New-York tribune., 1900-11-11
HAS PLANS OF FRENCH GUN.
\ WAR DEPARTMENT AGENTS OFFER
ACCEPTED BY THE ORDNANCE
BOARD-SHIELDS FOR SEA
COAST GUNS
COAST GUNS.

Washington, Nov 1O-The Board of Ordnance
and Fortifcations held important meeting to-
day and decided that the rapid fire guns Of the
coast defences should be supplied with shields.
This action he approved by the Secretary of
War before ii takes effect. The ordnance officers,
the engineers and some artillery officers do not ap
prove shields. This is continuation OF the contest
between the ordnance officers and engineers on the
one hand. and the majority Of the members Of the
Beard of Ordnance and Fortifcations on the other.
elative TO disappearing gun carriages.
In connection with the action to-day there de-
veloped an interesting feature of the proceedings
OF the Board relative to field artillery. 1t ap-
pears that agent of the Department has come
into possession of what he asserts are accurate
plans for the French field gun and these he
offers place the disposition of the Board If
he is permitted undertake the construction OF
sample gun from the plans az the cost of the Gov
ernment. In his report he says:
Through personal friends in Paris l was fort.
unate enough confidential information OF
] an dttattIe tecIIl-a' S ol gtS' 'S ~ oer, reri
essential element OF construction involved. and
working drawn Of Il capment as 1t now is in
a gun and carriage Of service efficiency equal to
the French material | would like 10 be given
the cppGrtunity to superntend the construction at
the works Of of the large responsible manu-
lecturers Of ordnance Of a complies service model
all the Information gained. II being definitely un-
rarment all rights III the improvements or prtn
cipies Of construction en;E,Ioyed. en;E,I and that the
Gdental. turning over to the Department all
drawings, patterns. etc, when the work is COM
pIeted. The cost OF such construction will
Ceed S2pN. and the carriage could be completed in
condition for within thc 30 days recon-
lnended by the Board of Ordnance and Fortilca-
tous for the preparation of field material for test
DEVELOPMENT OF ARTILLERY ABROAD
Since ,s9e the French Government has expended
100000 her field artillery. The Russian
Government has already secured the necessary
financial credit for reorEanizng and re-equipping
It's field artillery the extent Of 100 siN-Eun bat
teres. to completed 10y thc end Of 1893. and in
VolviUg = total cXpcnd ur- - approximately So"
0Dl Nl6 The German Government. although II has
already expended $0,GH6ta the Krupp field
guns Introduced into the service In 1886. has decided
10 change and improve this equipment at
pendfture which probably will amount TO 81 0O0|
more changing the pattern of the carriage very rad
ically. The English Government has under con
structiOn about five hundred field guns of the new
tyne. sweden has Just arranged With a German
firm for the manufaC ture 0f fortY-six complete SIX
gun batteries. involving an expenditure OF nearly
$2pr coo Turkey has within the last three months
given order TO Krupp for over two hundred of
his latest field guns. at approximate cost Of
SlJO0.GO while English hrm has already partly
completed order for 40 guns. received a short
while ago from Spain I refer to the above facts
simply 10 emphasize the Importance that the mod
ern rap!d-f1r field artillery is assuming in the war
preparations of the world
The Board decided to avail itself of the oppor-
tunity to build a gun. and made recommenda
ton 10 that effect TO the Secretary or war