The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1917-12-17
Chief of Ordnance Department
Attributes TO This Fact Much Of
the Delay Experienced in Get
ting Necessary Rifles
coUNTRYs NEEDS WERE
ANTICIPATED, DECLARES
Orders Placed for Nine Million
Rounds of Ammunition Early
Last Spring Before Funds Were
Available; Reduce Lost Motion.

wv Associated frrH
Washington. Dee. t7. General
Croz!cr te~tifyiug to-day at un open
session ~ the senate INVESTIGATING
committee. declared there was entirely
too much red tape getting money
While an emergency appropriation tor
e. lump appropriation ot S2,932 5S5 b
600 made py the war department. Aprn
o. 3 daN before war was declared. li
Wa June before congress made ape
preparations under the est.matcs
But you had millions OF dollars loft
of appropriations made before" mtcr-
rup,,d chairman Chamberlain. a
hav" not been entirely satisfied with
AN explanation made of this matte.
For instance You had money fppr'-
priated FOR machine guns and >ou
haven't the gums vet ", appropriated
for small arms and Won spent the
money Tor pistols instead of rifles
We were far =hnrto: 81 pistols
than rifles " General Cro2icr answered
"uud Wc are no, going tp he slowed up
loo this va. 900 'hc slightest degree uu
account 81 rifles.
u don't think the country win be-
satisfied with that explanation. said
senator Chamberlain insisted. 1--WE
need rifles fur turg"t practice AN 2
training purposes and Ia the field
How prospective appropriations hy
cur-rc-s were anticipated wa- rcoit,d
Dog Gourru CroIisr For instance ho
-lid orders were paced for nine ml.
Hon rounds uf ammunition early last
spring before auN funds We're avail
able Nc detailed how many now fac
tories tina, had never before made gun
turg,ugs we're given large contracts Goo
increase ordnance production.
Magnitude 81 Operations
w, have placed orders ut uur"
Than Sl50u, u"u. 0uu since tn, war uD-
guu." General Crolicr explained. citiu-
the magnitude of operations rha
is more than 1fty per cent over th,
,utiro government eNcpnse- for amy
year sine, the spanish war
Senator WadsWorth asked whc h,r
the government should have an officer
Iui department similar to Eng land .~
minister of munitions
My own belief is that the nrt,.r
WAY is tu enlarge and strengthen 81
Is.iur ORGANIZATIONS rather tnuu create
new ones" GENERAL Croz.cr replied.
quicker results have been obtained
here than ny thu British organization
senator ttitch.ock said b. seemed
that there was au unusual icuE,h ut
t,mc between appropriations and dee
| IiNerIen and asked whether the war ds.
pJrimcut had considered ans speed
| NIX uP plane.
We think and { think and th,
country thinks. that there has uv,
| too much DELAY tna much red tap,
too much circumioCutiun iu the de-
| Ipr'mcut said senator Hitchcock
Has any effort been mad" @,
| ~hnrtcn up the process
Yes great deal "f red tape h'
| Ib,,. eliminated -ud General
! Grozi,y
"uur requirements Tor hirh .\pIu.
~i,cs in luuro VIII nc met our sup
ph ls satisfactory and vigorous step,
! are being taken 'u increase pruduv
| uon' snid G,u,r3I Cro2l-r
tie di~clusrd that steps have beer
| taken Geo equip American forces VIII
! tanks similar tu the new British mu
chimes but -mlurN refused 90 r,
| into detail
"lIavr We ukou steps for equip
| ping with huuns. nand grenade and
| senator Chamberlain.
The ordutu,, rhi"f again answered
| tnumutNclN
VIII th,y r, sufficient 10. com
pared with thu-r furnished b> Brit