The Washington times., 1916-01-22
ASKS S5O,OOO,OOO
FOR BATTERIES OF
MOBILE ARTILLERY
Congressman CapstiCk Urges
Guns Mounted on Special
Railroad Cars.


Congressman John II. Cspytick Of
New Jersey today introduced a bin pro-
vlding for the appropriation OF s5o,oOC.C0O
for a system Of mobile artillery upon
railroad care. The bill was referred to
the House Committee on Military AZ
fairs.
The bill provides for the mounting
OF ffty. 16-inch mortars and ten n-inch
rIFes on specially constructed railroad
cars which can be quickly locked to
solid concrete foundations at various
points along the line for instant Use to
secure accuracy and rapldity of fire
control"
The measure calls for the construc-
tIon Of l6O concrete foundations to be
built along the Atlantic coast
Cost Of Project.
The cost OF the special cars. equip
ped with two mortaTs or a N-inch rife
and two turrets. at the ends for use
as shelter by the twenty or twenty-five
men assigned to each car. is estimated
at $4,000 each. The concrete founda-
tions will cost between $500 and $4,000
each.
From these figures it is estimated that
price OF modern ilshting ship, tho
United States could equip its coast
defenEes with 10 guns which could tie
moved to any place desired and when
| become more rowerful than q fleet of
batueships or a chain OF permanent
forts.
Goes To Senate, Too.
This new plan for coast defense Is the
suggestion of Lawrence Luellen, inven-
tor Of the PAPER drinking cup. and Cecil
F. Dawson, also OF New York. Mr..
IueIlen Is now at the Willard Hotel,
where he will remain until some de-
cision Is reached on the bill introduced
by Congressman Carstick.
A similar bill will he introduced in
the Senate by Senator Works. according
| to Mr.. Iuellen.
Monday morning Mr.. Luellen will
send TO each Congressman and Sena-
tor three pamphlets containing a wealth
of information about the proposed coast
defense. Each pamphlet will be accom-
panied by a drawing illustrating vari-
| Gus phases OF the mobile artillery sys-
tenn in operation. Sectional drawings
OF the cars. foundations. and turrets
as well as others showing the recoil
and the method to be employed in Sc
curely and firmly locking the cars ia
the concrete foundations appear In the
pamphlets. In the booklets the invent.
prs go thoroughly into all phases OF
day and how the cars and foundations
are to be constructed and used.
| Mr.. Luellen said today that one OF
these guns attached to a foundation
would have 800 chances to a battleship'E
one in war. Said he:
Approved By Experts.
THE many War Department experts
| including Brig. Gems. NJ. NJ. Macomb
Erasmus M. Weaver. William CroEier
and Maj. Gen. Leonard A. Wood. whC
have helped Mr.. Dawson and myself
with advice, cooperation and crit
cisms. have figured that the chances OF
accurate firing would be eight times ai
great from one of our foundations as
they are from a moving battleship
| They have also worked It out that the
\ target offered by one of our cars, guns
and foundations would be only one
fortieth OF that offered by a battleshlp
From this 1t can be easily seen thai
we have $40 chances to a battlesh!p''
one"
Has Many Advantages.
I MI buCllCu dlSo pOihlSu Oub many AZ
vantages which he said the proposed
mobile artillery would have over per
manent forts. He said the guns could
be hauled rapidly over the rails to any
point they were needed; that, unlike
the guns in permanent forts. they coulc
be removed so as to preclude capture
and use by an enemy, and that they
could be hidden behind hills so as tC
prevent their being located by an at
hacking battleship.
The inventor said that while the pro
posed plan dealt only with the coas
defense use of the cars and founda
ton, that they could be employed
equally effectively in the interior. HI
believes the transportation of the gun!
on the cars would eliminate many oi
the difficulties encountered in moving
the 42-centimeter and other big guns
in Europe because of bad roads and
the inability of the highways to sup
port the enormous weights.