Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1917-12-19
CHANGE I'm TYPE OF !.
ARMY RIFLES GOOD
.as THING THEY SAID
Enabled i y. ]! $. Army to Use
Superior Grade Of
I =. Ammunition. 4 . y.
DANIELS HEARD BY
NAVAL QUERY BOARD
Sub Chasers Necessary, But
May not Prove Of Perma-
nent Effectiveness.

Washington. Dec. IS.-Ho"
nance manufacturers anticipating the
governments war; needs. spent mill
lions in preparations on the cnahce
that war orders would follow WniIe
the army ordnance bureau refused to
act. was related today by manufac-
turers to the senate committee con
ducting the wax inquiry.
The manufacturers agreed, now !
ever. that the war departments g deci-
siof, to change the type Of army rine,,
even though. it involved delay lin de. :.
iliveries, was a wise one. because ~
enabled the American army to use
very superior grade OF ammunition.
q Could Not be Hurried: Nh
But the efforts Of the manufactur-
ers. their witnesses said, to get the
ordnance bureau to gives its orders
for guns on the certainty that war.
was coming. were futile. and after
the war was started delaying changes
in specifications were made.
Vice President Stoddard of the Mar
lin Arms corpora ton, declared that
when he offered to begin work on
guns on. the certainty that war was
coming, Colonel Rice of the ordnance
bureau told him;
"We're not Interested"
"It was utterly impossible to make
the ordnance department realize the
no..ihtlities of war" said Mr.. Stod-
derd. :.and we simply folded our tents
and went Home" Es-.'fa.1 t.'.] Is.
Wanted Further Delay.
After the manufacture Of rifles be-
ran. It was testified Colonel Thomp:-
son wanted 10 10 a;ss,ra neiaS plou. "n naws stand-
"a. ht,t the manufactures appealed
] to General Crozier, chief OF the bu-
All the witnesses agreed that the
. p-ouring machine gun now; being
< nH,fa ctuned :for.the army is ,auperior
t1saTv nthar weapon of It's kind ins Sxai
.tSGrcss q: s.s.s3s &, 5t ~, sAa..
! = ~, -, i,.,i,v Il,
IL "A ,l.ls! 1',s,us ~ ;!...
Sevefaf sisFo nhns saeets M
+ rifles, private Eor nance manuIactsvEeMrs ~
T told the senate military comn11t!eee. ~ ~
day, resulted from the, war qepsI., s,
ments decision to modlry lneA Ennslo lt,I !
type. Factory machinery 5changes.. tne
committee was told, reduced the oHt,
put, Of the Ennelds For iEng!a ~! aIo ~
production will not )return 70 .,l1fls max
mum until next May
i contract with the war departmen,
to produce modified 'Enneids was no,
completed Ynta, last 3S.y' SH presaaem, aaein
Henry 5. hmbali' OF the ReminEIor
company, testified: IT was OCTOBER. ne
said, before machinery changes coule
b. completed 20 pegin OUTPUT.
Delay if.s Congressional appropria
tions. Kimball also stated. further de.
layed the output. His f1rm hesltatee
to take contract IN the absence o.
denh''e app.opriat.o,s. q;
superlor 20 ot'er types. u
The new modified rifle and also tn
American ammunition. Vice Presiden
Tyler Of the same concern, testified
rseDeEarded superior to British types
After war was declared in April. n
stated. the war department mmedl
ately began negotiations with them Z
devote their factories. engaged on
British contract for 400 900 Enfields !:
to make the modif1ed American type
''The committee cannot understand
why. with war imminent In March n
contract vas made Until july "a SAT- !
Senator Httchcock. ..'-5..
cation that appropriations delaye'
prodacuon Ian ana ss,a neso.'as,oms !! II
Begun. beg. nj II the department had not de-
cidsd 'to modify the British Enf,el,
cASASsA'.tS ~