Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-01-27
AMERICAN OBSERVERS GAINING
MUCH VALUABLE lkFoR-
NATION ABROAD.
FACTS BEING GATHERED
FOR ARMYs INFORMATION
Trench Warfare Not Expected to Be
Ono Of Problems Of This Nation
Improved Fisld Guns One Of Sub
jscts Recommended For considera-
tion-6is Guns Discussed.

Washington, Jan. 27.--Some idea OF
what American army officers are
learning on the battle fields of Europe.
was given the senate military COM
mittee by Col Charles G. Treat, of the
army war college Much of what the
colonel said was treated as confiden-
tial, but It is known that he told the
observer with the armies of each bel
ligerent nation, and that their reports
to the war college had been Of great
value in the preparation Of new army
plans.
AS a matter Of course. Colonel Treat
said, none Of the observers would
send home during the war informa-
ton which might be of value to other
belligerents should it become known in
this country.
Both the congressional military com.
mittees were given much information
today as to artillery of all types by
Brigadier General Crozier. chief of
ordnance, and Colonel Treat field
artilleryman.
Big Guns. Discussed.
Colonel Treat disclosed that the war
Z department has definite information as
to the famous forty-two- centimeter
howitzers which the Germans used to
crush their way thru French frontier
forts. The guns can be fired without
mounting them on concrete emplace-
ments, he said, and make ready for use
in less than an hour and half after
they reach a given point. Both he and
General Crozier told Of 'plans for
similar guns, primarily Tor coast de-
Tense. being prepared In the war de-
partment. ......ss
Trench War Not Feared.
There is no reason to expect that
trench warfare conditions will have to
be met in this country. Colonel Treat
stated, and therefore the proportion OF
high explosive shells and shrapnel for
field guns will not be altered as radi-
cally for the American army as the
French and British have found neces-
sary.
Describing the effect Of high ex-
plosive fire at troops, he said 1t had
been noted abroad that the moral effect
Of the detonation of these missiles was
far greater than that Of shrapnel althc
the latter was more deadly.
The American 3-inch field artillery,
Il
French 75s in every respect but rap
idity OF fire, and experiments are sin
progress which. it is believed, will give
the; guns all the advantages of the
French weapon. Experiments also were
being made which might make the
American guns superior to any now
in use abroad, except for few used by
the Italians.
K May Utilize Private Plants.
General Crozier's examination by
members of the house committee in
dicated that efforts would be made to
write into the army bill definite plans
So--SI,izing private munition factories
tExlNnils' Of war. Several suggestions
Xeys3advanced, chiefly a proposal that
the necessary patterns and machine
attachments be made and stored, so
that every commercial rifle or ammuni-
ton factory could be converted quickly
to turn out army calibers.
General Crozier estimated that this
would cost $275,000, and would pro-
duce the implements necessary for in
creasing the governments capacity to
make 1900 new model Springfield rifles
q day to total daily production for
the country Of $1,000 or more.
Without the preparation of such
implements in advance, he said, con-
version OF the plants might take a
year.
Installation Of machinery at the Rock
Island arsenal, Illinois, to make field
artillery ammunition was recon-
mended by General Crozier.
The only other witness heard was
Adjutant General Mccain, who re-
peated before the senate committee his
belief that the United States could not
recruit for the regular army more than
$4,000 men year under any circum-
stances. Asked what the chief diff