New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-12-13
Editor of The Tribune.

To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: A very vital part Of the subject
of our national defence has as yet been
overlooked in the very valuable discus
sions and articles appearing in your
columns. That is our ability to arm
ourselves should we set to work seri-
ously to do so.
War to-day Is more a matter of me-
chanical equipment than it Is a matter
Of men. For we could raise an army of
million citizens and train them in q
few months, while to equip them with
the necessary war machines would re-
ouire at least a year.
The biggest manufacturers Of small
arms in this country, running night
and day with 5000 men, can produce
only 5000 rifles a week-fewer than
100000 a yesr-(they are doing this
now for foreign government), while
all the other firearm makers combined
are able to turn out about the same
number under similar forced produc-
ton.
The capacity Of tho government ar
senals is probably 100000 rifles year
when they are put into efficient condi-
ton and have a full number of skilled
workmen TO run the machine equip
ment. It is doubtful, however, whether
this capacity could be attained before
several months had been spent in per-
fecting their organization and bringing
their machinery up to the maximum
standard of efficiency.
Tho anecial machinery for small
arms making Is made by only a few
companies, whose capacity Is naturally
more or less limited. So that for
doubling the output Of any factory
making firearms years time would
be required at least if no other than
the present makers produced the neces-
sary tools, while it would take sew
eral months for any other machine tool
manufacturers to prepare to make gun
making machinery or TO adapt their
own standard machinery for that pur-
pose.
We are better off for producing am
munition for rifles, but | believe that
il takes from four to five months TO
make the proper powder for modern
firearms, no matter what the capacity
of our powder mills may be.
There are no private companies for
making field artillery, naval guns, fort
ress guns and siege artillery, which
are so vital a part OF modern war
equipment. And the government arse
nails could not build thousand OF
these cannon of all types in year with
their present equipment. Indeed. II
they could build 500 field cannon and
200 coast defence guns in that time it
would be surprising.
The ammunition for these gums is
far more difficult TO make in q hurry
than is the ammunition for small arms,
since there are practically no private
manufacturers of this sort Of ammu-
milton and tho special tools for pro-
ducing the primers and detonaters for
these projectiles cannot be made and
set up in much less than a couple of
months, while the manufacture OF
shrapnel requires special hydraulic
presses that are nowhere to be found
ready for delivery.
One of the largest and best equipped
manufacturing plants in the United
States having received an order for
moro than 100000 shrapnel had to
have two months to prepare for n de-
livery Of 5000 shells a day. And when
the French army is using 100000 shrap-
mel a day this production does not
amount 10 a very great deal. There
are not more than dozen companies
besides the one spoken of that could
produce even half of 5000 shrapnel a
day after two months preparation.
Torpedoes. 80 important In warfare,