The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1914-09-18
Houghton Department
ENDORSES PLAN
OF The &C. CLUB
Gladstone Resident Urges Pur.
chase of Copper by the US.

Secretary George l.. Price Of thu
Copper Country Commercial club is II
receipt OF "A letter from a resident OF
Gladstone, who evidently OF
the plan of the Commercial club to sell
copper TO the United States. The
Gladstonian however believes that
copper should be bought for the pur-
pose of manufacturing military appa-
ratus. He feels that inasmuch as there
is now a war raging between the Eu-
ropean nations, the United States GOV
eminent should be prepared for any
controversy of this sort that might
possibly develop in future years. He
feels that by preparing for such an
emergency considerable steel and cop
per would be used and thinks this is
one way out of the present difficulty.
Below is the letter:
Il observe by the public prints that
you are engaged in the task of en-
deavoring to sell few copper bricks
to our Uncle Samuel Now if you real
ly desire TO show a preteXt for any
such transaction you might consult the
Army and Navy Journal, which should
be obtainable from some of your mill
tary men.
Military Supply Inadequate.
1T Is notorious that the United
States has entered all it's wars with
very inadequate supply Of military
equipment; and we are not so far from
another one that we should not look
a lettle oudt."
For years it has been the custom
Of this government to mildly discour-
age the ownership of service rifles by
citizens, sooner than to compel every
man to train with them like the Euro
pean powers. Furthermore, at the
outbreak of hostilities we would be
most lamentably deficient in field ar
tillery, which is apparently the de-
cisive arm of the service at this time,
Most people disapprove of a largeN
standing army but there is no rea-
son why there should not be a million
militia in this country; and if so, they
should have complete field equipment
81 llitAl llltN tbulu HlpblilHt stS NaN W.
mans or other powers.
Secondly, we should have an ade-
quate supply say one thousand aero
planes, and say two thousand pieces
of field cannon; not "a large supply !
considering our extent of territory
and population. -...
Need $1,000 Tons Steel.
These. together with military, tele-
graph and wireless equipment, and
also special tractors. should be on
hand. At the outbreak of hostilities |
there would be no time to construct |
them for effective service. 1t certainly |
looks as if, whether Germany or the
few crows to pick with a formidable |
power.
THE articles alluded to would con-
sumo some ten or twelve thousand |
tons of tool steel. In addition to this |
let us consider the ammunition: one |
million rifles, one billion cartridges |
This would require, | think, fifteen
thousand tons of good brass. Two
thousand three-inch guns, say three
million rounds. | do not know the |
weight of the cartridge case-there is
a good one standing on the safe in the
Dupont Powder company's office at
HouEhton-T think about ten to fifteen |
pounds. Twenty thousand more tons.
Not counting the electrical equipment
Nov this would be a proper rea-
son for Uncle Sam to buy l.. S. cop
per, not a Socialist reason either. a
cannon is not a Socialist 1t has
stolid, respectable, responsible look
and does not believe in peaceful con-
iscation."