El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1916-04-29

next fiscal year-this sum being
enough to make up all deficiencies and
provide for all ships building and au-
thOriZed, including the four battlesnlps
Immediately contemplated under the
administrative program.
There are now on hand. OF IN pro-
cess OF manufacture. enough tOrpedoes
for full allowance and reserve Tor eN-
cry fighting ship built. building or au-
thOrized. Torpedoes wilT be ready for
the new ships as soon as they are
placed in commission. on some oi the
older battleships torpedoes with
range OF 1000 yards are to be replaced
with others of longer range-those
discarded being handed over to the
submarine boats, for whose purposes
they are entirely adequate.
The large q inch torpedoes cost
sS5F5 apiece At all events, that IS
what the navy department has been
paying for them. But there is no ques-
ton that the government can make
them for less money, and it proposes to
do so. Furthermore, it can turn them
out in less time. Private concerns have
for tOrDedoes with the stipulation that
delivery should not be required in less
than two years
One Firm Makes $4,000 Daily.
Admiral Strauss says that one pri-
Vate concern in this country Is now
making shells-mainly three inch, for
field guns-at a rate OF 10000 day.
This will give a small notion OF the
substantial character Of the help this
neutral nation is giving 10 the allies.
Up to the present time the bulk Of the
prOieCtiles manufactured for export
has been field gun ammunition.
The fact came out within the last
few days that immense orders for mu-
nitiOns, mainly shells, have recently
been placed by the United states gov
eminent with several great manufac-
turing plants in this country. amOnS
them being the Midvale Steel and Ord
nance company, the Remington Arms
company, the EddystOne ammunition
company and the Baldwin Locomotive
works. These and other concerns are
rushing work on large orders OF rifles
and projectiles.
1t is stated that the Remington Arms
company has undertaken TO turn out
1000 600 fifles of latest pattern for the
war department: that the EddystOne
corporation is pressing every available
man into service to make in record
time 100000 shells for the army;
that the Baldwin concern has an order
for 100000 steel forgings for projec-
tiles, and that the Midvale company is
busy night and day in the manufac-
ture OF military supplies Tor Uncle
Sam. Yet. while undertaking these
huge tasks, the firms in question de-
clare their ability to keep up with
their European contracts. so enor-
mously have their facilities been ex-
banded since the outbreak OF the con-
flict abroad.
War More Expensive Now.
War today is vastly more expensive
than ever before in the history OF the
world When we fought Spain, the
price Of a battleship was about $4,000
600. 1t has since risen to three times
that figure; and the navy Departments
present estimates for ,the fighting
craft now demanded are S1T.000.000 for
each dreadnaught and $19,000,0O0 for
each battle cruiser.
The armOr alone for each OF the con-
templsted battleships, will cost So
759.OS6. Her guns will cost ss.454,345-
And. be ii understood. she must carry
item not included in the above men
toned 1900. 600. Her stock OF
smokeless gunpOwder, another extra
will tap Uncle Sans pocket book for
more than 100000.
plans Alone Cost S25O.O00.
These figures may be accepted as
absolutely accurate. inasmuch as they
are given by admiral David ". Taylor,
chief constructor of the navy. He says
that the mere making OF the plans for
an up to date dreadnaught costs $780,
600 Just to draw them occupies IS
craftsmen 115 days, at 81 day. II
one man were to tackle this part OF the
Job unassisted, Il would take him II
years, working eight hours every week
day, to finish il. And by the time his
task was completed the oattleShtp
would be obsolete.
But expenses is a thing We cannot
afford TO consider under existing cir
cumstances This country has fallen
way behind in naval construction
within the last few. years. Admiral
Continued on Next Page.)