New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-09-03
Hundreds of Millions Will
Be Spent on Great
Artillery Drive
To Make New Plants
Government Will Develop
Enormous Industry IN
Middle West

WASHINGTON, Sept. Govern
ment experts and army officers are
planning for the manufacture of $4,000
mobile artillery cannon, to be shipped
TO General Pershing in France within
a year and a half.
Hundreds Of millions Of dollars must
be provided by Congress- and plans
for furnishing the money already have
been made--to supply the heavy guns
that American soldiers must have on
the French front. Little has been
heard Of this gigantic undertaking
which extends to factories all over the
United States.
To procure guns in the shortest pos
sible time and 20 safeguard the ex-
penditure Of public moneys 10 produce
the best results the War Department
is pursuing a policy Of selecting, in
various parts of the country, organi-
zations having records Of real accom-
plishment in the manufacturing indus
tries along lines comparable in chsrsc-
ter with the manufacture Of cannon.
By appealing TO the patriotism Of big
manufacturers and setting before them
the needs of the country the govern
ment has persuaded them 10 undertake
the tremendous task of constructing
plants, making steel, manufacturing
forgings and machining and assem-
bling finished guns.
By this method the Ordnance De-
partment is developing not one but up
ward Of twenty high grade organiza-
tons, each devoting its energies to the
solution Of the problem.
Artillery officers Of the army feel
that so much publicity has been given
to the great need for aeroplanes that
the even greater need OF cannon has
been largely obscured. They say every
action on the Western Front more and
more emphasizes the fact that success
is almost wholly a question of superb
ority in cannon and ammunition.
"The war connot be won without
cannon" declared an ordnance expert
here tonight, 1T is said on excellent
authority that Lloyd George, with al
most prophetic vision, three years ago
multiplied the artillery estimates Of
the British staff by sixteen, and after
- three years Of war every facility OF the
British Empire is engaged in the in
tensive production of cannon.
"The requirements for heavy field
guns Of 10 9l7 inch in calibre run
literally into the thousands"
The Ordnance Department has re-
peatly submitted estimates for appro-
priations for the manufacture of guns
Of these type during the last twelve or
fifteen years, with Indifferent results.
At the declaration Of war there were
IN the United States fewer than 10 per
cent of the required number OF S-inch
guns, and an almost negligible number
Of mobile artillery guns Of larger cali
Ires.
Owing 10 the small appropriations
available and the limited number Of
guns heretofore made. knowledge Of
the art Of producing forgings has been
confined 10 the Bethlehem and Midvale
steel companies and 10 the Erie Forge
Company and the Crucible Steel Com
pany. knowledge Of machining and
assembling has been confined 10 eight
plants, two Of which, the Watervliet
Arsenal and the Washington Navy
Yard, belong to the government.
II is declared that the plants enumer-
ated above can turn out in the next
eighteen or twenty months but a small
fraction Of the mobile artillery re-
Cuirements for the army II probably
will be necessary to send abroad.
The problem then confronting the
Ordnance Department is the develop
ment of organizations competent to
make steel, 10 manufacture forgings
Of the required Specifications and to
machine and assemble them into nm
ished guns
This involves the development of a
central organization competent TO solve
all the problems. II will be necessary
20 construct forgings and machining
plants covering many acres, to find the
money for and put together supervisory
md manufacturing organizations COM
prisinC thousands of men before begin
ming actual work.
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