Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1917-10-09
TO BE NO DELAY
IN SUPPLYING ARMS.

Washington, Oct Announce
ment is made by the War Department
that there will be no serious delay in
supplying any element OF the army
with ordnance equipment. either small
arms or field artillery OF the small
and medium calibre 1t was added.
however that it may be some time
before an adequate supply of heavy
field ordnance can be provided. but as
the army experts have not as vet de
termined just how much artillery of
this type should be supplied no def
mite estimate as 10 the delay is avail
able.
As To small arms, the existing sup.
:. ply OF Springfield rifles is being con
served for the use OF Pershing's regu-
lars, and the arsenal producing ca.
1acity has been expanded so that a
very large proportion of the troops in
|
armed with this weapon. admittedly
the best military rifle in the world.
For the equipment of National
Guard and National Army divisions
the entire plants of several munitions
firms notably the Eddystone plant OF
the Baldwin Locomotive Company, are
being devoted to the manufacture of
the British Enfield rifle OF most recent
pattern, rechambered for the standard
Springfield ammunition. With this
change the rifle is a more powerful
and more accurate weapon than as ii
is used in the British army Three
plants engaged in the manufacture of
the American Enfeld are actually pro.
ducins the rifles now AT the rate of
several thousand uer day. There may
be some delay in getting to the Ma,
tional Army divisions a full supply OF
rifles for training purposes. but not
sufhcient to be OF any Importance. as
the first several months OF the train. /
ing or the majority of the men will
not require the continual use of arms. I
Such rifles as are available can be /
passed around from company to com
pany, and every unit will be fully /
supplied not only with It's own weap
ons, but with ample reserves months /
before there is any possibility of these /
forces being sent abroad
The artillery units of the National
Army will be given a small number of /
guns of the 3,inch caibre as soon /
as they are sufficiently organized to be. /
gin hadling the weapons. To supply I
this training equipment regular and |
National Guard artillery units sent
abroad go forward without their guns /
and are equipped on the other side |
with French 75s. British trench NOR
tars and practice types OF heavy cali. |
bre 1t has not been decided as yet !
whether the divisional artillery is to
be armed with 4-inch or G-inch howit. |
zers in addition to the rs batteries.
When that decision is reached, how
ever, an ample supply of these weap.
ons for the equipment of divisions in |
training at home can be turned out
quickly by the arsenals and factories !
which are making rapid progress with t
both calibres
Equipment Of the machine gun bat.
talions of the National Army will be
with the Vickers Maxim heavy water. /
cooled gun Lewis, Browning and |
other types of light guns are designed /
for use in the machine gym sections /
Of infantry companies end not for use
by the machine gun battaliOns or com.
panSes of regiments brigades or divi- |
sions. The strictly machine gun or. |
ganization. composing fourteen ma.
chine gun companies to each in.
fantry division. are purely defensive /