Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1917-02-22

except by taking advantage OF our
present opportunity promptly and Wig
orously.
THE first estimate Of cost from
the Chief of Ordnance calling for an
expenditure OF S52,000,000, calls for
brief comment. Its purpose would be
to so enlarge our existing arsenals as
to take tho entire care OF our cur
rent peace needs, while building up,
through a long term OF years, a re-
serve Of arms. ammunition and equip
ment for 100000 OF men and for
the field artillery called for by the
approved Treat Boards program and
certain additional seacoast arms and
armament.
III carried out as a policy this plan
would work evil in two comprehen-
sive ways. First, II makes no provi-
sion for supplying the necessarily in
creased demands when war comes,
but leaves the very essence of gem
uine preparedness to be improyisod
when war is upon US. Second, i de-
stroys the capacity OF all private
plants to give assistance to the Gov
eminent; capacity now large, or
ganized and efficient because of its de-
velopment through the European war
at no cost to our Government
1T takes from eighteen months to
three years 10 re-create that capacity
when once destroyed-to increase the
Government plants and assemble the
organizations to operate them eff
81, .s.fV Ia ~ "a
plants into munitiOn factories. II our
purpose be to prepare to protect and
defend the country I'm time OF need,
then II is essential first and foremost
to provide for an adequate reserve OF
arms and ammunition as soon as
practicable and then to provide ca
pacity TO produce a sufficient supply
when and as needed under any rea-
sonable conditions we may be called
upon to face.
From the foregoing considerations
Il appears to tho board impossible to
escape the conclusion that II is not
desirable for tho Government to I'M
dertake, unaided by private plants, 10
provide for its needs In arms, NUM-
tons and equipment Nor is 10 feas-
ible or practicable To do so in any
sense except in the restricted sense
Of a mere physical possibility"
The board here proceeds to de-
scribe the Shortcomings OF the arse
nails inspected in the course of pre-
pairing the report and points out tho
importance of securing equipment OF
more modern kind AS to nitratos
! the urgency OF securing an adequate
| supply OF the CHILEAN output is dwell
upon For this purpose enough fol
year or two is suggested as the min
imum. ft is noted, by the way. that
the only powder plant owned by tho
War Department has a capacity OF
1900 pounds a day, and that "onC
Of our seacoast Notifications could
fire its daily product in a minute"
The requirements Of the coast ar.
, tillery are next pointed out--114 guns
and mortars being still needed be-
sdes quantity of ammunition. AS &c
rifles
"The plants that are now turning
out foreign rifles after two years o
hard work have not yet reached theil
expected capacities. To turn thesi
private plants from The manufactur
OF European rifles 20 the manufacture
Of tho Springfield rifle would. IL un
dertaken today. require not less thar
eighteen months TO get first results
and at least two years to get capacity
output. The investigations of the
board warrant the conclusion that the
procurement OF rifles presents great
/ er difficulties than that of any Other
class OF munitions. The large mum.
Der Of operations required, the accur.
acy demanded for the functioning Of
the parts and the exceptional quality
of steel that must be procured fol
barrels, the equipment Of a plant anC
the procurement OF labor and sup
plies, subject the manufacture of thi'
arm to delays that might well be IA
tai. There are now five plants man
ufacturing military rifles in thii
country, but none Of them is equip
ped to manufacture the Springfield