The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-06-06

The prices that the foreign Dur,
chasers are paying are . good dal
| higher than anything the United Ststss
Government has paid for similar
products. Indeed, In some cases, IN.
prices are based upon a total maxi.
mum output covering a nsmber q
years. and the cost includes the entire
value OF the mechanical facilities en-.
! ployed. In othor words. these ma.
| chine tools will either he scrapped or
become the property OF the people now
buying the product.
I'm a sense, this explains fairy the
reason why our many commercial
concerns have been willing TO turn
their attention to the making Of mum.
| lions. Prof. rsher's idea that an open
breach with Germany would cut IN
these supplies from the Allies Is IN
| correct. Nothing short OF confscat.on
on the part Of our Government would
stop the fu.flment OF the existing
contracts.
True, tn. British Government has
been tardy, but since last August she
has expanded her facilities more than
fifteen times what they were at the
/ OutUTedh III wal. Inc NOlSN part
about production under pressure 10
the difficult, of living up to quality.
and when this is below standard there
is sure to he a dep,orable percentage
Of failures in the field. Here again the
ever vital element Of time comes into
play. This applies also to the matter
Of powder
The foregoing gives a general idea OF
me situation confronting the War De-
partment N certain directions, but
his is not the whole story by any
means. According to official dis
closures OF recent date we have not q
single armored automobile. The ma.
chine guns in the service are virtually
obsolete: in motor transports the arm
is substantially lacking.
A distinguished army officer has
said: "A modern army fights
with instruments requiring much skin
and time in the making: the soldiers
to use these weapons need long train
ing before :hey are sufficiently expert.
while the period OF preparation with
war imminent IL dishearteningly short.
Remember, the interval covered BY the
approach has been abridged greatly by
modern facilities OF ocean transit. and
the enemy that Is ready in every sense
Of the word will strike with the utmost
speed.
Germany is the only European
nation that was prepared In every
sense OF the word, and her enemies
have paid the price Of their unread.
ness in the best OF their national blood
and treasure"
In confirmation OF the foregoing
statement o: the case here Is a letter
recently received from England
When you were in Denver I had a
boy OF l6 in St. Stephens College.
England. All his people were In The
army. When the war opened ,aHd i.
did not break o~ut'--every soldier ard
real statesman knew for ten years
that II was coming) my hoy GO; a
L~ieutenant's commission in some home
defence forces. But that irked I'M
and one day he ran of and enlisted IN
a London foot regiment. After three
months training his regiment ra'
sent into Flanders. He was killed In
action on May ! at Ypres.
81 am writing all this to you NOW
as some further inspiration for what
work you can do under your profc,-
sional limitations to preach the src1'
; gospel OF compulsory training, no.
: conscription, FOR our people here. Ny
own people have all been army people.
! l am grievcd and proud about my hoy.
= But / feel that his regiment ddn
have a sporting chance. They WEI
green troop. They knew only how t.
go on and Gle.
And ! feel no more than I ever 'e''
hut quite as much, that the men in
: England and here who oppose compu'-
sorry military training nre guilty Of "a
greater felony than the ours who sank
the Lusitania."