Bisbee daily review., 1914-11-29
UNCLE SAM PUTS ON HIS SPACE TO STUDY
 FOREIGN ARTILLERY
Army Experts Are Watching With KeeneSt Interest the Develop ment of Big Guns on the Bat tlefield of Europe.

WASHINGTON Nov 26.-Iu com. uon with the military observers Of every other nation, United states army officers are watching with keen. est interest the artillery development of the warning nations of Europe as disclosed upon the battlefelds of Bel eium and France Every news des- patch that mentions the great Ger. mans have accomplished the destruc. ton of opposing forts with standard eleveninch howitzers and modern h.eh explosives which are virtually the same for all nations. The key to German successes Of this character. they say lies in the thoroughness with which the work is done and the accuracy of their shooting with elev en inch weapons
 PhotosraUhs Of the forts before Liege, Namur Antwerp and else where in the war zone show turret forts completely wrecked by German fire There is nothing to indicate however that the damage was i'm ticted by eleyenInch or even smaller shells. ordance experts believe. The enormous destructive force of these shells has been well known ever since the fall Of Port Arthur in the Japan cseRussian war.
 The city was taken by thc Japan csc notwithstanding modern fortnca- lions ol the highest type; naturally stronger than any that have been as. sailed during the present war since the forts were located or high hills rendering turret lproteclion against fire unneces sary They were reduced by e'eyeuiuch coast defense bovizer brousht from the Japanest coast with great care and mounted ager the exercise Of engineering skin of the highest order to get them over the rough ground and into pace where they command the Russian fortresses. Onca established behind nearby hills. absolutely safe from the fire of the Russian guns the howitzers disposed Of the enemys boasted defenses with che same eose ttat the German guns have battered to pieces the Belgian forts
 American officers have studied with interest photographs of the Ans uian mobile siege mortars. No scale has accompanied these pictures but comparison ol the size of Che men as shown in the pictures with the bore or breach of the weapon beside which they staud indicates the guns to be not greater than the eleyen-nch and In many instances even smaller.
 The most novel feature about these weapons Co military eyes is the sys- tenn of Iran portation employed by which the gun and it's carriage are divided on two trucks equipped with rmmed wheels and special deyises Go distribute the enormous weigh. over as much road service as possi. t'e The whole train is hauled by a uac''or cnaiue propelled by steam or 1 gasoline. Undoubtedly this has served 1 lo increase the mobility of the giant weapons. but officers are moi satis. . ned Chat rhe necessity Of carefully preparing the ground upon which tbe guns stand when discharged has been done away with lt is suH a job for engineers to place these weapons and the long delay necessary to permi, the emplacement of siege weapons while little reduced is stIl a factor in military operations
 The United States is not contem- plating the construction of very large siege guns because the roads of the country are not suited to carry such enormous weights. The radius of ac ton of the weapons would be limited to the immediate vicinity of a few ol the larger cities or to a highway here or there that has been improved for a long distance In the event of ln. vasion it would be impossible to con fine operations to territories best suited for defense and the guns would Doe virtually useless