The sun., 1918-06-23
FIVEBILLI0N IN
HOUSE BILL FOR
PERSHING GUNS
Provision Made for General
"tO Cross Rhine in Force
Well Equipped"
BASED UPON A LONG WAR
Three Armies With a Total Of
4.125.OOO Men Are Fig
urcd On in Measure.
BASED UPON A LONG WAR
Special DespnteA 10 Tng SrN

Special DespnteA 10 THE SrS.
WASHINGTON. June indirectly re.
vealing that the United States is pre-.
pairing for q long war, the largest forti.
fcations appropriation bill in the coun.
trys history was reported to the House
to-day by the Appropriations Committee
Although the bill is by custom called
the fortihcations bill. virtually the en-
tire appropriation carried Is not for coast
defences and fortifcations. but for field
artillery and ammunition for Gen
PershrE's army in France. For the
latter slightly more tran $4,000. 900. 900
IN cash and authorizations are provided
for in a bill showing a total OF $685.
oss2,4.
In reporting the bill to the House
Representative william p Borland
tMissouri. chairman Of the fortihca-
tons Subcommittee, furnished a state
ment showing that the field artillery
programme. including contract autf Or
isations for the future. provides for a
programme for three armies. each army
consisting Of l.375,ooo men," total
Of 4ie5,O0s.
Programme Taxes L. .. Resources.
That the Government is to build a
great arsenal near PittsburE for the
manufacture OF big guns. and that the
programme OF gun construction Is so
large that II has taxed the utmost pro-
duction resources Of this country" are
shown In tie Borland report.
The establishment u the new Govern
msnt plant for big gun manufacture re-
vsals that the army is ArpSrentfy plan
ming ahead for wa OF two or more
years. II is estimated that some o. the
larger guns to be manufactured a. this
special arsenal will require one and a
half years for completion.
The concluding sentence In Chairman
Rorlands memorandum significantly
says:
Vile no plans were laid before the
committee other than the plan FOR
equpplne 5000. 900 men for field opera
tisns in France. therefore any surmises
INDUCED in are personal. but can
draw from this proGra mne OF big guns
only one inference. and that is that the
American army will be prepared TO cross
the Rhine in full force and full strength
commensurate with any obstacle which
IL may encounter"
Details OF the big gun programme are
necessarily withheld and the vastness OF
the Governments artillery programme
is indicated only by the authorization
FOR an outlay OF $4,000, 100000 for guns
and ammunition alone. Hearings on the
tortincations bill have not been published
and when published will be In censored
form.
Division Of the Mig Sam.
The statement OF the subcommittee
chairman reporting the bill says in part;
"This bill carries total appropriations
~ S5.l35.0s6.2c4. OF which $2.623.465,-
sA5 Is in contract authorizations and
$2.sll,630.379 in cash. The estimates
npon which this bill was based include
from f,ret to last a total OF Ss,o1s.3S7,-
ssl
However. this represents the aggre-
gate OF a large number OF original and
supplemental estimates, some OF which
we're withdrawn. some superseded. some
duplicates and some portions OF over
tapping programmes The amount that
is allowed by the committee represents
a substantial agreement with the on1cers
NJ the War Department upon all Of the
large figures OF the programme.
This bill 10 like no other fortifcations
hill ever presented to Congress. The
paramount need of tho hour Is TO pro-
vide for an ample programme OF held
artillery for the use OF the army In Eu'
rope. The other items in the bill must
10 subordinated to this. not because OF
lack OF merit. but because OF relative im-
portance.
For the artillery programme $5OO,'
nOo, 900 Is allowed in cash and $72s.75l,-
ea5 in contract authorization. making a
total Of sl.2es.731.2s5, For the purchase
and manufacture Of ammunition for
these guns the amount allowed is
50 oOo. 900. 900 in cash and contract au-
.horizations of 3l.I93.'34,o5O. These
Two items provide for a programme for
three armies. each army consisting Of
$3.50 men.
Formulated by PershinE.
"It was formulated by Gen. Pershins,
approved by the Allied War Council In
Paris and by the General stan OF the
war Depa artment here.
"A certain number Of held guns are
allotted TO each division corps and army.
and In addition to this there Is pro-
gramme Of heavy ordnance embracing
the 10, ~ and ~ inch guns aud the 10
inch mortars. Included also are a num-
ner OF guns that have been transferred
from the navy for the use OF the army
Some OF these are spare guns OF the
most modern type. which arc reserve
took for the feet and not actually
r.eded for tine equipment Of any naval
,osssl. Others constitute obsolete guns
4. shor. range when are no longer used