The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1909-04-16
MAXIM SILENCERS.
Through Tests Soon to Be Made by
War Department.

ough tests OF the Maxim gun silence
device. Hiram Percy Maxim has re-
turned from Washington, where he
had an interview with Brigadier Gen.
eral William Crozier, chief Of orde-
nance, and was pleased to be able
to announce that this country would
make thorough investigation Of the
device. He said to a Hartford Cour-
ant reporter.
''It is very gratifying to me that
this country has taken hold Of this
invention and that no foreign govern
ment will have an advantage over us.
I have kept the war department. in
formed as to the gunsilencer through
the officials at the Springfield armory
up to the time of my call on the pres
ident, when General Crozier and other
army and navy officials were present,
and the chief of ordinance had the
opportunity Of seeing himself what
the silencer would do. The result was
my trip to Washington on Monday,
when I had a conference with the
chief Of ordenance and his assistant
as to the making Of demonstrations
of the device under regular army con-
ditions and on a scale much larger
than heretofore has been possible.
"a considerable number Of silen-
GERS will be shipped with which tests
will be made and they will be tried
under all sorts of service conditions.
I am confident that the silencer will
have a complete demonstration and a
fair test, and the result of these tests
will be the adoption Of the silencer for
the United States army, It's complete
rejection as worthless for army pur-
poses or its partial adoption for Ger
tain uses in the army.
~ should have been very sorry to
have seen the device turned down by
this government without a complete
and fair test, as great interest is be-
ing shown in it by foreign govern
ments. The attaches of a number Of
countries have already bought silenc-
ers and sent them to the home offices.
These include representatives Of such
countries as England, France, Russia,
Germany and Italy,"
MI. Maxim was asked what he had
to say about the threat Of the chief
of police of Pittsburg, Pa, that he
would arrest any one found possess
ing a silencer and clap him in jail,
and he said:
II am sorry to see any one, es~
pecially the head Of a police depart
ment, talking about something he evi-
IDENTIFY knows nothing about. The
chief Of police of Pittsburg, if quoted
correctly, tells how easily and with
out detection one man with silencer
revolver could kill another. Evidently
he has not even read the papers, for it
has been stated very plainly time and
time again that no silencer has been
or could very we'll be, fitted to a re-
volver. The construction of a revol-
yer with its chambers open at both
ends prevents its equipment with a
silencer. Only rifles are thus equip
ped, and murderers do not go armed
with rifles.
"Then again, as has been very
carefully explained, the noise of dis
charge of a silenced rifle would be
loud enough to betray the man who
fired unless a gun Of small calibre and
low velocity were used. It has been
demonstrated that where bullet
travels at the rate of 1900 feet or
over per second it makes a crack as
it tears through the air that is per-
ceptible for 200 or 800 yards. By
means of the silencer the explosive
noise is done away with, but the bull
let noise remains.
II see no reason for any agitation
against the silencer device by either
municipal or state authorities and do
not believe any serious attempt will
be made to annul a very useful in
vention. Surely no such attempts
could be successful. If, later, any
regulations as to the sale Of silencers
are regarded as desirable to safeguard
their use that would very properly be
matter for consideration, but no
edict forbidding the manufacture or
possession Of it is to be thought Of
for a moment. Such dictum is nom
sensical.'
Argues for Nursery Maid.