The Washington times., 1901-12-27
Question Expected to Come
Up in Congress
HR. ROOTS ACTION NOT RECORDED.
TIE Members of the Fortifcations
Board Surprised by Secretary's
Decision Upholding Claims Of the
Ordnance Bureau Points Of Diff
ference that Caused Friction.

y
that the Board OF Ordnance and Fortifica-
lions has not exclusive power to conduct
ordnance tests and determine types OF
ordnance and armament is expected TO
cause the subject OF ordnance work to be
brought mp In Congress again this session
as 1t has in the past. Members OF the
Fortifcations Board are surprised at the
decision Of the Secretary, particularly as
they have placed themselves on record at
several sessions OF the board as defend
ing the claim to exclusive power to con-
duct ordnance tests.
1t is pointed out by some of the mem
bers OF the board that a majority of the
members of the board. including General
Miles. have repeatedly brought to the
attention OF Secretary Root the fact that
the Ordnance Board has keen conducting
tests at Sandy Hook under no other au-
thority than that OF the Chief 0f the
Bureau of Ordnance. When the matter
has come before the Fortiications Board
1t has been found that General Crozier
and General Gillespie voted against the
stand taken by the other members. and
the position Of the minority has now been
sustained by the decision of Secretary
Root;
sIr. Roots Probable Action.
Secretary Root has not yet placed his
action on record on the proceedings Of
the Fortifications Board. but viii do so
before Congress reconvenes. and Will
probably make the matter the subject OF
a communication TO the Military Com
,F
action
He may call upon Congress to define
more clearly the duties OF the Board Of
Ordnance and Fortifcations owing to
the repeatedly arising questions which
the wording OF the bill organizing the
board has made possible Secretary Root
does not believe that the law gives ex-
elusive right to conduct tests to the
Fortifcations Board. and ii is further
more convinced that ii should not have
exclusive Jurisdiction over the investiga-
tion of ordnance material and armament
He believes that the Bureau of Ord
nance should have the right 10 make its
own Investigations independent of the
Fortiflcations Beard and has on several
occasions shown a disposition to approve
the material recommended by the Bureau
of Ordnance instead Of that adopted by
the Fortifcations Beard.
Differed a. to ExpIosives
Ii is here that the difficulty has arisen.
The Fortifcations Board. claiming the
exclusive right to adopt types. determined
upon thorite as the best explosive and
by a majority vote adopted it as a type.
but as the law requires the approval OF
the Secretary OF War before the action
of the Fortihcations Board is complete
the matter had to go before Secretary
Root.
Meanwhile the Bureau of Ordnance had
been experimenting independently with
other explosives and laid before the Sec
retary Of War the result of its investi
cations, with the result that Secretary
Root, instead OF approving the explosive
adopted by the Fortifcations Board. de-
cided to purchase that recommended By
the Ordnance Bureau.
Field Gun Carriage Tests.
When the work Of planning for the great
test of held gun carriages began the For
tihcations Board prepared a progr1 rlrne
for the test and the carriages were sent
to Sandy Hook but the Bureau OF ord
nance claimed that the test while IL
might be carried out accordiL- to the
programme of the Fortifcations Bvatd
should he conducted By the Ordnance
p
peryision of the Chief of Ordnance
The Fcriifcations Board again claimed
exclusive jurisdiction and the right TO
direct the test according TO its pro-
gramme. thereby asserting is authority
over the Ordnance Board This right Is
denied by General Crozier whose claim
is that the Ordnance Board is h creature
OF his own department and under his own
orders and directions and IS IN no sense
Board
announcement of Inventors.
It has always been the claim Of the
majority OF the Fortifcstlons Board that
It encouraged inventors TO bring before
it all merltorious devices, while the
Ordnance Bureau gave little encourage
ment to inventors and strived to adopt
only shese things which It's ofIicers orig
mated.
This claim. on tine other hand. IS dis
puted by the Ordnance Bureau which
points 10 the recent test OF the Gathmann
gun al Sandy Hook as showing the re-
suits accomplished by the Bureau OF Orc
nance in perfecting type Of gun, fuse,
and shell and an explosive which is yet
10 be surpased IN excellence.
Owing TO these questions continually
arising II is very probable that Secretary
Root viii take some steps TO have the
matter so determined By Congressional
action that harmonious action will be
brought about and the matter oi jurisdic-
tion settled so that both the Fortifcations
Board and the Bureau Of Ordnance can
work on independent lines.
No Necessity for Two boards.
This. however, does not meet with the
approval OF the friends OF the Fortlhca-
tions Board who say that there is no ne
cessity for two boards. that either one or
the other must stand or fall They de-
clare that the Bureau OF Ordnance is try
ing TO emasculate the Fortihcations Board
and take from IL the work OF determining
ordnance types for the army In support
OF this assertion they point TO the recent
action Of General Crozicr in having an
artillery officer detailed to the Ordnance
Board. This board has always been com
posed entirely OF ordnance officers, while
the Fortihcations Board is composed OF
General Miles. Colonel Story. of the ar
tillery: General Randolph. chief OF the
Artillery Corps; General CrOzier. chief OF
ordnance; General Gillespie. Chief Of
Engineers; General Henderson and Cap
tain Lewis.
step Toward Dissolution.
They say that General Crozier's recon-
mendations that an artillery officer be de-
tailed to the Ordnance Board is only a
step toward the flnsi dissolution of the
Fortiacations Board.
Officers of the Ordnance Bureau deny
this, and explain that General Crozier
merely acted In the interest OF harmony
and the good OF the service. as he be-
iieved the Ordnance Board could do its
work better If II had the co-opers ton and
sssistance of an artillery officer.