The Washington times., 1915-07-27
WAR COLLEGE ASKS
FOR MACHINE GUNS
Will Recommend Creation Of
Special Companies After
Close Study Of the War.

When the army estimates are submit
ted to the next Congress they will in
clude a provision for the creation OF a
machine gun company for every regi-
ment OF infantry and cavalry in the
army.
These organizations now have ma
chine gun platoons and some Of the
regiments have as many as four ma
chine guns. but these platoons are all
provisional and without legal status.
The total number of machine guns in
the entire United States army at the
present time Is about $780, as compared
to $1,000 in the German, the same num-
Der in the French and more than $1,000
each in the British. Austro- Hungarian.
and Russian armies
That Congress Is to be asked to rem
edy this deficiency in equipment was the
statement made by an army officer on
duty in New York yesterday. The prop
osition. to be submitted to Congress. on
the recommendation Of the War College.
will be for a machine gun company for
each of the thirty regiments Of infantry
and the fifteen regiments OF cavalry.
each company to be equipped with
twelve of the latest and most improved
type of machine guns. with authority 70
increase the number to twenty-four IN
ments up TO war strength. This would
give the regular army $40 machine guns
on a peace footing, or l,0s0 on war
basis.
Have Proven Worth.
The decision on the part OF the oni-
GERS Of the War College to recommend
the creation Of machine gun companies
fellows a close study Of the present war
In Europe. the reports received from the
military observers in Europe all stating
that the value Of the little Quick-f1rers
In France, Poland, and other war zones
has been proven beyond all question.
Already the subject of providing COM
plete drill regulations for these guns
will shortly be taken up at the Army
School Of Fire. at Fort Sill. Okla. and
In the event Congress authorizes the
organization Of the forty-five companies
that will be recommended. the War De-
partment will be ready to promptly un-
dertake the work Of organizing and
equipping the companies.
There is no military organization on
the face Of the earth in so deplorable a
condition. so far as machine guns are
concerned, as is that Of the United
States" said an army officer.
The officer made a reference to an ar
ticle that appears in the July Issue OF
the United States Infantry Journal. pub.
lished by the officers of that arm OF
the army, In which the machine gun sit
uation was pointed out.
For fifteen years or more says the
Infantry Journal, 1--WE have been work.
Ing with tentative machine ~un or
ganization consisting of two guns per
regiment. manned by a shirting per-
sonnel detailed from the various COM
panies Of the regiment for temporary
duty. We have muddled along for years
with this organization. which seems to
meet with the approval of no one as
ISOLATED with its work. We have main
tained the organization of the machine
gun platoon ever since the adoption Of
this arm. not because we have been
so tisfied with It, but apparently because
we have considered the machine gun in
its experimental htage. And yet In
every war since we adopted this tenta-
tive organization, the machine gun has
filled an increasingly important role un-
til we now find it's use TO be indispen-
sable on every battle front.
Plan of Germany.
"In German regiments the thirteenth
company Is machine gun company.
officered and manned with a permanent
personnel by which It is admins tered.
instructed and fought. just as are the