Evening star., 1901-10-29
GEN. BUFFINGTON'S REPORT
WOULD EQUIP NATIONAL GUARD
WITH KRAG-JORGENsENs
Delay In Waiting for Result of Field
Gun Trials-EmpIOyment of
Temporary Force.

Gen. Burlington, chief of ordnance, in his
annual report, argues strongly against the
detail system SO far as concerns his own
department. He points to the cultivation
by European countries of special ordnance
experts, as showing the necessity for max
ing this service life work. He refers
briefly to the necessity Of reforming the
system Of allotting contracts, pointing to
two cases where for three years and for
seven years, respectively, the departmnt
has had contracts dragging along which it
had been forced to make by Congress and
otherwise.
Gen. Burlington submits a bill looking to
the complete equipment of the National
Guard with the Krag-Jorgensen. He says
that this rifle has met with approval, but
he has not been content with that, and has
made sample rifle, much simpler, cheaper
ity of 200 feet per second more than the
existing model and will be equipped with
a rod bayOnet.
Experimenting With Field Guns.
Reference is made to the disapproval of
the ordnance departments efforts to sup
ply the army an advanced field piece Of B.
inch ca1iber, with separate leaders, and it
is pointed out that a result of waiting
upon the field gun trials the army must re-
main for considerable time with what has
been called antiquated and obsolete mate
rial. Nevertheless. this material, it is
stated, has met the needs of the army in
its latest campaigns, and the report quotes
Gen. Chaffee to the effect that the United
States had the best field battery in the
Pekin campaign.
General Burlington tells at length Of the
experiments that have been made by his de-
partment during the past year to find a
high explosive and proper fuse for it, and
says that the long, conscientious and labori-
Gus work under discouraging conditions has
resulted in obtaining two high explosives
for field and siege guns and two for sea-
coast. The latter and the fuse are superior
to any known to the department.
Objection Is taken to periodical sensational
reports in the press Of the want Of store
of smokeless powders, and it is said that
while good powder cannot be kept in most
of the magazines and fortifications owing
to dampness there is abundant supply
near enough to be taken to the Notifications
before they could be captured.
Temporary Clerical Force.
In reference to the clerical force in the
ordnance bureau, General Burlington says:
'The war with Spain, and the subsequent
increase Of the regular army to $500 en-
listed men and the volunteer army to 80, coo
enlisted men, caused great increase in the
the employment Of temporary force under
the provisions Of the acts of July I, 1898;
February "a, 1899; April IT, 1900, and March
3, 1901. The increase Of the work will re-
main permanent while the army is MAIN
tanned at its present strength. and for some
time after a reduction of the same shall
take place.
"As these temporary clerks are many OF
them, more valuable for permanent ap-
pointment on account of their experience
than any others could be, and reorganiza-
tion of the permanent force is much need
ed. the estimate has been prepared with
view of absorbing about two-thirds of the
temporary force into the regular force,
with a proper graduation of the whole in
the matter of salaries, leaving the remain-
der to continue as temporary clerks until
their services are no longer required.
The estimate in this form is urgently
commended to the favorable consideration
of the honorable the Secretary of War and
Of Congress.
The only sure method of retaining the
clerks whose services have demonstrate ed
their great value to the government Is to
pay them salary commensurate with their
fitness for their positions. II this is not
done, private corporations will in the
future, as in the past, make them offers
which will result in the loss Of their serv-
ices to the United ST tateS"