Evening star., 1917-03-25

many studies made for business men
and manufacturers Of the
| Troda With country by Uncle Sans
business "getter.' the bu-
Cn1na. reau of foreign and do
mestic commerce, has recently been
completed by experts in looking about
for a market for American hardware in
the far east.
Those who made this study are call
ing the attention of the manufacturers
Of the country to the fact that in China
alone there are 400.000.0oo people who
are merely at the beginning of vast
Industrial development. 1t is estimated
by the experts who took up this work
that at present probably as much as 80
per cent of China's vast population may
be classified as agricultural. In that
country, therefore, intensive agricul-
ture Is the universal practice In con-
nection with this intensive cultivation
it was found that primitive methods
are followed, and that modern agrlcui-
tural tools and implements are still
virtually unknown. This should prove,
1T is thought by the bureau. TO De a
very fruitful field for the American
manufacturers of this commodity, espe-
cially as it is stated by those who look
ed into the situation that the conditions
will more nearly approach those OBJ
tanning in farming sections OF the
United States.
point China is still In it's infancy. Its
Industries may be considered. say the
Investigators, as confined to those OF
the household variety. China's position
in the industrial world is very well In
dicated by the fact that as yet the gov
ernment has enacted no factory laws.
because there are so few factories.
The fact. it is pointed out. that
Chinas entire import trade at present
is no more than $400, 100000 a year, far
less than that of some countries having
only one-tenth of its population, should
not be used as criterion of the trade
possibilities of the country. What
should engage the attention of our
say. especially those of hardware ma
terials. is the future prospects that
China offers through the marvellous de-
velopment that will inevitably take
place during the next few decades in
It's Industrial, mining and manufacture
ing activities.
These experts of the bureau, who
have made other studies OF many for
eign lands, and whose opinion should
bear weight. say that, in their opinion,
dustrial development. that will produce
demands Of whose extent it is now i'm
possible to form any conception.
at
Perhaps no invention has more pro-
foundly modified the art of war than
the machine gun. ac-
Machine Cnn cording to experts on
this subject in the War
AAa u1iAeS. Department. In the
European war this arm has been
brought into very great prominence.
1t had, however, been developed to
serviceable state at the time of the
Spanish American war, although its
use on a large scale had not been de-
veloped in any army until the out
break of the European war.
In 1912 Congress by an aprropria-
ton sanctioned the allowance of the
War Department of four machine guns
per regiment. From time to time tests
have been made by the department to
determine the relative servicea bleness
and efficiency of various machine guns.
These tests, 1t is said, have been at
tended by considerable controversy,
and the claims of different types of ma
chine guns have been urged upon the
public attention. In the meantime, in
response to the stimulus of the Euro
pean war, inventors and makers have
fastened to develop and improve their
respective arms. and the field of selec-
tion has constantly widened so that
when Congress at the last session ap-
propriated $12.000,00O for the procure
ment of machine guns it seemed i'm
portant, for obvious reasons, to free
the air of various controversies and to
set at rest in as final fashion as pos
sible the conflicting claims of makers
and inventors A board was therefore
created in the War Department. made
up in part of officers and in part of
civilians, all of whom were selected so
as to avoid any suggestion Of preju-
dice on their part growing out Of pre-
vious controversies and tests.
The board was instructed to take
into consideration all tests previously
made and to collate and study the
European experience and hear from the
representatives of all makers. and to
conduct under its own guidance such
tests as in its judgment were neces-
sary or appropriate to Anal determi-
nation Of the present state of the art.
On the basis of this sort of an investi-
cation the board was instructed to ad-
wise the department on the expenditure
appropriated for this purpose. A pre-
liminary report has been made by this
board, it is understood. selecting the
Vickers Maxim type for heavy machine
guns. recommending the purchase of a
large supply of them and fixing date
for exhaustive tests to determine the
relative excellence Of various types of
light machine guns. 1t is the belief of
those who have been interested in this
line of work that the nature of mill
tary operations plainly dictates that
our army should be supplied in some
proportion with guns of a heavy and
of a light type for defensive opera
tions. From fixed points the heavier
type is doubtless the more reliable. it
is said but in rapid charging and field
operations and in aeroplane work the
mobility of the arm is an important
consideration. 1t is therefore highly
important, say the army experts, that
the army should be supplied with an
adequate number of both types of arm.
The recommendations of the board al
ready made recognize the wisdom of
this course, 1t is pointed out, and its
conclusions when finally reached will
no doubt be accepted as authoritativ
although this is field of most rapid
advance in the perfection of arms. and
the department will welcome, say its
officials. each improvement and seek
to avail itself of the progress made, so
that our equipment can at all times be
of the most modern and effective kind.
Experts of the bureau of educa ton
are Of the opinion that library publicity
is an essential part of
Publicity for library work. In order
r., to bring the reader and
aoAoiAes' the book together, they