The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-11-24
MILES EX0NERATES LEWIS
The Captains Connection With. the
French Gun Matter Explained.
Sent to Europe to study Modern
War Appliances, Bat Purchased
No Secrets Whatever.

Lieutenant General Miles. N an inter-
view this morning exonerated Capt L N
Lewis. Recorder OF the Bo.rd of Ordnance
and Fortihcations. from any charge that
he had secretly obtained the workings OF
the French field gun carriage. 1t ap-
pears from General Miles statement that
the French Government has made no Sc
cret Of this gun since the beginning Of the
autumn maneuvres in FTeace early this
fall He quotes from tne November num-
| Der of Arms and Explosives London
fcation attaches Of al tie Powers were
enabled to see the working of the gun
quite plainly. General Niles said:
The public is liable to be misled into
supposing that there Is some great mys-
terry concerning the subject The fact is
that the progress that has been made N
artillery in the last few years Ey AnIeEi-
can inventors. several OF whom have gone
to Europe and est 2bliSned their factories
there. has beer. very remarkable. espe-
ciaIIy in such Instances as Hotchkiss,
Lee, Maxim, an Others.
1t is a fact that Jie entire German
army was re-supplied with artillery be-
fore it was generally known TO the rest
of the world, and II IS also a fact that
the French have made a great improve
ment in a piece Of artillery which for q
tine surprised and mystified inventors
and artiIlerists-
For time its peculiar construction
was unknown outside of a few persons
in Fran ce, but when guns are placed in
the hanis of hundreds of artillerists, and
have to be taken apart, or are destroyed
or captured, and when they are, as they
were this year during the French maneu-
vres- before the eyes Of anyone who de-
sired to see them in action, il is folly to
presume that the method Of construction
or the means of al oducing certain ef-
fects will not become generally known
There never has been e time when the
importance of MAJ nine or quiCk-fring guns
has attracted mcre attention or been more
generally discussed S.sn during the past
year. Captain Lewis was sent to Europe,
as other officers have Teen sent every year,
and as others are now there. TO ascertain
all that could be ascertained in regard to
modern artillery or appliances Of war. He
was not furnished any funds with which to
purchase any secrets, and there was no ne
cessity for using, nor were there used, any
methods which were not honorable, and any
insinuation that questionable or dishonora-
bic methods were used IS simply an unwar-
rantsd reflection upon the Secretary Of
War and every other officer concerned
General Miles then read the following
from Arms and Explosives
'sThe French 75mm. Field Gun.-After
making d point of absolute secrecy for a
couple of years OF more, the French au-
thorities seem to have come to the concIu-
sion that they can no IODser maintain the
air of mystery surrounding the constTuc-
ton of the new comm (2.95 inches) gun.
At the maneuyres two years ago gen
darmes we're specially detailed to keep ali
strangers at a distance from the batteries,
but this year there was total absence of
such precautions and the foreign military
attaches were enabled % see the working
Of the guns quite plainly. An explanation
Of this change of aJtitade is doubtless to
be found in the fact tba5 ,Yeral batteries
equipped with the new gun are under or
ders for service IN China, where they can
scarcely be maintained under absolute
conditions Of secrecy
IN any case, it is always extremely
doubtful whether the air of mystery
adopted by all Governments with respect
to inventions of 3 presumably exclusive
character deceiTes anyone but the au-
thorities themselves We can remember
the disturbance caused by the theft Of a
LebeI rifle some years ago, when every
one who had an interest in knowing its
constructive details was already in pos
session of the required information. Pos
sibIy, there are few rare instances of
waTlike appliances being kept up the
sleeve Of different Powers. The Brennan
torpedo is supposed TO be a case in
point But as regards material that
comes into daily use and is distributed
through a branch of the service the in
telligent enquirer can generally learn all
he wants to know in one way or another" !"