Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1916-04-07

md1nSCayS, perhaps Lie LAdAAA0eNS' ~
the armies Of the world.
Information recently has been forth
coming in Washington concerning the
development Of the artillery arm OF
the service, and it is certain ii pre-
paredness measures are enacted into
law that the increase in the artillery
will be much greater proportionately
than the increase in any other Drancn
of the service.
The engagement quickly resolved
itself into an artillery duel The
words quoted appear in scores OF dis
patches from the scenes OF the con-
flict in Europe. 1t is an artillery
war largely The word battery IS
read by Americans probably five times
where the other words, regiment or
battalion, are read once.
There are batteries of horse art1l-
lery, batteries of light field artillery
mountain batteries, siege batteries,
and sea coast batteries, although the
last named may be eliminated from
discussion because thus far, save FOR
some operations in the far East, ana
a short engagement on the Belgian
coast, they have cut little figure In
the fighting.
The great arm of the artillery serv-
ice is the light battery, for in it lies
the chief artillery strength OF the
armies The field guns of the Amer1-
can army as formed into batteries and
on the same basis as the light artll-
lery Of the other armies of the world
When the field details of the Ameri-
can artillery are known, the composl-
ton of batteries, the allotment or am
munition, the complement of can
noneers. caissons and other adjuncts,
it is possible to get definite informa-
ton of the conditions in the armies
now fighting in Europe.
In virtually all the armies OF the
world there are four guns to bat
terry. a change from the days OF the
muzzle-loading fieldpiece, when there
were six and occasionally eight guns
to each battery. The breechloader,
with it's method of taking up the re-
coil and with the ease of it's manipula-
ton, burns up ammunition at the rate
of twenty-five shots minute. This
is something to be thought on. 1t
means that a shell with it's dread
charge Of lyddite or other high expio-
sives leaves the muzzle of each piece
every two and half seconds or there
abouts.
They are firing today from the field
artillery twenty-five shots in the time
that it took to fire one in the old days,
but the havoc today is not twenty-five
times as great, because soldiers have
been taught and forced to take to
cover
A United States standard light bat
terry of field artillery, and it will stand
as a type, at war strength has total
of five commissioned officers and ia
enlisted men. There are 60 drivers
and IS cannoneers, four gunner cor
porals and 10 caissons, one store wag-
on and timber and four field wagons,
a total of 112 draft wagons, 45 saddle
horses and Is mules, making 172 ami
mails.
The ammunition is the thing. There
are in the caisson body 70 rounds and
in the timber chest SO rounds, while in
the emergency tubes" on each gun
there are four rounds. So that in each
gun section there are 106 rounds of
fixed" or made ammunition in the
caisson, 36 rounds in the gun timber
and four rounds in the ammunition
tubes on the gun carriage. In each of
the four caisson sections there are PIP
rounds.
Thus with field battery of light ar
tillery there are ,432 rounds on the fir
ing line and on wheels close by under
cover That figures out 358 shots to
rifle With the ammunition train there
are, or should be, four wagons each
with 100 rounds, and at, the advance
supply depot j 1856 rounds, or 464 shots
rifle, raising the ammunition supply
on the firing line, in the combat train
close at hand, in the ammunition train
on the road and at the advanced sup
ply depot, to 928 rounds gun.
y
what the military preparedness bill as
it finally passes congress will provide
for the artillery arm of the service AS
things seem today, there is an appear
ance Of an increased strength in the
ranks of the antipreparedness mem
bers If appearances are not deceitful
it seems likely therefore that com
promise finally effected between the
house and senate members will make
for decrease rather than an increase
in the appropriations for the supply of
men, weapons and ammunition.
Booklet on Park System.
The department of the Interior,
Franklin K Lane, secretary, has just
issued a booklet entitled "Glimpses
Of our National Parks. In let
ter which has been issued with
the publication and written by Stephen
T. Mather, assistant to the secretary
of the interior, it is said plainly that
the booklet has a more immediate