The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-07-25

Among the many lessons learned from the present war none has impressed it. self more forcibly upon the average mind than the great value of artillery So terrible have been the results of artillery fire that the very men who know most about such things have been astonished Surely Napoleon knew what he was talking about when he said that heaven fights on the side that has the heaviest artillery" Whether he really said artillery or not, the fact remains that he knew whereof he spoke Of all the soldiers of the world, none was better quail fled to testify to the value of big guns than this little olive complexioned major of artillery" Yet the guns of Eapoleon's time were mere toys com pared to those in use in Europe today. If they were of importance 100 years ago. how much more so must they be today, when they are so many times more accurate and destructive.
 One of the questions most frequently asked today concerns artillery. Pa triot citizens fearful of possible in ttrnational complications, are anxious lest our government be not supplied with modern guns. With the German "42-centimeters" and the French "sev enty- lives" filling the papers with the tales of their terrible effectiveness one naturally becomes anxious to know how Uncle Sam Is provided.
 As to that there are several opin Ions. Some claim that we are hope lcasly lacking in material and that we have not enough ammunition to supply the guns we have for one day. Whether this is true or not no one can say, for the ordnance department at Washington is not talking for publca ton. But we can say that so far as is possible in a free country, where men follow the profession of arms from choice rather than from necessity, the United States army is splendidly equipped with guns and With men who know how to handle them But as is natural under the circumstances, We must depend in case of trouble upon volunteer gunners and hastily gath cred guns. As the second line of de- fcnse, the call would come naturally upon the batteries of the national guard.
 Alabama's Fine Artillery Branch
 As to the condition of the artillery service In other states we cannot say, but we can speak with certainty of that In Alabama It requires no stretching of the truth to say that, so far as is possible for any citizen or ganization to be. the artillery of the Alabama National Guard Is whole lot better than any one has any right to expect
 The federal government has for lcng time been making every effort to improve the national guard orEaniza- tions. By detailing officers and mon coms" to the various states. and by constant exercise and instruction the general efficiency has been raised to a comparatively high point in the last few years. In no branch of the serv- ice is this more marked than in the artillery, for in no other branch is ef- fciency more necessary. There is noth- ing so sorry" as 8 poorly trained and disciplined battery, and there Is noth- ing that reduires more training and discipline. By the very nature Of things an artilleryman must learn about much as any man ia allowed to know He must be a specialist In any one of q dozen things He must be able to take care of himself and have some ability in handling horses. He must know something of the me-