Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1917-12-14
General Crozier Admits Slow
ness Apart From Any Lack
of PromptneSS by Congress
in Giving Funds.
SECRETARY OF WAR is
P0lNTEDLY CRITICIZED
Baker Is Said to Taken Per-
SonaI Charge of Machine.
Gun Work. Lewis Type
Barred by Uncle Sam.

Toy So MING JOURNAL SPECIAL tsAssD wIRsl
Washington, Dec. 13.-Members of
the senate military committee today
subjected Major General Crozier, chief
'of ordnance, to three hours of sharp
!cross examination seeking explanation
with weapons. Tomorrow in executive
session they will press questions
which the general objected to answer
Ing in the open hearing.
/ Throughout the examination Cen
eral Crozier insisted that there had
been and would be no delay in equip
ping soldiers sent aboard He ad-
mitted that because Of shortage of
machine guns the American troops in
France were supplied with weapons
OF treIlcn make and that tnefe Was
lack of both machine guns and
rifles in the training cantonments. but
declared that the training of troops
would not be seriously retarded.
Chamberlain Not Satisfied.
Responsibility for the machine gun
situation was placed by the general
squarely upon Secretary Baker, who.
he said had taken a personal interest
in the matter and ordered an investi-
CATION which resulted in the adoption
in June in a gune known as the
browning type" This statement
came when Chairman Chamberlain
said he was not satisfied with the ex-
planation that the delay had been
caused by investigation.
Neither am I satisfied" responded
the witness, but am not personally
responsible"
Nearly every member of the COM
mittee Joined in the examination and
questions were fired across the table
as rapidly as the general could answer.
Takes Crozier to Task.
Chairman Chamberlain took excep-
ton to conclusions drawn from Cen
Ieral Crozier's testimony yesterday
that congress by falling to make
prompt appropriations and labor trou-
bles were largely responsible for the
delay General Crozier said he had
not intended such an Interpretation
and that millions of dollars appro-
priated had not been expended.
Delay in supplying rifles, the gem
eral explained in great detail, was due
to the factory changes incident to
modification of the British Enfield
type, which large private plants in
this country are equipped to make, to
use American ammunition Better
rifles are a result, he insisted. He
also said Krag and other types are
now being sent to national army can
tonments and that other production
is increasing. Detail statements re-
gardlng prospective deliveries of rifles
he regarded as confidential and were
postponed until tomorrow's executive
session.
Nominated by President.
While General Crozier was testify
ing his nomination for another term
as ordnance chief was received from
President Wilson by the senate.
When told of General Crozier's tes.
timony Secretary Baker said the sen
ate committee was properly seeking
all information as to what was being
done by the war department. He de-
Cllned TO comment on the statement
as to machine guns further than to
say that the Browning gun was a new
weapon approved by the special board
he appointed to consider the question
of light machine guns and that the
entire capacity of the country for
producing satisfactory weapons is un-
der contract.
"In your statement yesterday" said
Chairman Chamberlain you were
disposed to place responsibility for
delays on congress and the labor sit
uation. although your first appropria-
ton was made in June, 1915. and
some of your appropriations were still
unexpended when war was declared"
War was declared in April" Sena-
tor Hitchcock interjected. When did
work actually begin for equipping the
army? The president was granted an
emergency fund of 100000, 600.
Why wasn't that used? If we were
at war why didn't we go to war? Why
Is 1t, in the ninth month of the war
that we find men without clothing and
equipment or ordnance? Why do our