New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-08-23
, DEFENCFS OF THE PANAMA CANAL ADEQUA1E3
Advantage of German
Guns over Those OF
This Country. u

49, i,t.nse fame Of the burning prope-
.A ,ho nYsssur,, developed shorten the III.
NJ tn. rife pro tenn. but the gun can De rens''H-
,...d n a.. abort Will. by refining II with a-ney
,nhe This wearing away OF the rhlng > que %
vhst the experts call erosion. II your eheV.(s
,uliro n take this risk Of temporarily shortened
,i,. ~ order 70 make MS weapons for .tpe 1one'
rror. formidable, can you anord 70 la! Dsnlno
him. Remember, modern battles are o. seeFt
duration. and the sea Aght OF to-morro" VII De
even brefer than those between the japanese snd
the Russians o. ten years ago. Inc ooIse' Nlil'ee
TO hit hard and quickly
THE PROPOSITION AS SEEN BY THE IHiEf
OF ORDNANCE OF THE ARMY f-.r
Now road how differently the chief Of ordnance
Of IN. army views this vital question; 'lne'"-
vantage in greatly increased accuracy me pre-
dicted in my report for the year lSoo Eve are
quoting from he report for 1919 from the adop-
ton Of a large calibre, low velocity gun n hsu
% on. Of smaller eaibre and high velocity WIN
equal armor penetrating power, has oeen reaiired
in extensive hrngs made with service 4-lnen
gun. The results in firing l2S rounds roma
l4-inch 2I5O-fes.-per-1econd gun indicate that
its accuracy life will be approximately four times
that of In. i2-inch 2,5O0-feet-per-second gun
which it was designed to supersede.' Ins would
be all very we'll II we were concerned WIN tne
question Of target practice at reduced powder
en- rye. and the peace time life Of our coast de-
fence rifles but. unfortunately, those weapons are
designed TO protect us in time OF war. 'f'
Our naval i4-ineh rifles have muzzle ve1eeity
Of 500 feet per second, and at the extreme rsnge
Of q, 900 yards they are capable Of planting shsh'
loaded with high explosives, when, II tsihng
within the uncovered empscements OF our dr.
.np.arinr gums would put out Of action snsiof
m, army's biggest weapons. Further, the nsvs
rspid-fre 5-inch guns can accomplish "ehhsh
,he same Impairment of our land d.fenees fTom
+, distance Of 1900 yards. An enernys nsts
would be equally effective and all because or tae
initial velocity given the projectiles' and the TACT
that they have not to battle with armor piste'n
order TO reach our disappearing weapons IN thefr
uncovered emplscements or the mortsrs IN thar
pits.
Bu. because Of the relatively low initist've
locty which our military rifles give thar shells
these projectiles cannot break their way through
the armor defences Of a Dreadnought wren tse
latter is lying at distance Of more than a"sO
vsrd. What then, Is the reason for THIS a~
6ee9 Merely that we nay use a disappearing
carriage for our guns-a hobby Of long standing
with our War Department, and one that perhaps
did not invite the same national risks before
the day. Of director firing and the advent OF the
range finding air craft, fitted with wireless tees-
raphy We begin 70 understand now why ColoAel
Goethals has objected to air craft making sFe'
taeular Journeys aloft above the Panama pc
fences He did not want a possible enemytto
know just where our guns are TO be placed.