The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-01-08
Declares Judgment Not
Influenced by Mexi-
can Situation.
MORE FIELD GUNS
AND AMMUNITION
To Send Troops Into Battle
With Present Supply Would
Be Absolute Slaughter, He
Says, in Asking Appropri-
ations Amounting to
$6,OOO,OOO.

Washington January Tx pia ;ning
that his judgment was not influenced by
tho Mexican situation. Maior-General
wood. chief OF staff OF the army. has
advised committees of Congress that
they should appropriate S3.o0O.000 for
field guns and ammunition for the reg
ular army, and S3.o00.o00 for the mill
tia. III you sent our troops Into war
as they are now. without guns or am
Inunition. II would be absolute
slaughter" the general told the House
Military Committee. IF called into the
ncld suddenly we should have To go
with n small allowance OF ammunition.
ana we should have neither guns nor
ammunition enough for our field artil-
lery forces"
General Wood in a written state
ment said: I'VE neither have guns
nor ammunition sufficient TO give any
general commanding an army In the
field any assurances Of success II at
tackled by an army OF equal size which
| is supplied with it's proper quota OIL
field artillery.
OF short Duration.
at is my belief that no modern war
between frst-class powers VIII last Tor
one year. and unless private rnanufac-
turers are encouraged to manufacture
ammunition for our guns after war Is
| declared, they will not be In a condi-
| finished
The War Department believes after
! extended study that, in casee OF war
! with hrst-class power. an army oil
| 500. 900 men will be needed TO give this
| country any chance of success againsl
invasion, and that this force VIII be
I needed at once. To make il efficient
/ it must bc given its proper quota OF
| field artillery. TO do this. this ar
/ tillery must be on hand. for il cannot
be supplied after war is started"
The general suggested that the
! United states regular mobile army
| should be organized into three In
/ fantry and two cavalry divisions, with
an aggregate war strength of about
/ 75 900 recurring ffty-fou batteries OF
4 olG guns.
/ with the cooperation OF State Gov
/ ernors the militia, he said, now could
| be organized into twelve Infantry anu
/ five auxiliary divisions, with an ag-
/ gregate war strength of $4,000 men
| needing ia batteries OF $50 guns. me
! aggregate of the two forces thus would
/ be geo men. or approximately two
| field armies short OF the force OF oOO-
/ coo men These two field armies Will
| REQUIRE 336 guns. The United States
! garrisons abroad have siXty-eight guns
/ General Wood said that total appro-
/ prIations up to October l last by the
/ House Military and Appropriations
| Committees provided for only 2i5,O9s
( rounds OF ammunition FOR the modetr
I Geld guns. all of which ammunitioH
Will not be manufactured until June
! 60 next.
Lack of Ammunition.
"Of this ammunition" he added. we
have al present In this country 1s6,'os
rounds. and for the 295 mounted guns
15106 rounds, or total OF 2Ol,6l4
rounds And this is all we have. ~
, Mukden. in nine days the l,20i Rus
sian guns expended 100000 rounds.
The present daily output of the ord
nance factories. for three shifts run.
ming night and day, is not above 1000
rounds The War Department was
Obliged last year TO equip part or the
regular army with obsolete seven -incf
howitzers and fve-inch siege gun bat
,eries' material because of lack of sur
fcient ammunition for the modern
guns"
The War Department is trying tc
accumulate .292 field guns of various
calibres. OF which 753 yet have to bC
appropriated for. General Wood sait
il was not his idea that the country
constantly should be armed to the teeti
iir preparation for any war, but that II
should be reasonably prepared Tor war