Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-04-28

of Tcutonic militarism; but whether 1t
contributed anything of greater useful
ness TO the practical science of artillery
than Jules Verne's story of the gun
which dropped a proiectile on the moon
is open to debate.
The development of guns and shells
for usc in the event of possible future
wars which. pray God. the world will
be spared-is more likely to follow along
the lines on which American experiment
and achievement have moved.
Throw 1.f0O-Pound Shells.
The new United States navy guns
were being built on plans which would
make them the biggest ever placed on
railway or other mobile mounts-and
far more powerful than any artillery
then in use for military purposes on the
western front.
Although their range was consider
ably less than that of the German
monster. they were made to fire shell
very much bigger and more destruc-
tive. The German gun threw a 9-inch
shell, Weighing about 200 pounds. The
American guns were built to throw
14-inch shell. weighing 1.400 pounds
and when they got into action they did
The first mount. complete with its
huge f4-inch naval gun. rolled out OF
the shops on April rs. 1918. less than a
month from the time of the Good Friday
slaughter in the French church. Tested
at Sandy Hook ~. j.. five days later. it
proved n complete success. II hurled its
immense projoctiles more than twenty
! five miles.
If our guns had been built In Paris
| we could have had them at the front
/ in three days They were made To move
1 bv rail, and TO be ready for almost
1 immediate action. But they had 10 get
/ to France first. and the difficulties OF
/ nehting war 5000 miles away were
impressed upon us by this necessity for
/ transporting them
! No Ship Big Enough
/ No ship was big enough TO carry one
! Of them set up. Each had TO be taken
! 10 pieces before loading.
/ The last of the mounts was completed
/ May a5-a new record for quick con
! struction.
But getting n ship to take them over
was no easy task The first ship as
1 signed was SO badly battered up II had
to 80 into dock for repairs, the second
| ship-thc Tcxcl-was sunk by a U-boat
near our coast. II was June % before
/ the Newport News, heavily laden with
material. sailed FOR France.
The guns were received in France with
anaazement There was some fear ex-
pressed lest the attempt TO transport
/ them 10 the front by rail- Nigh result IN
/ their crippliug transportation. because oi
their tremendous weight. But the fear
was needless.
News of their coming. doubtless
reached the Germans.
The proof Of that is found in the eI-
/ traordinary thing that happened next.
stop Smelling of Paris.
The German mastodou of guns had
hccn registering on Paris with fair regu-
Iaritv. Rv a series OF nice calculations
ana daring observations its position had
been located in the forest OF St GObain
on a plateau north Of the Aisne.
south of the Aisne was the forest o'
CompieEne. and 70 this Place 81 con
cea!nent the American guns were head
ed. with their twenty-five mile range
thev would he able u search out the
cover Of the German masterpiece.
Thev we're barely under way before
.he shcI,ing Of Paris ceased, and when
Z battery No. reached its position in The
I forest Of Compiecne about Aug p Il
was greeted with the news that the day
/ before the Germans had hastily with
drawn their pct. From that day until
/ the armistice 10 more Shells fcN IN
4 Paris.
The Germans knew that the gian;
/ freak could NOT stand up under the fire
/ Of the 14-inch. 1.4oo-pound shells
/ which the United States navy guns
were preparing TO drop j. its neighbor-
hood. and displayed that discretion
which has, been named the better par;
I Of vaIor.
Tribute to American Genius.
i The story OF the work accomplished
Z hy the Jn3ted States naval batteries tn