The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1918-03-02
BY HARRY b. HUNT
. Special Staff Dispatch.

other branch Of army service.
As long ago g. 1910, Gen. Gro
zier, chief of ordnance, in asking
congress for appropriations snffi-
cient to procure $50 additional
batteries of field artillery-which
would give US 250 batteries or two
guns per 1,000 men for an army
Of 100000, said:
Ammunition and mobile artil-
lery are the items Of material in
which the military preparation Is
most behind"
And congress provided for IL
batteries-at which rate IL would
have taken till 1928 to complete
even this limited program!
From that time until we were
face to face with war late in 1915,
no artillery appropriation as large
as 100000 was made IN any
one year.
In 1916 congress provided $16,-
$4,000 for artillery.
How meager this sum was to
prepare us for our real war re-
Quirements is shown by the fact
that-after we really were IN war
congress provided $396,900,000
for artillery. OF this sum $171,-
100000 was appropriated June 10,
1911, and $225.000,000 Oct. 6.
EVEN HAD TO BUILD
NEW GUN FACTORIES
In addition to government ar
senals, there were in this country
when we entered the war just two
plants capable of producing gun
forgings--the Midvale and Beth
lehem Steel companies.
Since last April six large
forging establishments for
the production Of artillery
have been brought into exist
ence and the same number Of
great machine shops have
been brought into existence
and the same number of great
machine shops have been
erected and equipped for the
manufacture Of these fOrg-
ings into finished guns.
While these plants are getting
under way We are getting for the
equipment of our artillery forces
abroad the famous French rs
millimeter field guns and 155-mil-
limeter guns and howitzers.
Andre Tardieu. French high
commissioner, says:
From the Industrial viewpoint,
the unity of effort created will
produce happy results without
precedent. From the financial
standpoint it is possible to hope
that the purchase by the United
States of French artillery ma
terial will create an Improvement
in exchange, much to be desired.
from the military point Of view
Il 10 evident that uniformity Of
type of guns and munitions for
armies fighting on the same battle
fields is an sppreeiabls guaran-
tee of efficiency"
NAVY IN WORSE PLIGHT
EVEN THAN ARMY
Gen. Bliss, former chief of
staff, after q personal investiga-
ton in France, reported that the
production of artillery had been
established upon so large scale
that our allies would be able to
'Vquip completely all American
divisions as they arrive in France
during the year 1915" and that
resolutions requesting America to
take this course had been adopted
by the French ministry Of NUM-
tons.
As sorely as the army has
needed artillery for training men
at home and equipping them
abroad, the navy has needed guns
even worse.
Great praise has been given the
navy for the efficiency shown in
providing and arming hundreds of
patrol boats, equipping our mer-
chantment with naval guns for
defense against submarines, and
fitting out rapidly increasing
number of destroyers. The war
department was contributing from
its resources for the armament of
these vessels.
At the Watervliet ARSENAL
war department gun plant-pro-
duotion has been conferred not on
field artillery or heavy guns for
the army, but upon guns. for the
ALPHABETICALLY upon the 4-inch
naval gun most desireed for sub
marine work.
MANY HIGHLY TECHNICAL
INSTRUMENTS MADE
From 80 to 40 Of these guns
have been turned out at Waterv-
liet each month for the navy. AS
q 4-inch navy gun is 2l0 inches,
or 17k feet long, as compared to
a length of about 8 feet for the
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