Show GEERA OTIS TO BLA l son Why VclutEsrs Are Aro Guns S With Inferior Washington March nThe ordnance officials of the war department declare that the criticisms passed upon the de critcisms tlat partmet in some quarters because all of the troops In the Philippines are not equipped with the KrntJorgenSea cqulppe wih rules are based upon a misapprehension I of the facts I Is not denied that thp Spanish 1auser has a longer rang I than the 4 clber Springfield eve hen the latter Is using smokeless I powder But the military commadn given ocels In the PhilippInes were the option of using the Springfield or I tie KragJolgensen oton deciding in favor I of the former at least for the time be c I Ing That Is ahy the sixty thousand KiagJorgeiisens are lying at Benlca arsenal subject to tlC requisition of I Major General Otis and it Is not because be-cause the department is either unwl ing m unable to tlnsport them to Ma Inln 1 uf thc regular troops at Ma i cilIa and now on the way there are nlt with the magazine rUe The I volunteers 1 have the Srlncfeld because be-cause the military commanders in I the I i ptihttlptnes regard them as tice better i neapor whel used with smoleles3 pole I WElI0n tier i0 the unskillful handlng of 01 S untecrs The dlICrence In effectve JI range 1 8 not real ery great and the I SpIngue1d 41 bal Is almost sure to kill i where the smal ittauser bal only I I wounds Aside from this there Is one great advunta in the Springfield I namely its simplicity and strength The volunteer oldiers find the mechan tern of the modern rliie difficult to care I Jhioe i N ICrlt for and to use wlIle the Saringileld will stand any amount of cough hand lns and It is for this reason more than any other that has inclined the more experIenced army otlicars tG refrain from arming the volunteers with a I weapon with which they would not become be-come familiar elore the expiration of theIr terms of enlistment I |