Omaha daily bee., 1915-02-07
Invader Could Conquer
Before Our Militia Was Armed.

we are In the habit OF speaking OF our
navy as ranking somewhere second or
third from the top. "A a matter OF fact
we rank much lower than that for the
reason OF the shortage of our ammunition
supply. Just as q steam engine can not
be run without fuel. regardless OF it's
size and power. 90 a navy can not be
run without gunpowder.
When the present war broke out.
france. Germany and England each had
ten times as much smokeless powder on
hand as we had. We have between 40,-
10000 and 100000 pounds OF smokeless
powder on hand at the present time.
whereas we should have 500. 100000 pounds
on hand.
The only difficulty In landing az large
an army as an enemy might desire upon
our shore would be In overcoming our
fleet. Once our fleet were smashed. an
enemy could land 100000 men either on
our Atlantic or on our Pacific seaboard
long before we could mobilize the troops
we have. In fact, they could land 20,
900 men before We could get the troop
we have into fighting shape.
Let US examine for one moment Mr.
Carnegie's proposition TO welcome an
army OF invaders. showing them the best
roads 20 the interior, and then turning
loose on them 100000 improvised citizen
soldiers. Like Pompey Mr. Carnegie
seems TO believe that he can raise an
army At win by stamping his foot on
the ground.
Not only would Mr.. Carnegie have 10
raise the 100000 men. but also they
would have to be provided with small
arms. with Maxim guns. and with rapid
fire field cannon and siege howitzers
Also they would have to be provided with
at least four years experience In the use
OF them, and yet, furthermore they
would have 20 he imbued with that oour-
age which veterans have. and which can
| be acquired only after much experience
on the firing line; and, lastly. they would
have to be differed by men OF military
education and training. and they would
have to have large corps Of trained and
experienced engineers, and also a trained
commissariat.
None OF these things can be created In
day. nor a month. nor made efficient
In year, 30 that the army OF invaders,
after II had received the Carnegie well
come and had taken possession Of the
country. would have to walt quietly for
US 70 get ready to swoop down on them,
as Mr.. Carnegie suggests
! Now. let us suppose that an army OF
invaders should land at New York. and
take possession OF the territory east OF
the Allegheny mountains. ! have shown
In a previous article in these calumns
that within a circle with a radius OF 100
miles described around Peekskill. N. Y,
are included 20 per cent OF the smokeless
powder works, small arms works and am
munitlon works of the country; all OF
our torpedo works, and all OF our torpedo
boat works and the principal coal mines
OF Pennsylvania.
Perhaps l may be pardoned for quoting
briefly from this previous article. In Il
l said,
within radius OF 100 miles they
would find the smokeless powder works
OF the United states army and the Picat-
inny arsenal where all OF the smokeless
powder and high explosives OF the United
states army are stored. near Dover, n.
j.. about thlrty-five miles from New
York. also they would find there the big
naval depot for ammunition and ex-
ploslves
AT bridgeport Conn. they would find
the Union Metallic Cartridge works and
the American and British Manufacturing
company's works for the manufacture OF
rapid-fire cannon. and az New Haven
they would find the winchester Repeat
ms Arms and Cartridge Company's works
and the Marlin Firearms works. At
Springfield, Mass, they would find the
Smith a wessOn revolver works and also
the United States arsenal. where our
rifles are made. Al Hartford, Conn.
they would find the Colt Patent Firearms
and the Pratt a Whitney works; at
Iiion, N. y. the Remington Small Arms
works. and at Utica, n. ". the Savage
Arms works
They would find one OF our most inn
portant big gun factories at Troy ~ ".
and another at Bethlehem. Pa. where.
also. much Of our armor plate l. made.
The big cramp shipbuilding works would
be found al Philadelphia. They would
find at Groton, Conn. the factory where
all the interior parts OF the Holland sub
marine boats are made and az Fore
River. Mass. the big shipyard where the
Holland submarine and otner war yes
sells are constructed.
They would find the Lake Submarine
Torpedo Boat Works at bridgeport. the