The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-02-09
DANGER IN LACK
OF AMMUNITION
United States, in Case of War,
Would Be at Mercy Of
Any Power.
TWO YEARS TO GET SUPPLY
Senator Martin. Chairman OF
Committee, Amazed at
Revelation
TWO YEARS TO GET SUPPLY
Especial to The Times-Dispatch.l

lSpeciai 10 Inc Inn eS- DlSpdtcn.I
Washington. February 8.-The United
states. through lack OF ammunition.
would be ut the mercy OF any foreign
power which might declare war upon
them.
Statements to this effect. it was
learned tonight have been made by
Secretary OF War Garrison and Cen
"rnl Crozier. chief of the Bureau of
I'ortifcntions. before the Senate Com
nittee or Appropriations in executive
III VIC should by any misfortune be
brought into contact in n hostile way
with another nation 1t goes without
saying that we have not ammunition
enough 10 maize it effective. We have
Goi 10 ha Yea more ore Seerietary OF war
working under rush orders, and to
the limit Of capacity afforded IN the
make up the existing deficiency In ar
tillcry ammunition" said General
crozier. chief OF The Bureau of Forth
Tho Information laid before the com
mittce was 80 startling that Senator
claimed In amnzement:
IF this ammunition cannot be pro
duced Ia less than two years, and we
we might as well be without nm army.
No difficulty that will ever arise with
foreign country would wait two
yearg for uS TO make ammunition.
Requcnts of War Department.
Tho War Department asked Of the
and purchase of mountain, field and
that sum; it also asked sa,oSo,ooo FOR
House granted only 100000.
Secretary Garrison explained that the
estimates this year were larger than
ne had told his subordinates TO ask for
what they actually needed and not a
dollar extra In tho last adminiatra-
mates were fixed regardless OF the
needs OF the government.
The hearing TGissed TO on e sb :r' nnnt
Secretary Garrison said:
Z have been advised by those e1-
perts in the department who make
This matter their study that we arc
very far behind In this Character OF
ammunition. They gay that in tho
event or contest with a nation OF
any size. We would be Handicapped very
which cannot be procured In the open
market, cannot be procured from other
sources. and could only be on hand by
our previous foreihought. Wo have
got TO haze a reserve supply in order
TO properly equip the guns that would
necessarily be brought into action.
II the country Is going to he called
II mast have n certain amount Of ar
tiilery TO do that with. We need that
amount OF artillery to-day and artil.
iery cannot be manufactured In n rapid
way"
IF the artillery for the organized
militia which would become part OF
the army In time of were in
Guided" General Crozier said. the ar
tiliery ammunition deficiency would
aggregate $4,000. 600"
Get supply In Two Years.
80 that" in,erjected Senator Martin,
~ We were going into conflict that
would require an army of half a mill
Hon men, We could not put them on a
war footing In less than two years?"
Yes" replied General Crozier, and
that Is precisely in accordance with
what ] have been saying TO the com
mitttcs OF the House and the Senate
ever since ! have been coming here
This sort OF thing cannot be done by
q lavish supply of money after the
emergency arises. The only opposs-
iion TO these appropriations that
have been suggesting has been based