"_... It is my belief that ... unless private manufacturers are now encouraged to manufacture ammunition for our guns after war is declared, they will not be in any condition to do so until after the war is finished, and the supply of ammunition during the war will be limited to what the arsenals can turn out. At present this is about 1,600 rounds per day, running three shifts, and this ammunition, under ordinary battle conditions, could be fired by eight guns in one day of battle. If guns are not supplied on the battlefield with the ammunition which they can be reasonably expected to use, they are not efficient, and when a gun has exhausted the ammunition supplied it becomes as perfectly useless as junk; in fact, it is worse than junk, for it must be protected by other troops._ "_In the Russo-Japanese War the Russians expended during the war, exclusive of the action around Port Arthur, 954,000 rounds._ "_At Mukden in nine days they expended 250,000 rounds._ "_One battery of eight guns at Mukden fired 11,159 rounds, or 1,395 rounds per gun._ "_At Liaoyang eight Russian guns fired in three hours 2,500 rounds, or 312 per gun._ "_During August 30 and 31 the First and Third Siberians, with 16 batteries of 8 guns each, fired 108,000 rounds, or 844 rounds per gun._ "_At Schaho, in a four-days' fight, the artillery of the First Infantry Division--48 guns--fired 602 rounds per gun._ "_At this same battle in 45 minutes, 20 minutes of which were not occupied by firing, 42 guns fired 8,000 rounds, or 190 rounds per gun in 25 minutes of actual firing._ "_The War Department believes, after extended study, that in case of war with a first-class power an army of 500,000 men will be needed to give this country any chance of success against invasion, and that this force will be needed at once. To make it efficient it must be given its proper quota of field-artillery. To do this this artillery must be on hand, for it cannot be supplied after war is started. A municipality might as well talk about buying its fire-hose after the conflagration has started. A fire department without its proper equipment is worthless, irrespective of the number of men it has; and so would be your armies, unless you provide in peace the material which will make them effective in war."--Statement of facts by Major-General Leonard Wood, Hearings on Fortifications Bill, Dec. 9, 1913._ * * * * * IS CONGRESS TO BLAME? The blame for our undefended condition is generally attributed to Congress. It is true enough that the main blame rests with Congress, but it must be remembered also that Congress represents the will of the people.