Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1917-12-31
CROZIER ON STAND
AGAIN in INQUIRY
CONTINUED from Page l
LEWIS L WAS
FOUND INFERIOR.

Ihe first OFFER, to his knowledge,
was received May ., 1912. when the
Automatic Arms company asked for
a special test. The correspondence
showed hat the ordnance board Of
fered a regular test with ammunition
furnished by the government. No
test followed, but on March S. 1918.
another Lewis gun was offered for a
test. which was held at the Springfield
arsenal. The Vickers was adopted.
however, because the boards report
showed the Lewis gun damned 206
times. had 35 parts broken and Is
parts required replacement, while the
and had no parts broken. The board
held the Lewis gun inferior to the
Vickers or Bennet-Mercier.
No other Lewis gun, General Gro
zier said, was submitted for a test
until April. 1916. In the tests Gem
eral Crozier said the manufacturers
withdrew the guns because it was
said they were not in condition.
The board found the Lewis gun had
many desirable features and offered
to again test it when perfected.
BOUGHT LEWIS GUN
FOR BORDER USE.
In the summer of 1916. General
Crozier said. on his own initiative and
without funds having been appropri-
ated. he bought $50 Lewis guns for
use with British ammunition on the
Mexican border. Letters from officers
having charge of the guns criticizing
the Levi guns adversely, We're pro-
duced and General Crozier said that
in the border service the Lewis gun
was generally proven inferior to the
Bennet-Mercier and Vickers.
Congressional appropriations for
machine guns prior to 1916. after the
declaration of war. when $12, OOO, 900
was authorized. General Crozier said
had been YER meagre." Because OF
machine gun development and the
large 1916 appropriation, General
Crozier said Secretary Baker decided
to appoint a special board organized
in September. 1916, and which ar
ranged for the tests of May, 1917.
vICKERS GUN HAD
BEEN PROVED BEST.
In the meantime, General Croziel
said, the board ordered 1900 Vickers
guns, suspended the order at the re.
quest of the Lewis people but late,
took 1000 Vickers guns in September
1916. The Vickers gun at that time
General Crozier said, had been proved
1t was evident, he said, that goot
Lewis guns were being made in Eng.
land for use with British ammunition
and poor Lewis guns were beint
made in this country.
When val with Germany becam.
imminent. General Crozier said h,
asked for 5000 Lewis guns. On Apri
IL. he said, 1900 Lewis guns wer,
ordered. 4,4O0 more on June ~ ant
1000 more June Is.
GAVE ORDERS FOR
LEWIS GUN.
This shows said General Crozier
that as soon as the Lewis III wa
developed for use with American am
munition large orders were immedi
ately given.'
Letters from General Pershing las
summer asking for the greatest pos
sible production" of Vickers gun
were put in evidence and Genera
Pershing specially asked for Levi
guns for aviation. Demands for Levi
guns in the latter service. Genera
Crozier said. probably will result II
continued orders for them.
U. s. FORCE WILL
NOT LACK GUNS.
There is good prospect that GU
forces in Europe will not be Lacking
machine guns in any way" said Gen
eral Crozier.
Seventy-five hundred machine gun
are available for training purposes Il
this country, General Crozier said.
Turning to the charges by Co
Lewis. inventor Of the gun bearing. hi
name, that General Crozier had .beel
!. prejudiced against him, General Gro
!, zier showed that a board which in
vesfigated charges exonerated him
|, Assertions that he had opposed adop
ton of Colonel Lewis range 1nde
also were. categorically denied b
General Crozier.