The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1916-10-26
S.PLANS new
SHELL FACTORY
CONTRACT SOON TO BE LET FOR
APLANT AT ROCK. ISLAND.
S1,25O,OOO WILL Be EXPENDED
Plant Is Far in the Interior, lnaceess-
ibIe From Attack, Yet Having
Combined Advantage of Rail and
- Water Transportation.

water transportation.
Washington D. c., Oct 23.-Within
the next few months the war depart
ment expects to let contract for the
new $1,250,000 field artillery ammu.
milton plant at the Rock Island ar
isenal. p. &c.,. f.
] Lieut.. Col. David M. King has just
returned to Rock Island, following a
visit to all the leading munitions, fac
tories Of the country which he under
took for the purpose of getting ideas
which would be useful in making the
new factory a model manufacturing
plant alike in regard to efficiency and
in all other respects.
This construction of field artillery
ammunition plant at Rock Island
means that the governments most
| important munitions and war mater
ial factory will be located in the mid
die west. In the event of war the
arsenal would become one of the chief
reliances of the nation for the sup
| ply of munitions and equipment for
the troops. ' az
inaccessible to Attack,
| 1t is far in the interior inaccessible
from attack, yet having the combined
advantages of railroad and river
TRANSPORTATION, and is most advanta-
geously placed from a strategic
standpoint. 1t is the only arsenal in
the Mississippi valley.
The war department, as a part of
the general movement for prepared,
ness, is enlarging all it's leading ar
senals. Rock Island, the largest, is
being pushed along with exceptional
vigor, mainly for hte reason that army
officers perceive the wisdom az hay
ing their war material plants located
away from an invading army and re-
mote from the sea coast.
The department has been bitterly
criticised for its policy at Rock ISL
and. Representative Tavenner in
particular has severely scored the
policy Of Gen. William Crozier, chief
OF ordnance. Nevertheless, under
the administration Of Gen Crozier,
the government is steadily adding to
its greatest arsenal. O."
Field Artillery a Necessity.
The war in Europe has opened the
eyes OF the world to the supreme val
ue of field artillery and the indispens-
able character of great supplies of
ammunition for the guns. Even the
experts Of the general stats of the
fighting nations of Europe have had
to learn new lessons of the worth of
field artillery and the enormous
amounts of ammunition required.
The United States has been woe.
fully behind the times in the number
OF field guns, but, even worse than
that, it has been lacking in an ade- \
quate supply of ammunition for such
guns as it has.
The erection of the new field artil-
lery ammunition plant at Rock Island,
therefore, becomes a proposition of
the utmost Importance to the army
with respect to building up large Re
serve supplies of ammunition fortthe
field guns. This reserve cannot be
provided in a day.
The new plant will not be ready for
operations in the ordinary course of
things until 1913, and then 1t will take
years to provide such reserve of field
artillery ammunition as the country
needs.
Government Making Supplies. r
Already the government is manu-
featuring at Rock Island, the person
al and horse equipment for infantry,
cavalry, field artillery and coast ar
tillery, for regulars and national
guard 1t is also turning out there
field artillery vehicles, the new
Springfield magazine rifle and target
supplies.
Other war material is being rapidly
manufactured at other arsenals such
as Springfield, frankfort, and Water.
Vliet.
The enlargement of facilities in the
arsenals of the United States repre- b
sents movement in the direction of
government manufacture of mum.
lions and war material. But it can.
not be said that the day is close at
hand when the government will be
prepared to make all of its own war
material.
1t is estimated by Col. E. B. Bab-
bitt, assistant chief of ordnance. that
1 the government to be equipped to
manufacture its own war material on
scale such as war would call for
would require plants costing $780,
100000.
New Musical Organization.