Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-05-14
Field Artillery Production.

The nvest cation of the production
of field artillery, now the most impot-
tant factor IN modern warfare, was
begun by a senate military affairs
committee at the urgent solicitation of
those who knew that things We're not
going well. Field guns, especially
guns of large caliber. are not made In
4 day That was understood even by
the unintiatcd But it was believed
that the ordnance bureau had lost no
tine in laying the foundations for the
manufacture of pieces OF all calibers,
and was metllodically and scientitical
ly working On program that called
for the early production of light guns
and for the turning out of the high
explosive guns with no more delay
than the assembling of tools and ma
chinery made necessary. A substantial
appropriation was available several
months before the United States de-
clared war on Germany, and ordinary
foresight should have warned the ord
nance bureau that it must make plans
for strengthening the artillery arm OF
the land forces.
After a year of war. n senate sub
committee has learned that the pro-
duction of field guns, even of the
lighter kinds has been ''pitifully small
and that the prospect of the delivery
couraging There are some pertinent
questions tha, may be asked in
spirit of constructive criticism. Have
the manufacturers under contract re-
ceived Instructions from the ordnance
bureau as to the tolerances which
must be esta 5lished before they can
begin to make gauges for the adopted
French 10, which is the best field gun
in the world? BY tolerance is meant
the permissible range of departure of
sizes from ''unrealizable actual perfec
ton" Have plants equipped to build
the three inch gun as long as last
summer received forgings in any
quantity? With regard to the 75s,
the drawings and specifications weiv
on nand about the same time, and eA-
perts to help in construction were at
the service Of the ordnance bureau
Have they yet been supplied with all
the tools to build these guns?
To return 20 our three-inch gun, ar
admirable piece which is rated very
high, is not the manufacture of the
carriages in a very backward state?
1t is, of course, an old story, for which
there seems to be foundation, that
months We're wasted in trying to i'm
prove the recoil mechanism of the
French los. What seems to be the
fact is that the ordnance bureau has
been straining after una.tainable per
lection in most, if not all. of its un-
dertakings to get field guns made, In
that respect rivaling the signal corps
in Its experiment with airpane mo-
tors and fabrics. Moreover, II seems
to be true that the ordnance bureau,
like the signal corps, has had no head
for big business, and has therefore
been overwhelmed by the copplica-
tons Of its task
It is no answer 10 the charge of M
efficiency and dilatoriness to say that,
the French and British were ready to
supply artillery for certain number
of divisions If the United States would
send over the men The fact of the
matter is, our allies had to produce
the guns to get them. 1t was case
of stern necessity, not of choice. Per
haps shift can be made in France to
keep up the equipment Of the stated
number of divisions. but France and
Great Britain can not have too many
guns of their own. In the present
German offensive Great Brtain's losses
Of artillery have been serious. France
has also lost guns. Neither can
spare more pieces for the use of the
American army. For the second half
million of our troops. and for ad-
ditional reinforcements, the United
States must provide the field artillery.
1t can not be done satisfactorily unless
there is an acceleration OF production
like that which at last characterizes
the shipbuilding industry, AS Mr..
Schwab is the man for the Job In