The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-01-26
100000 RESERVE RIFLES.
6gN. CROzIER SAYS VIZ WILL
/ NEED THEN IN 4 GREAT WAR.
One Defect In the Krsg-Jorgenscn U
He Differs with Secretary ss
10 the Value OF n Detailed stan COM
piete Failure In Ordnance Department.

WASHINGTON, Jan, 25.-Gen. William
Crosier,s testimony before the House
Military COMMITTEES a few days ago, giving
his views on the Army bill passed at tho
last session Of Congress. has just been
made public by the committee. Gen.
Crozier differs with Secretary Root as
Ia the value of a detailed staf system.
lie declared To the committee that in the
Ordnance Department the plan had been
b complete failure. Gen. Crozier said:
1T has been "a complete failure. and /
say this from tho point Of view Of one who
favors the Attenuation OF service between
thu staff and the line. Las spring we
had fifteen vacancies in the Ordnance
Department. and now we have eighteen.
We sent out to the army all over the world
Invitations TO the officers of the grade OF
First Lieutenant, as required by law, to
come up for examination for detail to the
Ordnance Department. In the whole
army there was just one applicant. over
IN the Philippines, who came up for ex-
smination. and he did not pass. and We
did not get one officer
Gen. Crozier said that in his opinion there
were now enough mon to take care of the
artillery defences. Speaking Of the Krag-
Jorgsnssn rife and the probability OF a
new rife being adopted. he said;
There may be a change. The krag-
Jorg,nssn Is not thoroughly satisfactory
N the sense that no conceivable objection
can be had to il. but II has been through
hghtiag in Cuba and in the Philippines and
IN China, now. and IL has proved itself
a~tboroughly serviceable weapon. In China
] saw them get all cloggsd up with mud,
and the men would take the u by the
barrel and wash 1t In the water and II YOU
be as good as ever. However, il has one
defec'-not a great one. The metal Is
not symmetrically distributed. The maya
sine is ON one side, and, therefore. when the
gun " fired. the muzzle throws to the left;
as the bullet passes along its trajectory.
H. drifts to the right, as with all rifles having
q right hand twist. The result is hat at
short rangss the gun shoot to the left.
and ut long ranges to the right. So that
Il is not possible TO provide a sight which
will compensate for both deviations.-
Mr.. Parker-Would IL not be probable
that in case OF any large war we should
need 1000. 900 gunsl
Glen. Crozier-In a large war we certainly
would.
Mr.. Parker--How long at the present
rate of manufacture will IL take you to
have 100000 arms on hand?
Wen tTOZlcT- DttWttH HItten ana twenty |
years.
: Mr.. Parker-would it not be good policy
"a increase largely the manufacture Of
20 as TO come quicker to that reserve |
Gen. Crozier-I think 1t would be, and I
Ihink n would also be desirable TO increase
The facilities for manufacture. That. how
sver, Ia la process. We are establishing
M armory out at Rock Island which will
he able 10 begin work in a year OF two.
Mr.. Parker-You could with your present
a. i understand. manufacture
about VIC hundred thousand a year. So
that In five to seven years you would have
The 100 600 arms?
Gen. Crozier-Yes, sir: but that would be
by working uight and day.
Gen. Crozier declared that the improve
ment In the small arms Is not rapid and
added; There Is no likelihood of any radi-
raj change In the ammunition. As TO the
we are now using there will be some
one OF which will be the
correction Of the defect In the symme-
trical distribution that I spoke Of. There
h no other kind OF gun that IL in sight,
and the only important Improvement
that has como to our notice is what you
call the semi-automatic gun-a
which. by its discharge, will throw
out the old cartridge and reload itself.
The small improvements to which | have
will not 80 change the guns that
the same cannot be used in
the various sorts Of gum owned by the
Government II, during the process Of time
" making 10000 guns. those improve
,nenfa ara made /