Rock Island Argus., 1914-01-08
DOES GREAT WORK
FOR DEPAR TMENT
Colonel John T. Thompson,
Formerly Stationed Here,
Praised for Results.
is INTRODUCING SYSTEM
Efforts Since He Has Been Located
at Washington Have Helped
Danish Army Red Tape.

A tribute to the ability of Colonel
John T. Thompson. formerly stationed
at Rock Island arsenal and now in the
war department at Washington. is paid
| in an essay by G. s. Radford. I. =
naval constructor, which is printed as
an official document Mr.. Radford dis
cusses organization with particular re
ference to the navy, but also touches
on war plans of the army ordnance
corps, as follows:
AS an excellent example of the ap-
plication of the general staff method
/ to the work of providing war mater
ial, attention is invited to one of the
finest pieces of constructive work for
the national defense that has been
executed in many years. | refer to the
war plans of the army ordnance de-
partment. so ably worked out by Col
onel J. T. Thompson, ordnance depart
ment, L. S. ~. under the direction %
Brigadier-General William Croaier,
chief of ordnance. Only those who
have had the opportunity of seeing the
way in which this work has been car
ried out can appreciate how much sys-
tematic and intelligent effort. carried
out persistently over a term of years.
has accomplished in providing for
future contingencies. The matter is
believed to be of sufficient interest and
importance to warrant quoting the
following extracts from the report of
the chief Of ordnance to the secretary
of war for 1910:
"'Thot sufficient arms. equipments,
and ammunition will be on hand,
store. for the enlarged regular army
and the enlarged organized militia re-
ferred to above. with a surplus for an
additional force. which surplus will be
greater in some articles than in others,
being designed to he greatest in those
things which take the longest time for
their production; and that purchase
and manufacture of additional ord
nance and ordnance stores will be i'm
mediately accelerated. taking advant-
age OF the interval which would be re-
quired for the organization of new
troops.
Keeps Statement of Reserves.
"'The ordnance Cfice maintains up
to-date statements OF the reserve ord I
nance and ordnance stores on hand at /
the arsenals. and of the ordnance I
stores necessary to complete the arma- /
nent and equipment of the troops men, (
toned above, together with the cost I.
thereof. the cost required to equip vol /
unteers IN multiples of 100000 men.
and the unit cost of equipment and
for six months OF each /
kind Of solder. Based upon these
estimates of funds re-
Iuired for any number of troops in
the field can be quickly furnished the
secretary of war for transmission to
congress.
The department has on hand COM
Dlete information as to the capacities
IF the various arsenalS. private manu-
factories, and powder mills of this
country for the production of war ma
erial
1.-The department has also worked
,ut a system of division field ord
lance depots. Each depot will haze
he necessary personnel, tools, ord
lance stores, and supplies for main
aiming for six mouths a complete di-
-ision composed of 9 regiments of in
antry, 1 regiment of cavalry, . regi-
nents of field artillery. 1 battalion of
Engineers, l company of signal corps.
md field hospitals, aggregating Gil
'fficers and 21,052 enlisted men. The
Iivision depots are arranged so that
hey can be readily combined into field
rmy depots. These field depots would
'e placed first at the camps of con-
entration and afterwards follow the
roops into the field. Eleven of these
epots have already been stored at ar
enals situated convenient to prob
bic camps of concentration of troops
or war. Steps are being taken to
stablish the remaining depots. The
epots established are complete. even
the stationery and black check
ooks required.
The country has been divided in
D number of ordnance supply DIS
ricts. each supplied from an arsenal
ituated therein, where are stored all
ne small arms. personal equi-ments, g
nd morse equipments necessary to I
ring the infantry and cavalry of the /
egular army and the organized q
lilitia of the district to its war 4
trength. There is also on hand at 4
iese arsenals a six months supply of +
cleaning materials. etc,
'r the troops within the supply rad
is. 7
Can Rapidly Equip.
The department has prepared a
mpie scheme for the rapid equip n
lent with all necessary ordnance r
ores tf force composed of the sew 7
raj branches OF the service. by list I,
g. Tor example. the arms, equip =
ents. and ammunition NECESSARY to
crease one regiment of the regular
fantry or one regiment of the regu-
r cavalry TO war strength, or the
ms and equipments necessary for !
'lunteer regiment OF infantry The "a
articles for these and ether ii
lrposes are printed on blanks de- Il