American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1918-01-15
COMPARISON OF ARMY AND
NAVY EFFICIENCY

Those of US who are familiar with
the personality and methods of Rear
Admiral Earle, chief Of the ordinance
OF the navy. will not be surprised TO
learn from his annual report hat the
supply of guns, big and little, is keep
ing pace with the enormous demands
of the navy due to a state of war.
To begin with the capital ships, We
learn that the guns for the main and
secondary batteries of the dreadnoughts
which have recently been completed,
or are near completion, are all en-
placed on the ships; and that the first
Of the 16-inch guns for the s%uperdread-
noughts of the Colorado" class will
o be undergoing tests at Indian
Head. Furthermore, our destroyer fleet
on the other side Of the Atlantic is
being supplied with sufficiency of that
new weapon, the depth bomb; and the
navy has placed orders for the full
amount of explosives that it will re-
quire.
We are told hat certain designs of
new and advanced types of ordinance
of a confidential MANURE have been
carried out. Other new designs which
have been completed are those for
long-recoil, high-angle, 3-inch and g.
FOUNDER mount for small craft: and
a number of these have been contract
ed for. the deliveries TO commence in
September.
The situation with regard to the sup
ply of projectiles is satisfactory; and
the fact that the navy is able 10 get
all that it requires without %exhausting
the capacity of the firms which have
gone into p~rojectile manufacture.
makes it surprising that there should
be so much talk, these days, about the
shortage of such supplies for our new
armies.
Admiral Earle tells US that con-
tracts were awarded during the year
for all projectiles for which funds were
available. the bureau having made con-
tracts with twenty-three manufactur-
ers, many of whom have not previous
ly made %prOjectiles for the navy. He
says that the almost unlimited capac-
ity of the country for %projectile making
was indicated when s%ixty-nine firms
bid on One proposal, at figures lower
than any previous prices. In spite OF
the nayy's large demand for shells.
there are many large and we'll
equipped she'll plants which are not
operating because of lack of orders.
Armorplate deliveries are up to time
and satisfactory progress is being
made in providing range finders for
various units of the fleet-presumably
for the various craft that have been
modified for patrol work. Fire con-
troll work and developments have pro-
gressed rapidly during the last year
among the lines which experience of
our allies in the present war has
shown TO be necessary.
When the war broke out, in addition
to its routine work which was unusual
ly heavy because of the large naval
appropriations of the past year, the
bureau had TO undertake an extensive
program for arming our transports
and merchantships. All spare guns
from 6-inch, 45-calibre, 10 3-pounders
for which mounts were available, were
tentatively or finally assigned TO mer-
chantships: bnt the supply naturally
was unequal to the demand. as may be
judged from the fact that approximate
~ 5000 guns were required for this
RAA E0aG AARAGs IL was AtdAlLEu mat
the forging capacity of the country
a entirely inadequate to meet the de
mands of the army and navy, and it
was necessary to initiate new plants
into the manufacture of guns and gun
fOrgings.
To this end. the navy enlisted the ser
vices Of several firms in the middle
west, and gave them every assistance
in the way Of advice from skilled per-
sonnet that could be found. In his
report. Admiral Earle names IA plants
which have increased their capacity,
or have begun for the first time the
manufacture of guns; and these latter
will begin deliveries probably about
the first of the new year.
AS the heavy demand for guns TO
arm merchantmen and auXiliaries ex-
hausted the stock of reserve mounts,
contracts were placed for a large num-
Der of these for guns of 5-inch calibre
and below. Hitherto. all such mounts
have been made almost exclusively at