The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1917-05-08
US. IN NEED OF
RIFLES, TILSON
TELLS CONGRESS
Government Probably Will
Adopt Enfield Type to
Meet Emergency.

the House yesterday by Representa-
tive John @. Tilson of Connecticut,
Republican member of the Military
Affairs committee, who gave a teen
meal demonstration of the use OF the
implements of modern warfare.
! In a speech of more than an hour
nFr. Tflson disclosed that the United
States was unable to make Sprfngnelo
rifles, the regular service rife, for the
war with Germany, and that a de-
cision has been reached to use the
Enfield rifle, now being used by Eng
land, ., .-r -. .-..-....
Indirectly criticising the War De-
partment, Mr.. Ttlson said that only
IS 900 service rifles have been made by
the United States since the outbreak
of the European war. When Mr.. Brit
ten said this was "a disgraceful state
of affairs" Mr.. Tilson said he would
not use the word disgraceful, but ad-
mitted that it was unfortunate"
Representative Tilson also informed
the House that the army is far short
in it's supply of rifles, as well as ma
chine guns. When it was suggested
that information of this sort possibly
should not be made public, Mr.. Tilson
replieds
Everybody knows 1t except our
selves; our enemies know it,
One of the machine guns brought
into the House chamber was the
Lewis gun. When criticism was voiced
of the. fact that the Lewis gun re-
ceived first recognition abroad, Mr..
1llson said that, unfortunately, we
were not interested in machine guns
at that time referring to the Lewis
offer to this government.
New Aerial ,Somb.
of the new implements of warfare was
an aerial bomb, which is dropped
from aeroplanes and expIodes about
SIX feet before striking the earth
These bombs were now being made,
he said, for the United States Govern
znent.
Several pages were REQUIRED to bring
In from the lobby the small arsenal
shown by Mr. Tflson- 1t Included full
size Lewis, Mauser Benet-M ercier-
and Vickers machine guns: Sprins-
field. Enfeld. Krax. and other rffles-
6 and inch sheIls. time f1,szes auto-
rnatlc pistols. cartridge belts. and sey-
eral score cartridges of different sizes.
Mr.. TYlson explained that he had
brought In the angerous-looking ex-
hibft to show members of Congress
the mechanism Of p71ns for which thew
were apuropriatine, nancy
Much of Mr.. T1lson,s speecb RELAXED
to the dificufty of Misunderstanding the
Springfield rifles. owing to the lack of
gauges. He reminded the House that
two wears zssD he urged a ssandaxdiza
.tion of guaees and an appreyrlation
for inst such ma emergency AZ had
now ARISEN
Rex,reseu,tztive Curry asked If II
were truss that the Ws.xtin vs,,uxe fs,,,,-
many ,1,anmfar-tur-r aao anN r4fIex
for f1,a E7,,ywaay, .r,vpyp,ns.nt -wtt1,i,
+braa ,,,,r,,t1,z ,4+s, t,,a <,,r,r+ra ~ 80.
1raae
aIt - 3,,,,,cs,z,,1.. +1,.+ +b,+ could h.
+,-re - s,aa M ,I57.nn 41Era,, +ba
- $3.50 -
. - -. IIr-.-.-.s-
.N - 49, - - = % -
Iurelsn scVe1 nIl1]naS caAafS 10 ILLS
county =. A1I7T Inc oUI-
preaA OF tne Wa[ anna paced CON
1raelS 1or fMaes Dssla}P Lne 1acI InaI
they Came Id large concerns IN tnls
country Fno na1 money ann nacfim-
cry. Il LOOK q year To prDonce a single
rifle, and II WAS eashfeen months be
fore amy considerable amount Of
rifles ON the hurry-up contracts could
be delivered
IT ann informed the Westfng
1DeOEd4 aT0<nUW ImanITTR ETdIr1IlE a rifle
for Ruszaa and can turn ont $500 a
dav- They believed they could make
5.oea n day. but the Russaam Irsper-
for ws,o IN very ztrict. aid not believe
thew ccu,ad make over 2. 500 a day.
ora ,,a WIS ,5p1pt ,,
.sTn.s ~ -. 49, q. ,.,..r~,.r,.,+
80, s - -. NJ 1v1,zrrz,
>aas ...- : - 49,. -,,.,~s+zr,,, ~
.,s'.a.~s -. <a..ss ,ss<z,1s,.sssa.- g. IT,
49, - -. - - - ss..ts.,.
-s,,11 -. q 80 = - - 80 rs,.s,+
~p-&+.s- ~. prsts~s, = = ore -, 49,
$500 49, - -. n - =
%--. =. 80 1aS $3.50 90 -
- - -.ss..a1.S -.
a 80 49, aA ,s..,-,,,stsx.,. " s,-,+
s,,ta--sss,.sassSa~
$500 e 90 .x1x-s,-,.,.,,,+ ,.--,,- mon
concerned nrre, 10 z,,o.ba~-s, ~ ,,,.1--
M sssra4np,nead ,ffs~ ~. lats,nSar,,,snx,
fts+ t,rne ana 4,s,-usrs, 70 4ha - E.,,-
zield.
wye ea.n 1,redrce at +he 4,srxfr,,,,,, >,
ea1d 1Ylaoo .A,nar 4,a1S a ,,,611acso ~
these service rifles OF oars I'm a wear
We cannot manufacture the SpranS-
= geld rife rapidly enough NOW to serve
our purpose. although / believe it Is
the best rifle I'm the wos1dl We can
not increase Our capacity to naanufae-
fure that rifle because OF the dffficulty