The Washington herald., 1914-01-24
ARMY OFFICERS
FEAR DISASTER
CONTINUED FROM PAGE ONE.


prepared to meet any body ON the f1eld
sither from the standpoint Of guns OF
ammunition. This year we feel that It ID
absolutely essential TO bring our gum
and ammunition up to such . standpoint
rs to make us reasonably ready for
trouble. It would be little short OF In
sanity to send an army into the held
with our present equipment Of guns.
The reason we are urging that we
should prepare now Is that Il would take
at least two or three years II the whole
resources Of the country were turned
on the guns. to prepare. II il going to
take years to make them. y.
The fire Of modern field artillery IL
30 deadly that troops cannot advance
over terrain swept by these guns with
out prohibitive losses II Is therefore.
necessary to neutralize the fire Of hostile
guns before our troops can advance. and
the only way to neutraiixe the IRE OF
this hostile field artillery is by field
artillery guns. for troops armed with the
small arms are as effectual against this
dre. until they arrive at about 1000 yards
from it, as though they were armed with
knives.
No Assurance Of Success.
milton sufficient to give any general
commanding an army in the field any
assurance of success IL attacked by
an army of equal size which is sup
piled with its proper quota Of field ar
tillery. In fact, the chief OF ordnance
estimates that almost one year would
be required to supply the neld artil-
iery guns needed with one field army
Of a little less than 10000 men. No
war within the last forty-five years
has lasted for one year. so that, after
war is declared, il probably would be
over before we could manufacture an
sppreciable number of guns, and the
same applies to ammunition"
Asked for his version Of the rela-
tive Importance of the projects in
volved in the fertilization bill, Gen.
Wood placed ammunition for the
field artillery first, guns for the field
land defenses third, and Philippines
defenses fourth.
The committee recognized the impor-
tance of the second and third of these
projects. but ignored the pressing need
Of the first The estimates asked for an
appropriation of $4,000 for field artillery
guns. The bill appropriates Immediately
s45e,ooo, and authorizes additional con-
tracts amounting to $4,000. Instead Of
the s3.ooo, 900 asked for for the immediate
purchase OF ammunition, however. the
committee recommends the appropriation
of 5000 this representing the money
value of the total amount the various
government arsenals. will be able tol
manufacture in one year.
Limitation on Purchase.
A special Limitation on the purchase of
any ordnance supplies from private con-
Germs is placed in the bill, and explained
by the committee by figures showing the
economies of government manufacture.
The report contains the following state
ment:
These figures need only to be stated
to warrant in the Judgment of the COM |
mittee the policy herein set forth-the |
policy of complete arsenal manufacture
and while il is possible that the price of
manufacture in this material might be-
come less there is an equal probability |
of additional economies in the manufac-
turing costs at the arsenals and your
did not feel that the desira-
bility OF expansibility in time of need
that might result from using the arse
nails now only to a limited amount OF
their capacity and add to the total output
by private manufacture was sufficient to
the very great economies re-
ferred to. 1t is very proper that in this
statement reference should be made to
the unusual skill and efficiency of the
Chief of the Ordnance Department and
the men under him whereby the great
saving of cost in manufacture has been
made possible"