Large quantities of guns, howitzers, am
munition and other artillery material are
on hand, left over front the world war.
"The country thus for the first time in half
a century has on hand sufficient artillery
to equip a large army," said Major-General
William J. Snow. Chief of Held Artlllerv.
"Should war break out in the next few
years we should lie spared the s|?ectacle of
artillery drilling with wooden guns, home
made telephones, ro|te harness, and similar
ex|>ed lent* which characterized the first
year of the late war."
Aberdeen Proving Grounds
Rank as Best in World
I lie I nifed States now has the most com
plete establishment In the world for the
testing of war materials |n the Aberdeen
Proving ({rounds of the Ordnance Depart
ment, according to Major-Gen. c. C. will
larns. Chief of Ordnance. The Technical
Staff of tlie Ordnance I'??part ment Is now
tarrying nut a programme to develop new
artillery for the army, taking into account
the lessons learned In the world war. This
programme contemplates the design and
manufacture, for ex|ierimeiital purposes,
of divisional gnus and howitzer, |>a< k nr
iMery. guns and howitzer* of greater jxiwer.
antl-a11t-raft artillery. Infantry howitzer,
trench artillery, self-pro|iellisl gun mounts,
major calibre railway mounts, Including
equipment of 8-lneh. 12-Inch. 14-Inch and
Ml Inch calibre, and artillery trncfors.
I,laIson has been maintained with the Mili
tary Intelligence Division of the War De
partment General staff by the Ordnance
Deimrtment Technical Staff to follow the
trend of ordnance development in other
countries.
Purely inventive work carried on by the
War Department include* the following im
I tort ant projects:
Centrifugal machine guns for use against
airplane*. I'll is gnn is particularly adapted
to combat airplanes due to the very emit
rapidity of lire which it may attain.
