The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1917-12-23
GUN SHORTAGE
IN j. s. BLAMED
ON 'CR0ZIERISM'
Col. Lewis Says Ordnance
Bureau Is Obsolete and
Incompetent.
TELLS NEEDS OF ARMY
Ministry Of Munitions, With
"Hc Man" at Head. Urged
by Arms Co. Official.
TELLS NEEDS OF ARMY
Special Despdtch to THE SuS.

Hpet"f DeepUfCN 10 IHE SCN
WASHINGTON, Dec. 22.-The machine
gun requirements OF the United States
Army under the stress of war demand
that every machine gun OF every mod
ern usable pattern must be manufac-
tured by every gun works in the United
States. working at full speed with full
complement OF operatives night. day and
Sunday. from now until the end Of the
war.
This was the definition OF prepared
ness for the machine gunners OF the
United States Army. Marine Corps. Ma
tional Guard and National Army set by
Col. Isaac Newton Lewis, inventor and
producer Of the Lewis machine gun. be-
fore the Senate Committee on Military
Affairs to-day. His testimony indi-
Gated that such a programme was not
being lived up to and hardly even under
consideration in the war plans Of the
Government The blame for the present
and probable future shortage he laid
directly at the door Of the War De-
partment. which he said was too per-
iireated with "Crozierism" to be efficient
in modern war times.
Col. Lewis charged that the Ordnance
Bureau of the War Department Is obSo-
lete. incompetent and utterly inadequate
10 handle the problem OF supplying the
American army with the guns II re-
quires. Colonel Lewis's testimony was
supplemented with that Of A. f. Borie
president of the Savage Arms Company.
now engaged in manufacture OF Lewis
guns for the United States. Great Brit
ain and France. This company has
large contracts for Lewis guns for the
army and the Marine Corps. placed when
the emergency of war forced the War
Department. to accept the Lewis gun
which had been repeatedly turned down
by Ns experts. only to be taken up BY
both French and British when the war
opened.
Urges Ministry Of Munitions.
IT would suggest the appointment OF
he man who is not a pussyfooter for
the head Of a ministry OF munitions.
announced Mr.. Borie to the committee
when asked for his views with regard to
the desirabiiity of aplitting the War De
partment into two executive depaNs
ments.
Mr. Bore argued that the conduct Of the
Ordnance Department was not business
like.
j
fault" said he. THESE men are not
business men. but army officers. and
what you ought to do is 10 throw out
the whole flock and get in business men
to conduct this strictly business proposi-
ton
The testimony OF Col Lewis. who en-
tered the United States service thirty
eight years ago and retired only when
he had reached the limit OF patience.
held the attention OF the committee as
In a wise. He said:
Your sons and my sons are in
France. or are going there. Their
equipment is a disgrace to their country.
They have no machine guns. no artillery.
nothing except what they beg from
Frances supply. while poor France is
sirainng every nerve to keep up to her
own needs 1t is up to you to fx the
responsibility.
We are not going to have artillery
for ten or eleven months. We will not
have machine guns for many months
The much vaunted Browning gun. which
is declared to be the best machine gun
ever invented. is only promised for next
May. ! do not believe 1t will be ready
them
May Have Guns In Late Spring.
1t was Col. Lewis's view that the con-
centration of effort on the part of the
manufacturers and the contracts now
undergoing ful1llment in the Savage
Arms Company. the Winchester, Rem
ington and Colt and Marlin factories
would produce a supply Of machine gun
almost adequate for the needs OF The
army by the latter part Of the spring.
He gave II AZ his view that the proper
proportion OF machine guns for the
American or any other army was SO 900
weapons to every million men. This
requirement. he said. was an annual
one. and in order that there should be no
inadequacy through wastagc. wear and
tear, destruction or capture 'he thought
the army should be supplied with not
less than 10000 machine guns per mil
lion men per annum
The point in Col. Lewiss testimony
which evoked the most comment in the
committee. however. was his statement
that finally at the entrance Of the United
States into the war he received an order
for $50 Lewis guns. He sent. when the
Government paid its bill. his check to
the order Of the Secretary Of War for
the total amount of his royalties. which
were s10.ss9. The check, Col. Lewis
said. had been cashed by the Govern
ment, but down to the present moment
no acknowledgment of his unnecessary
contribution has been made. The check
was sent in April and cashed In July.
Will Not Accept Royalties.
Col. Lewis proposes TO continue sur
rendering royalties to the Government
throughout the war. He told the COM
mittee that his royalties on contracts
now made between the Savage Arms
Company and the Government would
amount to approximately S2.500.000.
This sum he intended to return to the
Federal Treasury whether ne was
thanked for It or not.
Col. Lewis took very definite issue
with the statements made by Major
Gen. Crozier before the committee to
the effect that France could readily
spare the guns which were being loaned
to our forces. He said Gen. Croxier's
statement was astounding and could not
be borne out by the facts.
At only ono point was the testimony OF
Col Lewis at variance with that OF the
other arms experts from civil life who have
appeared before the committee, He ex-
pressed the belief that when the United
States adopted the Enfield rife It should
have adopted the unmodifed British