The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1914-01-16
MILLIONS REQUIRED FOR ARMY
NEED 100000 FOR GUNS AND
100000 FOR MILITIA.
Over 1900 Field Guns and 100000
Men Are Required for Good
War Footing.

| Washington-Exp that his
| judgment was not influenced by the
Mexican situation, Major General
| Wood, chief of staff of the army, has
advised committees of congress that
they should appropriate $3,O00,OO0 for
field guns and ammunition for the
regular army and 100000 for the
! militia
"If you sent our troops into war as
they are now, without guns or am
munition, it would be absolute slaugh-
ter" the general told the house mill
tary committee. IF called into the
field suddenly we should have to go
with a small allowance of ammuni-
ton and we should have neither guns
nor ammunition enough for our field
artillery forces"
General Wood, in written state
ment said, in part:
1--WE have neither guns nor am
munition sufficient to give any gen.
eral commanding an army in the field
any assurance of success if attacked
by an army Of equal size which is
supplied with it's proper quota of
field artillery.
1T is my belief that no modern
war between first-class powers will
last for one year, and unless private
manufacturers are encouraged to
manufacture ammunition for our guns,
after war is declared they will not
be in condition to do so until after
the war is finished
1.-THE war department believes after
extended study that in cases of war
with a first-cls8s power an army of
100000 men will be needed to give
this country any chance of success
against invasion, and that this force
will be needed at once. To make it
efficient it must be given its proper
quota of field artillery. To do this
the artillery must be on hand, for it
can not be supplied after war is
started"
The general suggested that the
United States regular mobile army
should be organized into three in
fantry and @Eo cavalry divisions.
with an aggregate war strength of
about $4,000, requiring 81 batteries
and PIG guns.
With the cooperation of state gov
ernors, the militia he said, now could
BE- organized into twelve infantry and
five auxiliary divisions, with an az
gregate war strength of $4,000 men,
needing TIA batteries, or 696 guns
The aggregate of the two forces thds
would be $4,000 men. ~
These two field armies would re-
quire 1886 guns. The United States
garrisons abroad have 6S guns"
Noting that the militia has in its
hands about "a per cent of the guns
it should have, the general added:
''TIa summarize for the regular army
and volunteers we would need 500
guns; for the militia 696 guns"
General Wood said that total ap-
preparations to Oct. 1 last by the
house military and appropriations
committee provided for only 245,59S
rounds of ammunition for the modern
field guns. all Of which ammunition
will not be manufactured until June
Sc next.
"Of this ammunition" he added, I'VE
have at present in this country 1885,
508~rounds and for the 2.95-inch noun
tain guns 1906 rounds, or total of
201,614 rounds. At Mukden in nine
days the 1904 Russian guns expend-
ed 250,000 rounds.
'The present daily output of the
ordnance factories for three shifts
running night and day is not above
1900 rounds. The war department
was obliged last year to equip part of
the regular army with absolute finch
howitzers and 5-inch siege guns be-
cause of lack OF sufficient ammuni-
ton for the modern guns.
"If we are unprepared for war.
there would be more temptation for
a country to strike us, and if it makes
up its mind to do SO it can strike us
at any time"
Field guns wanted for force of
100000 men, the general declared.
would be used for defensive purposes,
as this country would not gcf abroad
with an army f that size. On the
other hand, he said, it hardly was
likely that any ration would send any
smaller army than 100000 or 100000
men across the Atlantic ocean to fight
this country, after disposing of the
American fleet.