The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1908-03-19
ARMY UNPREPARED.
DECLARES OFFICER
GUNS, AMMUNITION, SMALL ARMS
AND SUPPLIES ALL ARE LACK
ING, He ASSERTS.

NEW YORK, March 1.--Views of an
not in a state of proper efficiency, be-
cause of lack of legislation, were pub
lished today in the Times. This Off
Ger recently arrived from the Far East
and is as familiar with the Philippines,
Hawaii, Alaska and the Canal Zone as
with the United States proper. His
views, based on official records, were
concurred in by other officers as a con-
sentative presentation of the situation.
Speaking of the failure to provide
reserve supply for the medical depart
time. This class of articles cannot be
procured either in our own markets or
in those of the world within the period
in which it Will be necessary to raise
and properly equip an army for even
our first line of defense in case Of
war.
| THE same is true with regard to
many articles of ordnance. Certain
guns and ammunition cannot be manu-
featured or obtained within three to
six months after the declaration OF
war, however much money a nation
may have to eXpend upon them or
however many men it may have to en-
ploy upon such work, and the same
thing is true with regard to small
arms ammunition.
I'm two days fighting at Liao-Yang
one regiment expended 100000 cart
ridges, and was not withdrawn from
the firing line for several days there
ment, this officer says:
1T is true that medicines, including
bandages and many other articles re-
quired for the care of the sick and
wounded in the field can be obtained
on short notice, yet it is equally true
that there are many other articles, in
Guiding special instruments, that can
not be provided in so short a space Of
after. Another instance, that occurred
at Tashishau, where three Russian
batteries of "a guns were engaged, will
illustrate the expenditure of ammui-
ton for field guns. On July % these
"a guns fired 1902 rounds; one battery
alone accounted for 4OOS or sol ROUNDS
per gun.
1T will be recalled that what was
known as the Endicott Board met in
1885 ana provided a Ccramete system
of Notifications 1Gr our coast cities
This system. of defense was favored by
Congress in all respects except the alb
, solutely essential one of making the
necessary appropriations for carrying
/ 1t out vigorously and properly. The
undertaking called for the expendi-
ture of $10O,000,00O for the construc-
ton and emplacement of 1862 heavy
guns and mortars. On April 1, 1898
only ISL guns were in place.
, "On the eve of war with Spain, $50.
1 100000 was hastily appropriated for
} the purpose of completing this system
, of defense as rapidly as possible. The
/ natural result was that many of the
: guns that were finally utilized as q
temporary expedient were of number.
r less designs and were put upon car.
riages of all kinds and ages. This
work was supplemented with a large
number of torpedoes and mines, equip.
ped with electrical appliances for
= operating them, in our exposed har,
, bors. But this work was not com.
2 pleted until after the actual declara,
4 ton of war.
"A very pertinent question at this
! time is whether such an appropriation
will suffice to put the cities of our Pa
j cific coast in as approximately safe