Waterbury evening Democrat., 1906-10-08
BEST EQUIPPED TROOPS
American Soldiers Sent Down to Cuba Have the Finest of
 Weapons
NEW BAYONET TWO EDGED

| have been prepared for warlike op- erations in Cuba with the finest equip ment of arms and ordnance that any army of the United States has ever carried. says Washington correspond ent of the New York Globe.
 The rifles, machine guns and field artillery of the troops sent to Cuba will represent the highest type of dead ly scientific inventions. No European army has ever gone into campaign with weapons of equal merit, and 1t is doubtful if any European army today has weapons of equal merit available | Not single weapon that was carried by the American soldier of 1898, when he went to Cuba, will be carried by the soldier of 1906 who has been sent to Havana. Everything is more mod ern, bearing the stamp of latest i'm. provement Even the revolver used by the officers is g newer type of Colts manufacture. The troops, in fantry, cavalry and all will carry the new magazine rife, sometimes called the new Springfield. For the first time in the history of the army, infantry and cavalry have the same weapon, the cavalry having hitherto used the carbine, a shorter weapon than the ,r,,,v ,;do Tho rouy ,iAa ir ciIor- ed by experts the deadliest army rife in use. It is of 30 caliber, has the best features of the Mauser and the Krag, is simpler than the Krag and has much higher muzzle velocity. The Gu ban insurgent, taking refuge behind an eighteen inch tree, will not be safe from its bullet, such is its terrific force. It is fitted out with another ugly weapon in the shape of sixteen inch knife bayonet. This bayonet Is sharp on both edges and is not intended for ornament.
 President Roosevelt and high army officers, reading the account of the Russo Japanese war and finding the bayonet was not obsolete, but still much in vogue in modern warfare, con- cluded the rod bayonet with which It was at first determined to equip the new rife would not do at all. Reaching this conclusion, it was decided to de- wise a bayonet that when used would be effective. The new sixteen Inch product is the result. -------.-,
 But the new army rife is no further advanced in military excellence than the new three inch field gun. General Crozier, chief of ordnance, considers 1t superior to the field gun used by any other army. It has recoil cylinder and shoots fifteen pound shrapnel, having bursting radius of fifty yards. Long range and great accuracy are other features of the weapon. The re- coll arrangement Is so perfect that an artilleryman can set glass of water on wheel of the gun and fire twenty shots minute without spilling the water. A sheet of steel Is arranged to shield the gunners.
 The mountain guns are also new and powerful weapons. They have 2.95 inch callber and shoot fifteen pound projectile. but have lower range than the field gun proper. The piece itself is carried on one mule, the carriage on another and the ammunition on other mules. The artilleryfnen walk. A noun tain battery can be carried over trails almost inaccessible and through noun tain paths where men hesitate to ven- ture.
 Then. too, for the first time the army is entering q campaign with machine gun detachment for each regiment. Hitherto there has been no system to the handling of the machine guns. Un- der the new arrangement detachment of twenty-one men Is detailed to each regiment to handle the machine weap- ons. These are yickers- Maxim guns of the same callber as the new army rife. They are mounted on tripods when in use and are so effective that an experi- enced man using one can saw a board in two at a half mile.
 
 the question of just what arms 6e Gu bans have. Ten thousand wInchesters of the same caliber as the Krag rife have been sent to Cuba since the pres ent trouble. and through third parties this government has sold large sup ply of Krag cartridges to the Cubans. presumably for use of government forces there. This government disposed In this way of a number of old ma chine guns of 4J caIiber. the same call her as the old Springfield rife. and ammunition for these guns. If all these weapons gre at Havana. where they can easily bc taken over by the Ameri- can forces. there will be no difficulty.
 In the present disorderly state 1t might happen that some of these weap- ons got Into the hands of clements hostile to this country. and the result would not l.e calculated to aid in the movement to bring peace and order to the island. Until 1t is definitely known what has sccome of all this equipment army officers will not be entirely easy In their minds. A few tilousand mara- zine rifes out in the Cutan provinces in the hancs of . lot of Irresponsible revoiutionis;s might prove a serious menace to | regime of luietude-
 WEATHER FORECAST.