The evening times., 1899-04-17
ARMS IN THE PHILIPPINES.
Weapons OF Our Troops Not Inferior
10 There eff the Natives.

General Corbn has written 4 statement
exploding the frequently reiterated reports
| from sources friendly TO the Philippine in
surgents that the rifles in the hands of
American volunteers serving under Gen.
cral Otis are inferior in range and power
TO the arms used by Aguinaldo's men. In
| order TO ascertain whether there was any
truth in the reports Representative Marsh
ri Illinois wrote to the Ad jutant General
ten days ago, and the reply which has
reached him is as follows:
Replying /" your esteemed favor of the 9Th Of
the month. c"nmrntin. the arms in the hands
oi ON troops IN the Philippines, have the honor
I" -taI" liia; all the regular troops are armed
Nsih tho hrJg-IoTgcnscn. calihTe 80 All the
volunteers called into the service were armed
with thc Springfield, caiihre As the department
not having sufficient kIag-Jurgensens for this
lnlno>e- \ last u the more modern arm could
he supplied, all the volunteers were armed with
ia" new gun. on November l., 1885, General
oils oliicd iur S,p'p magazine rifles In order To
| "u'atn them iHc corps which was in the South
at ihe inrc. had been deprived of its arms of
this kiud, and the 500 were sent to Banicia
Arsenal iar shipment 10 Manila, and on Decoin-
hrf - $50. information was sent to General
OTIS that the rifles were at Benicia Arscna! 10
u" i"!v.iidr'i "a iut- - called for by him. On
December -. isi>. General otis cablcd that he
wanted 3.u1n 81 the 500 rifles shippsd at oEcc.
Since tilJJ ;img no further call has been received
H'il hlu Notwithstanding an additional 2.O0l
were sent 20 N1nill. so that ne has 5.011
! kaE- E-.i"r-, n-,n IiH,s lover and above those in
the hands ct ,lic le-ularsl. which. it is under
stood. h'' has rercHtly placed in the hands Of
the Volunteers.
s.uoI.I.ss powder cartridges 70. Springfield ri
He- were forwarded To GeneIal Otis some time
since Il = understood. therefore, by this de-
partmrnt that At Manila there are on hand
smokeic-, powder cartridges Tor the calibre .45
rir, and q large number have either ar
TlNCd their Manila.
Ii sl"nld H. noted. with reference to the Spring
field rite. that il, simplicity and security from
getting "ut "t order Undcr the roughest usage
make il especially valuable to new troops. More
uyrr. the tronp> originally mustered into the
scrVirr. hcin: largely from National Guard or
glnisatiJn> were entirely fImliar with this arm.
\ lar IS rIpiGity OF fire Is concerned as long
- IL J. question of aimed hTe, there is prob
ably litI'r To- rhon-r between the two guns The
Springfield fiiie i!a- range of about thirty-siS
ilnntiIcd lard-. and The magazine rife OF about
f'ny-tw" hundred. tia, at long range there
l. = superiority IN favor OF the magazine ride.
and. in addition. owing to the smaller diameter
of tic bullet the trajectory of the magazine ri
ie j. mgch The hl.tcr Of the two. 1t may be a
Guc-;ion Is to which IS superior against a partly
savage i"". The shock blow from the bull
let "f the .+j-c.t!ilFe rifle is much greater than
that from the lighter bullet of the magazine ri
a.. Many ot unofficial statements have
reached the Ordnance Department OF the inei
cheney Of snail caiilTc bullets fred with high
vcociti"S, because oi their failure to produce the
shock Necessary ;or disabling an enemy, and OF
the greater cftiricn'! of the .i5-calibre arm in
this respect.
It j. possible thai in the firing Likely to occur
in country thicky wooded or with dense under
gr"wth. in the ncighborhood of Manila. the
Springfield rife. with the ,mokelcss cartridges
i The NOR" ';Iicient weapon.
hand YOU herewith Il memorandum OF The
thiet uf Ordnance. giving detailed in formation
bearing upon the subject discussed. II there is
any further light desired. if in my power.
shall lc only too glad to give it. Very respect
fully. y"ur ol'edicnt servant, II. c. CORBIN,
Adjutant General.
The memorandum to which General Cor
bin refers follows:
November L.. 1s9s.
General OH cllcd for 5000 cartridges. calibre
81. and s.0l0 magazine rides and 10000 smoke
es> powder cartridges for calbre - rides. These
stores were immediately ordered and shipped via
San Francisco.
On December q 1895 the 5000 rifles not hay-
ing lett San Francisco. and there being 4 proba- |
blity at thai time that Some Of the volunteer
troops would he mustered out, the following ca
bccfam WAS ~"iI' To General Otis by The Chief of
Ordnance:
.'Bec.lu-t ot the changing troops and the lete-
rioIa,ion "f arms in Manila climate your ZOO
magazine rifles stopped at Benicia. to be for
waId.d in lots called for by YOU
TN December -. 1898. General Otis cablcd:
''wi>h !.eoo of the s,0oJ Krag -Jorgensen rifles
and a.0DO.Gn rounds of ammunition for same.
Ship u pfaoticab,e.
In accordance with this cabegram 5000 of the
oaiilre 80 rifle and 2.0oJ.00o rounds of ammuni
lion were son, To Bcnica Arsenal for storage. |
January 10. ls9. General Otis cabed that 4,00O-
900 rounds of ammunition. calibre 40. black or
smok,icSs powder. needed. and requested
that they he ,ent on FIRST departing transport.
Jauuar, Is i>ts', l00D.eo0 caibre As cartridges
onc-half black and onc-half smokeless powder |
were sen; from Benicia. and 3,Oo1Uo0 half |
black and onchalf snokeless powder were sent |
via New York
March Il. 1872, 1000 magazine rifles were or |
dcred 1" the Manila ordnance depot without re- |
quest from General Otis, in order that there |
niigi.t lie re-erve supply at the depot. |