The Washington times., 1917-12-19
ARMS MAKERS
BLAME DELAYS
ON WAR DEPT.
CONTINUED from First Pags)

CONTINUED from First Pags)
British Enneld rife so it would use
the same ammunition as the AmerI-
can Springfield
The change was vise," said Kim
ball. at would have been a mis-
take to speed up rife production at
the cost OF standardiEing ammuni-
tion. The United States l. now get
ting a superior quality oksammuni-
ton. The modified EhneId : rife to
be used by American troops 3s much
superior to the British Ended.
In thousands of tests of me Amer
lean Enfield rifle with American am
munition, we have not q case OF
tamming," said Kimball. "One OF the
troubles with the British is its tend
ency to jam"
AEL<s-AbOBt PrOduetISa.
Senator Wordsworth inquired wheth-
er, IL the War Department had begun
in August. 1916. to standArdize am.
munition, SO it would be interchange
able for American-British and French
rifles, it would have been possible to
begin quantity production soon after
We declared war.
NO." responded Kimball, your
preparedness program would have had
to begin earlier than that"
Gould the Colt guns, OF which you
say you could have delivered 10000
by this time. have used the same am
munition as the Browning guns,
later adopted by the War Depart
ment?" asked Senator Hitchcock.
Yes, all the machine guns made in
this country will use the American
ammunition" said Stoddard
Then we could have used the
Colt gun, in spite OF It's slight weak
ness, OF which you spoke, until such
time as we got the Browning gun
in large quantities?"
Yes, as 1 said before. the Colt guns
slight weakness is only a weakness
when the gun is used in trench war
fare. It will kill men"
Not Making Cans Yet.
Stoddard declared that his company
Is not even making the Browning
guns for which it has contracts.
We've started TO make scme of the
NaA - ea4Ar uuL VIII De next
May before we begin Delivering"
Both Stoddard and J. Otterson, vice
president OF the Winchester Company,
who followed him, showed by their
testimony that the munitions makers
Of the country had seen Americas en-
trance into the war as an inevitable
fact and had prepared their plants TO
make arms for the American Govern
ment. some time before the decIara-
ton OF war on April 6.
Stoddard declared that his companv
went right ahead making machine
guns without any orders from the
Government
I'VE saw there was no use trying
TO talk with the ordnance deDart
ment," he said. $50 We inst went
ahead manufacturing without orders.
contracts. or anything else. We knew
they needed the guns. II they didn't
know IL. We've already delivered
omre than 1000 guns to them.
ShaVes Down Price.
when they finally asked Us TO
make a sample order OF Browning
guns, we fixed our own price. I told
him We we're perfectly willing to con-
slider that, and asked how much re-
duction he thought proper. II said
$50 n gun. I agreed to that and add
ed that on the drst order for ouan-
tity we'd take SIS of the price OF
each gun. The contract has not been
signed yet. I'm hoping to get Il
signed while I'm in Washington this
time"
Otterson detailed the long drawn
out negotiations over rife contracts
and said that his concern. by fore
sight, was able to begin delivering
rifles to the Government in August
which were not contracted for until
July.
We knew the Government was 20
ing TO change from the Springfield to
a modified Enfield" said Otterson, $50 !
we went ahead and made Enfields. The |
result was that we began delivery in
although we had been manu-:
featuring long before we got our con-
tract on July L."
Otterson contTadicted General Gro
zier's testimony that the change made |
In the Enfield rife to make Il ft Amer |
lean ammunition caused long delay in
rife production
The changes in the Enfield involved
4 delay Of not more than thirty days."
Said OttsrSon-
only thirty days." asked Senator
amazed.
That's ALL" said Otterson. TO
change machinery in American factories |
which were making rifles for the alllss. |
20 they would make American Spring |
held would have taken e-year and q
hRIt."