The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-07-04
A Belgian aeroplane armed with the Lewis gun.

ranted in saying that this situation
also breeds a degree Of professional
~stagnation.
Conservatism is the dominant note
OF the ordnance corps. A bright subor-
dinate might conceive an improvement
in material Of much potential worth.
II his superior were opposed to the
suggestion 1t would die right there In
the oflce-the Junior would not dare
to urge trial or recognition. This has
happened time after time. 1t Is there
fore 10 wonder that men of energy
respond to an opportunity like that
now offered.
Indeed. broadly put, the present
situation is in a way %retribution. 1t is
the direct result Of the in
which the Navy and War Depart
ments have commonly treated the pri-
vate plant and the civilian inventor.
These Government officials have not
only depressed the creative mind to a
large measure within their W ranks
but they have reared no end Of OBJ
stacles for the outsider. What fol-
lows? Commercial enterprises, intent
upon turning their establishments to
the more profitable work now coming
to them because Of the war abroad,
are offering the lure of better salaries
and bigger opportunities for profess
sional effort to the men circumscribed
by the conditions within the Govern
ment services. Just as these plants
are drawing these experts from the
army and the nav now for the imme-
ItaeA IarARt 80 ,-n
they have to do upon a larger scale
should we have to go to war. But
hat is not all.
AT the naval gun factory and at the
army's gun shops at Watervliet as
well as at the Springfield armory, the
Frankfort arsenal. the Rock Island
arsenal and the powder plants at In
dian Head and Picatinny the two SER
vices have trained civilians so that
they are now experts Of a high order.
None of these men have been paid
anything more than moderate salaries.
but to-day because Of their technical
skill in one direction or another they
are at a premium and many of these
men are leaving the Government shops
to take more remunerative positions
in the plants that are multiplying for
the manufacture Of war supplies.
I'm their way they are just al
valuable as the officers the public has
heard so much about. Indeed they
are probably more useful, because
these are the men that will deal d.
rectly with the artisan and show
scores and scores OF them how to do
the extremely nice and intricate things
required Of them. The Government
may he reluctant to let these valuable
servants go, but it were better to lose
them now in time of peace than in the
hour Of strife. The country will have
more capable men at its command
later on because OF this exodus,
"If we reach a degree of military
preparedness hat will permit us 10
cope on anything like equal terms
with On active Zoe It will he because
of our private manufactures rather
than our Government shops. We have
got to turn to the trade for the bulk
OF our munitions, and the Federal
authorities should do now what they
have failed to do In the past: cooper
ate with the trade and offer it every
reasonable encouragement. Arms
plants are expensive establishments 70
organize and equip, and ever more sc
are shops fitted to turn out field guns
shells and fuses. The manufacture OF
torpedoes is a still harder and more
eXacting business, and there is only
one c in this country engaged
in this department of ordnance en-
deavor. Undoubtedly, II the business
expanded. men from the navy would
be needed, simply because those IA
miliar with the art are not to be hat
elsewhere.
Germany has taken the lead In
the present conflict because she has
welcomed improvement and suggcs
ton, no matter what the source. Ger,
many turned to the trade, and We
know what her private plants hav,
made II possible for her 10 do. Eng
land has done likewise. but not to tn,
same extent. hence her feverish de.
sire now to make up FOR lost time
Russia has not properly fostered pr,
vate enterprise, and We know the pen,
atty she has paid OF late In the disas
trous turn TO her campaigns. In TIT
bigger fields Of ordnance we have hat
only n private C engaged II
the work in its manifold phases.
mean the Bethlehem Steel Company,