Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-12-22

interests without any emolument.
The only condition which 1 think
was fair, was that the official test
should not be made at the Spring
field arsenal. My offer was turned
down flat
Asked why he was willing to give
his royalties as well as patents to
the government, Colonel Lewis ans
wered:
Didn't Need Money
Il suppose it's psychological" he
answered. 'I don't need the money.
suppose and hope my offer ulti-
umately will be accepted"
You simply want patriotically to
help the government and because
you were in the service?"
Yes | was educated by the gov
ernment. I've been prosecuted by
the government and 1 want to help
the governn ent."
The ordnance equipment of Gem
eral Pershing's Army, he said, is
IAN outrage and a disgrace" The
forces are without enough machine
guns or rifles, he said, and have
heavy artillery only borrowed from
allies.
The country would not have a
million men in France before 1919,
Colonel Lewis declared.
General CroZier Responsible
who is responsible?" he asked.
General Crozier is more respon-
sible for inadequate equipment of
the United States forces than any
one"
Senator Chamberlain asked why
the Army should oppose the Lewis
gun and the inventor replied:
'"They want to kill it, to take the
label off it,"
The Browning gun, he character
lied as picture a figment of the
imagination" .(Ordnance manufac-
turers have previously described it
as superior to anything else now
known.
"Ali the other experts believe the
Browning is the best gun developed
and you are the only one against
them" Senator Hitchcock sug-
gested.
Lewis replied the experts were in
terested in manufacturing the
Browning.
Reluctance to adopt the Lew
is machine gun was described at
length to-day by b. e. Borie, manu-
featuring head of the Savage Arms
company the American makers, testi-
flying at the Senate Military Commit
tees investigation of the shortage in
army supplies.
When the Mexican border trouble
began Mr.. Borie said he offered / 500
Lewis guns TO the War Department
but got an order for only $50 to use
British ammunition. Before the
United States entered the war he of
| fered Lewis guns to the War Depart
ment and was refused orders but got
them from the Navy Department,
Mr.. Borie said.
II went to the War Department in
February" he continued, but they
would not do anything until after the
tests ordered for May (when the new
Browning gun was adopted). The
Navy Department also did not want
to place any order at that time until
after the War Departments tests but
did order some gun mounts.
After war broke out we again
{ offered guns to the War Department
and were told again the tests would
be awaited. The Navy Department
and the Marine Corps, however, or
dered a special test. They did not
want to wait for the War Depart
ment tests and we had test for the
| Navy April 5. It was successful, Ad-
miral Earle and General Barnett
stated. The test was so successful
that the Navy ordered on April 90,
$500 guns inside of three weeks. Ad-
miral Earle and General Barnett
said they did not want to wait any
! longer under the conditions"
On April IL, he said. the War De-
partment ordered 1900 Lewis guns
to use with American ammunition,
before the official test was held ION
the strength of the Navy test
! "If the War Department had ac-
cepted the original offer and saved
time needed for manufacture" Mr..
! Borie said, '1t would have had TO-
600 more machine guns early in the
war.
I'VE know what the Lewis gun will
=" but nobody knows what the
/ Browning gun will do" he said. "It
looks good on paper and in few
I tests"
| Statements by General Crozier
and private machine gun manufac-
turers that the Lewis does not syn
chronize through airplane propellers,
were refuted by Mr.. Borie. Assertions
also that the Lewis gun cannot be
successfully used with American
ammunition, Mr.. Borie said he de-
sired to mail as an absolute false
! hood"
| The ordnance bureaus business
system was sharply criticised by Mr..
Borie.
I'VE ought to have director of
munitions" he said "a big broad
minded man. a herman, not a pussy
foot. Until you do that you'll never
Ret anVUhAran ~