The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1918-03-16
AMERICA WILL
GET SUFFICIENT
GUNS FOR ARMY
BY u. o. HUM

United states entered tho war weak
in artillery. as IN every other
branch Of army service.
A long ago as In 1910. General
Crozlcr chief Of ordnance, IN asking
congress for appropriations SUI
fclont to procure $50 addli ional
batteries Of field artillery. End
Ammunition and mobile artillery
are the Items of material In which
the military preparation is most be-
hind"
Aud congress provided for II bat
tericn-at which rate u would have
taken TN 1929 to complete even
this limited program.
From that time until We were
face TO face with war late In 1916.
no artillery appropriation az large
as $4,000. 900 was made IN any ono
year In 1915 congress provided
tt6.32i.0 900 for artillery.
How mcager this sum was TO
prepare ua for our real war re-
quiremcn,a IL shown by the fact
that-Aftcr We really were In war
congress provided i3ss.ooo.oo for
artillery.
OF this sum ,I7i. 300. 900 was ap-
propriatcd June IS. 1917. and '22b.-
900 900 oct. 6.
In addition 10 government arse
nails, there were IN this country
when We entered the war just two
plants capable Of producing gun
forEing- Midvuie and Bcthle-
hem Steel companies.
Sis Plants Built
Since last April ak large forging
establishments for tho production
Of artillery have been brought into
existence and the same number Of
great machine shops have been
erected and equipped FOR the man
ufacturr or these forgings into I'm
tshed guns
while these plants arc getting
under way We are getting for tho
equipment OF our artillery forces
abroad Tho famous French Is MILL
meter field guns and iSS millime,er
guns and howitEcrs.
Andre Tardieu. French high COM
missioner. says
Prom the Industrial viewpoint.
/ the unity OF effort created Will pro-
duce happy results without preee-
dent
Prom the financial standpoint II
IL possible TO hope that the pur-
chase by the United States of
I French artillery material will create
an Improvement In exchange. much
( to be desired
Prom tho military point OF Wow
I II IN evident that uniformity OF type
~ guns and munitions for armies
I fighting on the same battlcficid-
is an appreclable guarantee OF ef-
| reiency"
General BiiNr, former chief OF
staff. after personal invertiEa-
ton IN France. reported that the
production % artillery had been -
tnhiished upon 80 large scale that
our allies would be Ahlc TO equip
completely all American divisions
ms they arrive In France during the
year 1919"
In January the output Of rifles
was slightly above $4,000. The
February ncheSuis called for 10000
guns from the Eddystonc plant OF
the Remington alone. $4,000 from
the ilion plant. $500 from tho
winchester. e. 900 from tho Spring
field armory and $500 from Rock
Island.
Run Ahead OF Schedule
..s ~. WRhEHFftFff
for February. production Ia actually
running ahead OF schedule. and is
now approximatinK 10000 a day.
Despite tho delay resulting from
changes required. our daily produc-
ton Of rifles at the end OF the firHt
10 months after entering tho war
was four times as great as the
daily production in Great Britain
10 months after war was declared
and twice as much rs tho daily
production in Great Britain two
and onc-hait years after she en-
tered the war.
In addition to the s.tee.&si rifles
now ordered or in tho hands Of
| troops. estimates have been pre-
pared for tho production OF an ad-
dltlonai 100000 rifles
This would make a grand total
of 3.9ob,ssi rircs-ali OF which, un-
der present established capacity.
can be produced before January.
| 1919.
InaRmuch az lcss than 60 per
| cent OF the men in service carry
| rifles this would provide two rifles
for every man who should have a
rifle in an army OF more than T.
$50. 900.
while service rifles were being
| produced in quantities 10 supply
all troops on the field or in train
ing. use was made Of 10000 Krags
| 100 900 Russian rifles and 10000
Ross rifles for training purposes