The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-08-14
No Trouble Zone Too Far for
Sunflower Army.
FROM TEASPOON TO WAGON
Every Detail of Full Equipment
Stationed Here.
Features of Requirements of .
Modern Soldier.

War tools and side lines worth a
half million dollars are stored in the
sub-basement of the Kansas state
house. Full equipment for sending
the Kansas army into q trouble zone
is all packed. ready for shipment, and
has been since the disturbance in Mex
leo threatened to involve this govern
ment. The fact that Kansas Is ready
to take to the cactus or any other for
eign brand of underground at short
notice has not been widely advertised.
Visitors at the adjutant generals de-
partment saw only a battery Of roller
top desks. and a busy clerical force
armed with typewriters. A few anti
Quated swords mingled with the pic
lures on the wall were the only signs
that distinguished the office from any
other state office. The visitors didn't
know that in a labyrinth of runways
down under the ground level were
carefully listed, from the last tin
spoon to the last army wagon.
There is no secret about the Kansas
war munitions. General Martin or
lection from the public. but as rule,
they are too busy with the affairs of
their office to conduct sightseers
through the collection below deck.
Yesterday, General Martin took a
newspaper man into the lower regions.
and they gave the war equipment the
''once over"
Checking System Is Exact.
Taking the collection as 1t came, the
first exhibit was room containing
$4,000 worth Of olive-drab overcoats,
ali securely packed in boxes each the
filled with damaged clothing and
equipment-haversac and things,
which are soon to be destroyed by or
der Of the government. after each arti-
Gle has been checked. The checking
system is SO exact that no one could
remove one old shoe from that base
ment and get away with it. Another
room contains enough harness, pack
ed In cases. to pull all the wagons and
field pieces-providing. Of course, that
each harness had a horse or a mule
inside it. (The horses and mules are
not packed in the boxes with the har-
nerr.) All kinds of spare parts and
repair materials for all kinds Of army
fixtures are tc be found in another
department, ana still another contains
raft of CANT equipment such as COL
lapsible stoves, kettles and pans
anything else that belongs in a camp
kitchen.
Next door are all the tools for clear
ing forest. building houses or dig
ging q hole in the ground. building q
railroad or tearing it up by the roots
Hard by, the OUTFIT for stringing sew
eral miles Of field telegraph and tele-
phone line, and the instruments to use
at either end of said line. And one
thing that impressed the visitor was
the familiarity shown by the COM
mander Of the Kansas army for every
minor unit that makes up the acres Of
assorted stun under the state house.
He would thrust an arm into some
dark recess and produce a sample of
some recently adopted improvement.
An aluminium caseknife, weighing
h01lf a q q 1ond a
! from one box, and the new aluminium
| cup that takes the place Of the old
rolled-tin ''growler," from another.
He knows the place for everything,
| and keeps it there.
Equipped Prairie Schooners.
Over in the south end Of the cellar
] is a fleet Of the military substitute for
the ancient prairie schooner. These
| wagons are equipped to the last de-
i tail. A full set of nOsebags for horses,
tools for digging and hosting out of
ruts, repairs for broken parts-every-
thing complete with each soldier
buggy.
| One small room contains .30-caliber
| cartridges. A hundred and seventy
thousand jackrabbits or other unde-
sirables could be slain with this col
lection, If every bullet were properly
| placed.
| A department in the basement is
given over TO the repair OF sick and
crippled shooting irons. A young SOL
! der with mechanical genius puts in
part Of his time repairing guns sent
I in by guardsmen from all over the
state. Several boxes of new gun bar
rels, extra stocks, springs, sights and
other parts are at hand, and after he
has prescribed for q service Spring
| field, the gun goes back home feeling
as good as new.
| Swords Out Of Style.
! Swords have gone out of style in
the artillery branch Of the service.
No longer is the Jingle OF a yard OF
sabre added to the jingle of chain
harness as the field guns wheel into
action. The man with the red string
Around his hat carries no war tools
but an automatic pistol, q highly poi
sonous piece Oh machinery that starts
shooting at the slightest provocation
and has to be stopped. sometimes
with a monkey wrench. Another
good idea, when the automatic goe.
on q tear, is to throw 1t away and hide
behind a reinforced concrete building
until it runs down.
And. the sabre being discarded, Gen.
eral Martin has a cord Of them on hand