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Show I BIG GUNS ARE NO GOOD IN AMERICA Washington, Dec. 8 Lessons drawn from the European wax were discussed before the house military ; nd naval commutes today by Brigadier Briga-dier General Crosier, chief of ord nance of the army, and Rear Admiral Hadger of the navy's general staff Genera) Crozier said the United States neer would have use for guns similar to the great howitzers with hich the Germans demolished Bel ilium's forts, and asserted that the American field guns were as good as ;my in the world. Admiral Badger inld the naval committee that "ship for ship t lie United States navy is equal to, if not better than, that of Germany or any other nation " Answering An-swering questions, the admiral gave his idea of why the British navy is content to keep the German fleet "bottled up" instead of forcing an Migagf ment. Wbile these committees were at work the majorty members of the rtrles committee were deciding not to grant the request of Representa live Gardner of Massachusetts for a hearing on his resolution to direct a (pedal inquiry into the preparedness of the United States for war. Chair-j Chair-j an Henry later addressed a letter 1o Representative Gardner, advising him that his proper forum for a hearing hear-ing wculd be before the regularly con-titutfd con-titutfd committees of the house, which arc "now in daily session con-siderirg con-siderirg matters pertaining to the military mil-itary and naval strength of the country." coun-try." No-withstanding the committee's attitude Mr. Gardner tonight reitera ted his determination to keep up the fight for a special investigation. Dur ing the day Senator Lodge indicated i that he would call up in the senate later I his resolution similar to the one :n Itrodueed in the house by Representative Representa-tive Gardner Oi-dn.'Micp, l ram automatic istols to sixteen-inch howitzers, was discussed bv General Crozier In pfinnSCtUWl with his estimates for Mie next fiscal year On this score "the United States has no need to feel uncomfortable" "Have you soon models of the new sixteen-inch field guns which the Germans Ger-mans are reported to be using in Europe?" Representative Kahn asked "No," replied General Crozier, "and j we do not contemplate experimenting I with those big puns. No one knows what they may come to, but we must I consider the purpose for which these guns were used in Europe The French-Belgian border was defended by armored forts, mounting three and six inch guns, to meet such artillery as ordinarily accompany mobile armies, "The Germans knew these guns were there and those forts were there, and brought up these special runs to demolish them From what I understand it is an engineering feat to move those sixtcen-im-h field runs, and they can be transported only by roil Now we are not going up against anything like that, and 1 can see no reason why we should need any such guns as that." "I have understood, said Mr Kahn. "that this same gun which the Ger-ir.ans Ger-ir.ans are using, or one practically th same, was invented by an American named Gathmanu of Chicago and that it was offered to the war department and the navy department," "There is no invention about building build-ing a big gun," returned General C rozier "Anybody can do that Gath-mann'R Gath-mann'R gun was a very different affair af-fair from this gun. His original model embodied many new-fangled notions. He finally came down to building a sencoast defense gun using a very large projectile with a heaVr charge of guncotton. We conducted several experiments with funds ap-l ap-l ropriated by congress. Finally an tatitocn-lrir'h min hllllf nlonE t h f ! lines suggested by Gathmann. It was tested out, side by side with a twelve-inch twelve-inch service model gun." Ho added that the Gathmann gun v hich depended upon a projectile bursting on contact, was of much less efficiency than the service gun with an armor-piercing projectile. Discussing field artillery. General Crozier said that the ordnance bureau bu-reau was at present experimenting with field howitzers of seven and a half and nine and a half-Inch calibre These, he sajd. would be able to move with a mobile army. At present, pres-ent, he said, the field artillery is supplied sup-plied with three and six-inch guns Of these, he said, there are now 760 in service or ordered. He expects to increase the number to 812 during the next year, and he estimates 1292 guns as the maximum needed "We think our field guns are as good as any In the field." said the general. In ammunition for field quns, General Gen-eral Crozier said the department had 38 per cent of the estimated needed reserve on hand for the number of guns available. This he said he hoped to increase to 60 per cent within with-in the year The department contemplated contem-plated a supply of 1800 rounds for each three-inch gun. he said. Under the present ratio of appropriations, he said, the entire resere would be supplied in four years. In time of war, General Crozier estimated, the government plants and private facto ries in the country could turn out 400.000 rounds in six months and 130,-000 130,-000 rounds a month then-after. "If you were in a war, would that be enough?" asked Representative Avis of West Virginia. "Well, the ammunition plants are being enlarged right along,"' said General Gen-eral Crozier. They are meeting an increased demand " "Are they selling through Canada0" asked Representative Kahn " They are selling to somebody " General Crozier said that automobile automo-bile manufacturers in this country were now turning out armored automobiles auto-mobiles which were being sold to a European power now at war through Canada ' What," suggested Representative Kahn, "we are asked to pray for peace and yet we furnish armored cars to a belligerent to further war?' Admiral Badger advised the naval committee that the United States Shpuld follow the example of Germany Ger-many and Great Britain in creating a naval reserve of officers and men n q Berved in the navy. He insisted thai battleships should not be sacrificed tc Increase the number of submarines The admiral was plied with questions ques-tions Members of the committee were particularly anxious to know why the German fleet was permitted to remain bottled up in its own harbor. har-bor. The admiral said that as Ionian Ioni-an the German fleet was bottled up it was performing no useful purpose tnd that, therefore, it was unnecei sary for the enemy to bring about an encrcrement. He said probably no commander In chief of a fleet would subject his ships to the attacks of a great fort or to the danger of submarine sub-marine mines as a preliminary to fighting with another battle fleet, as It would mean running the risk of going into an engagement In a damaged dam-aged condition. The influence of the British fleet, he added, was such that without the firing of a gun it had accomplished its purpose. |
