Evening journal., 1917-10-12
EDITORIAL OPINION
THE DEFECTIVE CARTRIDGES.
from the New York Times.

AhL Dt-f HNlAN NAh lHlDNES.
Prom the New York Times.
The investigation OF the reasons for
the equipment Of many Of our soldiers
In France with defective small arms
ammunition has ceased to be a matter
Tor expert consideration only. The
cause or the defect Is -ill.s--'n. The Con-
gressional inquiry began with an at
tempt to learn why the ammunition
was Inferior. u seems TO be sufficient
Tor Congress, it Is certainly enough
Tor the American people, TO know that
1t was inferior. The chemical facts in
Volved are not necessarily important
after the knowledge has been made
public that the Commandant of the
frankfort Arsenal last year advised
the abandonment Of the defective for
mula In favor Of that used by nearly
all the private ammunition concerns
IN making cartridge primers. This Is
not a technical matter. A responsible
army onlcer discovered that the for
mula Dy Which the Government was
making its primers was unsatisfactory.
and reported his discovery to the ord
nance Bureau. Nevertheless. the for
mula was not abandoned. and defective
cartridges In large numbers were SEM
across the ocean for our expeditionary
forces.
Representative Shallenberger Of Ne
braska has done well to Insist upon the
continuance Of the Investigation from
this practical point Of view. So far as
can be learned, the remembrance Of
General Crozler, Chief Of Ordnance, and
his aids IS singularly defective in this
matter Perhaps they have so many
other important matters TO trouble
them that they cannot spare time for
cartridge primers which might doom
thousands OF American soldiers to sure
death. Public interest IN this matter
will be increased by the recent reports
OF General CrOzier's amazing attitude
toward the Lewis machine gun, an
American invention rejected by our
Ordnance Bureau, but used by the
British Army in the present war. The
United States Government might have
owned this gun Now It Is compelled
to buy 10 at the market rates which
the foreign demand has made high Mr..
Shallenberger has asked General Gro
zier 10 explain the action, or lack Of
action, Of the Ordnance Bureau In re-
gard to the slow-flring or non-nrlng
cartridges. The explanation will be
eagerly awaited all over the country.
NO EVIDENCE OF RECIPROCITY.
From the Textile World journal.
The British lion is still sitting upon
some 100000 bales OF Australian wool,
and despite the fact that the new clip
is piling up and that he has no way
OF increasing the shipment Of this wool
TO Yorkshire, he continues to gr0wl
whenever his American ally approaches
hfa hoard Nha nufffch I.nNnWnmnnf'l
efforts to secure control Of the Cape
Colony wool clip are successful, we
shall probably be debarred from that
market as well as from Australia and
New Zealand.
The latest efforts Of representatives,
Of the domestic trade to influence the
British authorities to modify the wool
embargo I'm our favor have met with
discouraglng receptions, the latter TAX
ing the ground that we are I'm no ur-
gent need Of British controlled wool
and that they have little enough TO
protect their possible future needs.
Neither are they influenced by our Of
fers 10 attend to the shipping Of wool
that might be released.
The attitude OF the British authori-
ties does not appear TO be that OF a
"comrade in arms" but rather that OF
a sharp commercial trader who Is
thoroughly alive to future business
advantage in restricting our wool sup
plies and in obtaining from the United
states all possible aid in the prosecu-
ton OF the war without granting inc
slightest commercial favor in return.
In seeking the opportunity to pur-
chase wool in Australia we are asking
for nothing that would involve a sac
rince on the part Of the British Gov
eminent OF English wool manuiactur'
ers. unless the latter consider II sac
rince to abandon the slight trade ad
vantage that might result from having
almost absolute control Of wool sup
plies at the end Of the war. All that oul
manufacturers ask is the privilege o.
purchasing at fair prices wool tina
britain cannot ship OF use. the mos
peculiar and irritating feature OF th'
situation is the fact that our Govern
ment authorities have 1t easily within
their power to demonstrate TO Grea
Britain the reciprocal advantage oil al
lowing us TO have a little more Austria
Ian wool. II the lack Of such WOO
proves as serious as seems possible
Inc blame for future scarcity VIII res
quite as much upons our GoNernIilen
% ,,non the British authorities.