The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-01-17


munitions of war which differs vastly
from Gen. Wotherspoons table. Three
times l have publicly asked Chairman
Hay to summon Gen. Wotherspoon and
put him through his PAGES for his
temerity in ignorantly setting up his
opinions against a Congressman's. The
first time the good chairman pointed out
that the General had gone on the retired
list a few days ago; the second time he
invited my attention to the fact that the
hearings before his committee wer"
closed and the third time he told me
that it was no use summoning Gen.
Wotherspoon because he knew all about
his ideas already.
Incidentally my efforts 10 secure tho
summons of Major-Gen. Leonard Wood
have been equally unsuccessful. Yet
Gen. Wood is not on the retired list.
He preceded Gen. Wotherspoon as Chief
OF stair and he now commands the De-
partment OF the East.
AS 10 Chairman Hays tables l note,
for instance, that he estimates 100000
900 cartridges as a sufficient equipment
for a field army OF 100000 men at the
outset of "A war. That estimate is just
one-third OF the estimate made by the
General staff of the Army for that
Identical number of men. II is trle
that 100000. 600 cartridges will equip
the machine guns and will fill the mems
belts and will suffice for the comba,
train and the ammunition train; but
400. 600, 900 additional cartridges are
needed for the advance bases and the
general bases. At least the General
staff says So However, Gen. Crozier.
the star witness for the defence, coin
cides with Chairman Hay on this point.
II is fair TO admit that the General was
frank enough to admit that no army
men agreed with him.
| But where are all tho giant guns
which We progressive Americans ought
to have? How are we off for these
wonderful implements of warfare with
which other nations have been arming
themselves? We still are shaking hands
with ourselves over our biggest gun
the six inch howitzer.
| Tradition hath IL that after the bat
! tie of Crecy, a board OF French Gen
erals was called together to report on
the newfangled cannon which England
| had used in the fight. After profound
| Cogitation, the Generals decided that
no dependence whatever could be
placed in gunpowder and that cannon
could be useful only under exceptional
circumstances never likely 20 occur
agasH By a unanimoIs<w so II -
said, they reported 10 their ruler that
the trusty manganel and the stout
catapult would triumph in the future
as in the past. II any one wishes 10
know the moral OF this tale, let him IN
qure OF our ordnance experts.
1t may be that We have no need OF
guns with greater diametcrs than u
inches. Still, Germanys 49, inch
howitzers and Austrias l2i2 inch guns
seem to be fairly serviceable in bat
tering to bits anything from an i'm
pregnable fortress or venerable cathe-
dral down TO a covered trench. Sr
John French, foolshly perhaps, seems
to place some reliance in his 9la men
! thunderers. We smile at their puerie
performances and continue to cstluai"
and plan and report and consider and
congratulate ourselves that We have the
best inch field guns which can h'
made even If we are n little bit slow
in rushing into the making Of big ord
nance.
Let those foreigners waste thor
, | HlOHty On ItllSNlllls Su'lHh' '''''
aeroplanes, Zeppelns and hoWitzer'
We propose to keep our money in on,
pockets, That is the way to talk II
1 you want to catch the votes. Let ~
waitfully watch and then proceed "a
reap the benefits OF the foreigners ~
i, periments without its costing uS
cent. All of which Is vastly crafty
no doubt provided no foreigner START
a to experiment on us.
, Oh, we'll, what's the odds since tn'
o apostles OF pudginess tell us that t'e'
= are going TO put an end % wars p'
0 the brotherhood Of man, In tho S"ee
I by and by, perhaps, when We nave
e abandoned tho Monroe Doctrine an,
e when the Californian intermarne' vi"
e the Chinaman and the Mississppian n
0 termarres with tho negro. lnlu Wa
70 day is at hand, don't forget the paran'
Of the Foolish Virgins who had no ~
e. in their lamps when the fatetui mo
a msnt CANA