Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1921-04-28
BY JosEPHUs DANIELS,


Former Secretary of the Navy.
Copyright, 1921, by John F. Ollie. Copy
right by National Newspaper Service.
Copyright in Great Britain, Canada and
throughout Europe. All rights reserved,
including translation into foreign Ian
guages, including Scandinavian. Unauth-
orized reprinting for any purpose for
hidden.
ARTICLE Is
From the standpoint of spectacular
sensationalism Germany gave the
world the biggest surprise of an
amazing war when, on March %,
1918, shells began to fall in Paris.
Bombs from a fugitively visitant
aeroplane we're to be expected; but
shells from a gun-how could that
be possible when the German lines
we're, at their nearest approach, at
least seventy miles from the French
capital?
The world was al first incredulous, but
as the shells continued to fall in the city
snd It's suburbs Incredulity gave way to
stunned belief. Ten people were killed
and fifteen wounded the first day.
week later, Good Friday, March %, the
long range bombardmeut resulted in a
tragedy which shocked civilization. It
could scarcely have been by design. and
yet the coincidence Of the day and the
\ objective extraordinarily significant for
mere chance.
.oNG-RANGE GUN
~ PILLS 75 WORsHIPPERs.
On this day Of sacred fast, the boliest
Il memorial Of the Christian year. while
= congregation Of devout worshippers-
s women and children and men too old TO
hght-prayed in the Church Of st. Ger
yaise, a shell crashed through the roof
Of the building. killing seventy-fve per
sons. Of whom fifty -four were women,
and i've of these Americans. Ninety other
persons were injured.
In all Christian lands people were
aghast at this slaughter Of the defense
less.
l The thing that stirred mems indigna-
ton was that this phenomenal gun was
apparently Of no practical value for mil
itary purposes. Its use lay wholly in
terroriztng the civilian population Of
Paris By Staying the helpless. It was an
attempt to weaken the heart of France.
to break her spirit and resolution. 1t
was hoped, doubtless, that when news Of
what was happening to the women and
children at home reached the men at the
front It would shake the wonderful mo
raIe which had held at Verdun and on
many another desperate field Of en-
4 counter.
For Eve months Paris endured the hor-
ror Of this menace. No one knew when
the shells would fall, where, but the
Seity went about Its business and kept
its courage.
WHITE AMERICA
PREPARED NEMESIS.
Meantime. over here n America the
nemesis Of the great German cannon was
in preparation.
The United States Navy was at that
time building long range guns, with this
difference Of purpose and viewpoint from
the enemy; that our objective was q
weapon which would be effective from
a military standpoint; which could ac-
cOmplish definite destruction within the
combatant lines Of the foe
The German gun was freak. It may
be questioned whether Il has significant
value for future warfare. 1t was interest
ing as a demonstration Of what can be
done in hurling projectiles through
space; IL was terrible as a further evil
dence Of the heartiess cruelty OF Teutonic
militarism; but whether it contributed
anything Of greater usefulness to the
OL
Ferne's story OF the gun which dropped
a prOjectile on the moon is open to de-
bate.
The development OF guns and shells for
use IN the event Of possible future wars
which, pray God, the world VIII be
spared-is more likely to follow along the
lines on which American experiment and
achievement have moved.
AMERICAN GUN
MORE DESTRUCTIVE.
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
Tor military purposes on the western
front
Although their range was considerably
less than that of the German monster,
. they were made to fire shell very much
Z bigger and more destructive The Ger
<pan gun threw a nine-inch she'll weigh
Ing about 200 pounds. The American
guns were built TO throw a fourteen-inch
shell, weighing 1.4OO pounds-and, when
they got into action, they did.
The first mount, complete with its
huge fOurteen-inch naval gun. rolled out
Of the shops on April %. 1918. less than
a month from the time of the Good Fri
day slaughter In the French church.
Tested at Sandy Hook, y. J. five days
later, 1t proved a complete success 1t
hurled its immense preJectiIes more than
twenty-five miles
II our guns had been built in Paris
we could have had them at the front in
three days. They were made to move
by rail, and to be ready for almost i'm
mediate action. But they had to get to
France first, and the difficulties of fight
Ing war 5000 miles away were i'm
pressed upon US by this necessity for
transporting them
No ship was big enough to carry one
Of them set up. Each had to be taken
70 pieces before loading.
The last Of the mounts was compIeted
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