The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-01-30
PRESENT WAR HAS TAUGHT
MANY IMPORTANT LESSONS
NJ HUDSON \

We have learned very many thing.
from the present war. Many cherished
theories have been upset and many
things thought to he impracticable have
been demonstrated to be very hishly
practicable.
But the chief lesson is the vast inn
portance Of organizing and systematic
ing the private industries of a country
for quick mobilization and utilization in
the production Of munitions OF war in
the event Of war.
II is absolutely impossible TO f%oretell.
and impossible therefore to produce in
quantity, the munitions that will I'LL re-
auirements five years ahead. Every
thing I'm this age of science and me-
chanics IL IN a state OF rapid transit
ton. Sever in the history of the world
were such rapid changes made in every
line of human effort as are being made
to-day. Never before In the history OF
the world has the march OF improve
ments been so rapid.
When We review the achievements OF
the past hundred years. may say hum
bred and nifty years-inventions of every
description have increased with a rate
practically as the square of the time.
Ii We were TO go back "A hundred and
nifty years and look upon the world AT
that time We should be astounded at
its primitive condition. Were we To 30
back from HI period another thou
sand years We should not ind so great
n change as We should find between a
hundred and nifty years ago down TO
the present time.
] may put this stronger. The world
has advanced more in the arts and
sciences during the past hundred and
nifty years than II had previously adj
vanced in all the long ages since the
human home wac a hill cavern
1t Is only about twenty-five years age
that smokeless powder came into use,
resulting In the revolution of all forms
of firearms. IL was but a short time
g that high explosives were invented
1t was only at the beginning OF the
present century that military high ex.
p~losives had been so improved as to be
capable of use as bursting charges fol-
projectiles.
Maximite, which I invented. vas the
FIRST high explosive to he successful,
fired through heavy arnor plate and ex'
ploded behind the plate with a delay
action uetOndtlng fu@e.
Although this explosive material Is
80 per cent. more powerful than ordinary
dynamite. yet IL IL so ~insensitive &c
shock that it will stand the penetration
of armor plate as thick as the prof
ectile itself can stand TO penetrate with
out exploding. In fact. II is practically
impossible to explode MaXimite eXcefi
with "A very powerful detonstor. Tn,
secret of MaNimite was purchased 10y
the United States Government in 1901.
The United States Government smoke,
less powder for arms of all sizes is IA
superior to that manui let ured any
where else in the world. our smokeles.
cannon powder IL made in the form OF
round rods or bars about three diane
tiers Ing and these bars are multi-per
forated with seven longitudinal holes
This causes the powder to burn with al
increased rate of combustion that h I,
say, progressively. and thereby To main
tain the pressure behind the projectile II
it's flight through the gun. This form o
powder enable the use OF a pure colloi,
Of nitro-cellulose without any oxidizini
salt or other adulterant.
Abroad they have largely used "A com
pound Of nitroglycerine and nitrocellu
lose 10 order T. adapt the powder to us
In guns without Notwithstanding 1t.
There are only three ways in whicl
smokel.ss powder can be made witt
nitruCellulosc. First. to combine il wit!
nttroGlycerine so nat 1t will burn viii
2 sufficient rapidity TO enable grains o
sufficient thickness t. he employed. an,
consequently Of sufficient mass to max
up a charge for big guns without tn
presentation of too much initial surfac
10 the flame of ignition. The second va
Is 10 mix nitrate of Ia rum r. other oXi
dizing salt with the nitrocellulose t
produce the same result. and the thirI
way, that invented by me. is TO multi
porforate the material as above de
scribed. This enables the use of IN
pure nitrocellulose without any 9TH.
material being combined with IL.
An oNidizing salt makes more q
less smoke. while nitrOglyCeriue as
diluent has the tremendous diSadyantag
that II crodes the guns very rapidly. |
England, where they use a compouud cor
sisting OF 30 per cent. nitroglyceriu
large guns do not last half as long a
they do when our multi-porforate
smokeless powder Is used.
Thus ii will be seen that had we prc
duced a large quantity of war munitior
thirty years ago they would have bee
useless in a few years. Also. even ha
We produced n large quantity during II