Norwich bulletin., 1921-04-09

Out Of an appropr1at1on or SzVu,Vo9 which Col. Charles E. Smith, quarternas- ter general of Connecticut asked the ap- propriations committee to provide at a hearing before the committee Thursday, s10o.0 will bea for the erection Of steel storehouses Tat Mantle for the &C., co1nmodation of motorized heavy ar tillery. and about the same sum will be needed for alterations of the armories at Norwich and New London and other armories where regiments of the motor ized artillery will be located.
 Col Smith disclosed that the military emergency board had made arrangements with the war department for the dellv- cry to Connecticut of military equipment valued at approximately $15,00o,o0o and that the state is obligated to furnish &C., connodations for their storage.
 Twenty-four of the massive French | G. P. F. guns weighing nearly 15 tons each and with a shooting range of 10 miles, so heavy tractors, 313 trucks, about so other automobiles and 120 mo- 1 torcycles with sidecars, not to mention quantities of arms and munitions fol other branches of the service, have been requisitioned for national guard use in | Connecticut; i; in fact equipment to the
 value of about 1,50o, 900 has already been
 delivered The government pays for the
 equipment. but requires the state to take
 care of it.
 i ~. Authorized by Statutes
 1 Members of the appropriations commit | tee sat up and took notice, upon hearing l the surprising disclosure ChairmaI Hall wanted to know by what authorit! the state had been obligated. What l the legislature should fail to appropriat ! Ia this material?" he asked.
 ] Having made the contract, we'd prob ably have to go right ahead anl spend tn money, anyway" replied Colonel Smith
 "I think you'll find that the statutes g1v
 us that authority, and that it really ism
 necessary for us to come before you ex
 cept as a matter of courtesy."s He ex
 plained that the law creating the militar.
 emergency board, which was adopte'
 during the war, granted bread powers t
 the board, including the right to draw ol
 the treasury for such amounts as the gov
 ernor and the board. of control deeme
 necessary to carry out the duties reQuir
 ed of the board.
 There were gasps of incredulity bu
 the statement was not disputed.
 Colonel Smith explained that the va
 department gave the state it's choice ( : !
 the new national defense act and ths the military emergency board under tf authority allowed it by the statutes, nan
 ed whrt the state was to have and agree , that nnecticut would furnish accon ? modatic~S for all the equipment proviC
 ed by tfe government for the units such allotment. The fact that tf
 choice of the state. as made by the mi
 ltary emergency board. includes one rel ir1ent of coast artillery, equipped vii , 155 nm. G. P. F. guns, is what mak' it necessary new to strengthen the arn l ories.
 , Only One Alternative
 Colonel Smith pointed out that the le'
 islature had only one alternative,
 view of the fact that the contract hs } been made by the military emergenc e board when 1t agreed to accept the quot = allotted to it. It remained for the legi
 lature to either appropriate enough I take care of the equipment or to repu6 s ate the contract
 |. Chairman Hall wanted to know if | 7. military emergency could not chan, 7. the allotment and secure units that q d not require equipment so costly for t J. state to accommodate. Colonel Smi l. replied that he was not authorized to a l. SWer that put that, as a military OHIO l. under orders, he was obliged to see tn 5, accommodations were provided for t '. equipment which he had been inform [! was to be delivered in the state. T
 ceionel in addition to being quarterma '. ter of the state. is also United Stat J. property and .disbursing officer, wi E. rank of major. and so appeared in t d dual capacity of officer in charge v, war department equipment and state ( h ficer responsible for the housing of m - -. Bridges Not Strong Enough el Representatives Keith of the comm s tee asked what could be done with n. motorized artillery if it was found |
 heavy to cross highway bridges in Co E nectcut. He pointed out that the sta l. law prohibits the use of such bridges l, loads weighing more than 25,0 S. pounds ' ie To this Colonel Smith replied that 6, would be compelled to follow orders n- the war departemnt even if it caused { J. breaking down of Connecticut bridges Ih order to move the equipment from pl; sd to place, leaving 1t to the government IS reimburse the state afterwards.
 He said that orders had already be n. issued to have the Branford battery 4. ninety-seven men and five officers ma a. the trip to Camp Devens beginning Jt ]. H.. over the highways, with all tn II. equipment, including four howitze H. twelve caissons, anti-aircraft guns, tr; V. CTS, reconnaissance cars, fourteen fl IT, ton tractors, ammunition, supply and
 pair trucks, reels carts and other equ | rda af unit