIONS WE'RE LACK.
ING WHEN NEEDED.
ORDNANCE BUREAU REPORT
FOR YEARS APPROPRIATIONS HAD
BEEN VERY MEAGER.
When the Need Arose IL Could Not He
Met in n Dny-GeneraI Fingler
Thinks the Government
Should Equip VoIun-
teer Troops.

WASHINGTON, Nov. 13.-General ID. W.
Flagler. chief of the bureau of ordnance.
has made his annual report to the secre-
tary of war. 1t shows that there were ex-
pended during the fiscal year ending June
30, 1855. ;1.3iS. 49, and that there stiII re-
mains of the appropriations made for the
ordnance bureau. s19, 20. $50. This large sum
Is derived from the appropriations for the
fiscal year which We're made for war pur-
poses, amounting to s21.5oi,5 ,5s2.
Regarding the equipment of volunteers
the general thinks it would be as well to
have the government equip them instead
of their bringing their state arms into serv-
ice. saying that it could be done as quick
ly. owing to the condition of the arms Of
state troops.
He speaks in terms of praise of the man
ner in which work has been performed in
arsenals and ordnance factories in the
rush that was made in putting the coun-
try on a footing for war with Spain. AS
to the equipment of an army. he says.
so long as the principal dependence in
this country in a time of war is a large
volunteer force. newly levied. it is imprac-
ticable 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 modified to keep pace with i'm
provements. The major part of such ma
terial can. by taking advantage of the -a-
sources Of Rock Island and the other
arsenals and the numerous private estab-
lishments capable of producing It, be sup
nil ia1 nc nyiI
mustered into the service and prepared for
campaign. There should. however, be on
hand field and siege artillery with carriages
and portion CT the harness required for
10000 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 a supply OF
small arms. he thinks there should be
supply Of 100000 on hand of any new arm
and the arsenals kept In a condition so as
to produce 900 per day.
An interesting feature of the report is
that which treats Of coast defence The
general says:
Attention is especially invited to the ex-
perience of the last few months in at
tempting to provide quickly a coast de-
fense. 1t is believed to be impracticable.
and We will always be forced in any emer-
gency, to rely upon what has been pro-
vided 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 providing q complete coast
defense. With the present facilities OF the
department, this work can be carried on
economically and In the most efficient man.
ner In such way as to complete the pres
ent 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. 1t rests with con-
gress 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 ap-
propriations 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 possessions"
General Flagler does not claim for the
45.ealiber b springfe!d rife an equality with
army. but says that 1t Is very good arm,
and possesses many merits. This feature
has heretofore been commented upon in
discussion OF small arms used during the
war.
The machinery for the manufacture Of
yet the department turned out 9O.oOO.OOo
rounds for the war. For years past, the
report states. the appropriations for equip
horses, have been barely sufficient to meet
the consumption of the regular army. and.
although there were buildings. there was
not machinery with which to manufacture
these supplies. 1t was not possible to fill
acquisitions for the volunteer troops when
made.
Details are given of what was done to
increase the coast defenseS when the war
began. He calls attention to the fact that
congress has never appropriated what was
x,l fFNv- nnH Ylrn nnO md la
consequence, 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.
The following statement Is made as to
powder:
For several years this department has
been experimenting on smokeless powder
for sescoast guns. and had completed the
determination of the specifications and re-
quirements for the smokeless powders for
nearly all the seacoast guns and mortars.
Some of the powder manufacturers that
had been engaged in the production Of
these experimental powders had small
plants for their production. 1t was I'M
possible. 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 re-
quirements of the service. All the COM
ranies. however. were ready at once to
take up the manufacture of the carbon
were simple. they could expand their
plant for this production more rapidly.
ana Tor time tniS department therefore
devoted all its energies to providing a suf-
fcient supply of the carbon powders. Later.
and as fast as possible. the manufacture
was changed to smokeless powder.
1T should be stated, however that
for field and siege artillery. The fact that
the field and siege artillery was to be en-
ployed was not determined until about the
time that war was declared. and there was
no fund available for procuring ammuni-
tion for these guns before that time. The
preparation of smokeless powder ammuni-
tion for these guns commenced at once, but
ammunition on hand for the batteries that
were sent to the front. and. as this was
all charcoal powder ammunition, II ac-
counts for the fact that only this black,
or charcoal, powder ammunition was gen.
orally used In actual service against the
enemy"
The furnishing of siege and field guns
and ammunition for the war encountered
of the ordnance equipment yet the bureau
furnished such guns for the Manila and
Porto Rican expeditions The artillery was
not used at Santiago to any extent. OF
seacoast defenses at the beginning OF the
war.
General Flagler says:
1.-The war has furnished no opportunity
our modern seacoast armament against
modern battleships. The reports of the ex-
perience gained, however. tend to confirm
the opinion that the fire from ships cannot
silence the fire or seriously cripple the
armament of our modern batteries: but that
ships could not withstand the fire Of our
modern batteries and that. therefore. the
ships cannot attack the batteries success
fully. Whether the ships can run by the
batteries without too great risk has not
been shown. This will depend on the skill
and rapidity with which the runs are
served. provided the ships are not stopped