The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1907-02-02

The reason for the il inch gun. II II
accompiishes all that has been claimed
for IL IS that IL viii Lass longer and
be more economical. II requires two
years TO build twelve inch gun, now
the most destructive cannon the War
Department has A few days ago IL
was regarded as the ideal heavy gun
for seacoast defense" The L inch gun
has been already mounted at all our
important harbors- But a few months
ago the interesting item percolaIed out
of the War Department recesses that
the L inch gun, when fired with the
contemplated velocity Of from 25o0. to
$500 feet per second at the muzzle VIII
wear out and become practically use
less in from 50 to 20 shots, unless re-
lined. Expert ordnance officers say
these u inch guns can be fired twice
which would make the maxi
mum theoretical life Of one Of those
monster shell throwing machines but
a little in excess of half an hour. The
enormous muzzle velocity destroys the
riding of the gun. The ordnance ex-
perts say that the rifing Is not affected
till after from 800 TO 400 shots have been
fired. provided the muzzIe velocity Is
reduced to 200 feet per second. But
with the heavier projectile that IA
inch gun could carry a muZzle velocity
OF 22e0 feet would have equal penetrar-
ing power with II inch gun, under the
well known principle that momentum
is the product OF velocity and weight.
Hence the argument and the economy
of the II inch weapons, which the War
Department viii now be authorized 10
build.
Some interesting statements were
made during the House debate on the
Notifications appropriation bill, espe-
eially regarding the large percentage OF
appropriations for ths defense of the
insular possessions. The committee Is
proceeding twice as fast with its pro-
gramme for the defense Of those pos
sessions as for the seacoast defense
of the United States proper Chairman
Walter /. Smith. of the Notifications
subcommittee said that Sin continental
United States the seacoast fortified
lions are but an outer line Of defense
Behind these Notifications are So,oeo,e 900
people prepared TO resist TO the utmost
invasion by any foreign foe In the
Philippines and in the Hawaiian Is
lands we have no such force of patrl-
otto Americans TO constitute a second
line of defense; and if Manila or Ho-
nolulu be taken, We have no mighty
force in the rear to drive the intru-
ders out of the land" Therefore the
Appropriations Committee and the
House have decided to hasten twice as
fast with the insular defenses.
The figures of cost for fortifying
coasts are also interesting. The Endi-
colt Board, named for the Secretary OF
War during the first Cleveland admin
istration, planned a systematic scheme
for terrifying the Coasts. Its. estiHate
of the total cost of the great scheme
was s126, 200, 600, but it did not include
anything for sites and the War De-
partment has found that owners OF
realty available for seacoast defenses
place as excessive valuations upon
their property as do owners Of city lots
that the government wants for public
buildings. The notifications, caused
by new methods of warfare in the last
twenty years, have eliminated some
items from the plans of the EndieoIs
Board, so that the government can now
do. for S99, 0eo, 900, according to esti-
mates, all that was contemplated Do
that board. OF that s99. $4,000 the Com
gress has thus far appropriated ap-
proximately So. 100000, and has been
proceeding at the rate Of about per
cent annually
But the Taft Board, named after the
present Secretary of War. but never
authorized by Congress, has within the
last twelve months supplemented the
plans of the Endicott Board. recon-
mended some new works for the main
land and likewise a total appropriation
of SO. 900, 600 for the fortifieation Of the
insular possessions. It's estimate TO-
the protection of Hawaii and the Phil
ippines was a little more than s11,9oo,
600. OF this Congress has already ap-
propriated considerable sums SO that
with three or four more years. accord
ing 10 the present advance, the entire
defense work for Hawaii and the Phil
ippines viii have been completed -
defenses at Manila will cost over So
DOG, 900 and at Subig Bay more than
s., ed0. 600.
The dissatisfaction of Congress oFe'
large appropriations for the Philip
pines was voiced at various stages o.
the debate on the Fortif1cations Bill
I'm making these appropriations o.
millions of dollars for the Philippines,
asked Representative Mahon. Penn
ST4TznIa ~
going to get it back?''
Il have never understood that W.
have ever got back in any sense sucf
as the gentleman apparently uses Int
term any money from anywhere, re
piled Chairman Smith. This money i:
expended for the protection OF oul
pride"
Yes" replied the Pennsylvania
s'but you better get rid of the islands
in some way
In consonance with the war develop
ments of the seven days, II might d
mentioned that following the forIlf1ca
tions debate Representative Manor
was in open conflict with Representa-
tive John Wesley Gaines, Democrat o
Tennessee, and accused the latter
falsifying. Mr.. Mahon is chairman O
the House Committee on War Claims
| and spends most OF his time IN m
| committeeman deiying into IN
claims. now numerous there. GROWING
OUT of the Civil War. Mr.. Gaines &C
cused him of being a great absentee
and after a heated col3OQuv On the TOO