America

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 161, 14 December 1914, Page 5

America

AMERICA'S ARMAMENTS. INADEQUACY ALLEGED. SQUIRREL-SHOOTERS COULD BEAT THE BRITISH FLEET. Washington, December 11. Mr. Daniels, in further evidence before the House Committee, said that when the war was over all the countries would be burdened with debt, and. he expected to see a great revulsion against all war. Probably some action would be taken whereby the navies would be used merely to execute agree-' ments reached between the countries. Mr, Gardiner, speaking on the floor. > of the House of Representatives, aroused much excitement by hotly declarlag that if war broke out to-day the "United States would And their coast defences unable to make an hour's fight, owing to lack of ammunition. Representative Fitzgerald insinuated . that ilr. Gardiner was merely seeking notoriety. The defonces were amphx. for their purpose. ' Representative Fronty assorted that o force of trained squirrel shooters would be adequate to prevent a hostile force landing on American soil. PUBLICITY DEPLORED. Received 13, 5.5 p.m. Washington, December 12. , .■ Senator Works, before the Senate, de-"i' prceated the wide controversial publicity given to American defences, pointing out that European nations were shrouding the details of their armies and navies with secrecy. MILITIA OF LITTLE USE. Washington, December' 11. Mr. Daniels, before the Naval Investigation Committee, said the United States ought to have a naval division in Pacific waters, which was necessary for coast defences. Since the opening of . the canal it wua possible to transfer a • division of warship permanently. Brigadier-General Mills, in his annual , report, says the dinted States militia' forces largely exist on paper, being sixteen thousand below strength and of little use for military purposes. COUNT BERNSTOFF AGAIN. ■ Received 13, 5.5 pm. Washington, December 12. Mr. Bryan, Secretary of State, , has ordered a legal enquiry to determine if a basis for United States' action existed. If investigation established the German allegation that dum-dum bullets wore made in the United States, shipped to Canada, and then to Britain and France. America would take action. Count Bernstorff has already alleged that American factories arc making dum-dums. The factories named promptly denied that there was an iota of truth in the charges, WALL STREET RE-OPENS. ENTHUSIASM AMONG BROKERS. Received 13, 0 p.m. New York, December 12. The Stock Exchange < opened, after four and a half months' cessation. A I hundred and ninety-two approved stocks 'were traded, with an upward tendency. Business was on a purely cash basis. Seven hundred brokers cheered the reopening.