Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1917-12-23

ADrOad-StateS NOndiih)n O{ Pershins's Supplies Is
 Disgrace. Washington, Dec. 22.-Colonel Isaac Lewis, inventor of the celebrated ma : chine gun bearing his name told the : senate committee Investigating con I duct of the war "the whole story of
 his efforts to get the war department to adopt his invention. Lewis, center of stormy contro- I versy of two years duration, told the senators that he did not at first offer
 his weapon to the British but that
 while an active officer in the army I tried without avail to persuade the war department to accept it free of }! cost.
 Colonel Lewis said he took his in
 veltion to the chief of staff, then Maior-General Leonard Woou. q want to present it to the gov- ernment," he said.
 Even last June I went to the pres.
 ent secretary of war and offered him all my interests, without any emolu- AAAOAl. AC CO1iu1JlOU, WHICH 1
 think was fair, was that the official
 test should not be made at tho Springfield arsenal" When Senator Hitchcock asked if any others were interested in his gun said the stockholders of tho Auto matic Arms company, who backed his early patents were interested.
 Sni6 thoxy hoir ;,,4o |, was asked.
 Colonel Lewis protested "It was turned down flat Renewed Offer Last Year.
 letter dated December il last, re-
 newing his offer of his gun to Secre
 tary Baker, was read by Colonel Lew
 is. In it he offered also to turn over all of his share-forty-three per cent of all royalties aggregating $2,OOO,
 % under existing contracts. In the letter Colonel Lewis protested against T alleged injustice of statements by
 Secretary Bader regarding the gun He cited the success the British had
 had with his arm and declared that
 of twelve Zeppelins brought down by
 the British, ten were bagged with the Lewis gun.
 "I want it understood that | was . and am, ready to give my check to
 the secretary for my royalties or my
 interest in the patent" he said, stat
 ing he had offered his gun repeatedly in 1911, 1912, and afterwards. "I kept it alive" he said
 How he sent his checks for $11 ,OOo
 and $6,7O0 of royalty receipts to the secretary on certain contracts was
 detailed by Colonel Lewis.
 General Crozier promptly advised it's rejection" he said.
 Asked why he was willing to give
 his royalties as we'll as patents to
 the government, Colonel Lewis ans
 wered:
 q suppose it's psychological" he answered. q don't need the money.
 I suppose and hope my offer ultimate ly will be accepted"
 "You simply want periodically to
 help the government and because you
 were in the service?'
 "Yes, I was educated by the gov
 ernment. I've been persecuted by
 the government and I want to help
 the government"
 The ordnance equipment of General l C1 d1u1y, Ac Sd1u, IS du OuC- rage and disgrace" The forces are
 without enough machine guns or ri- fles, he said, and have heavy artillery
 only borrowed from allies.
 This country would not have mil nel Lewis declared.
 Blames CrOzier. "Who is responsible?' he asked. r. ic 1sH H1N for inadequate equipment of United States forces than anyone" After rebuffs of his gun by the war department, Lewis said he went to
 Europe, retiring from the United States army, "disgusted and disgrun- tled," expecting to live abroad. A group of Belgian bankers, ne contin. ued, bought the European rights to , his gun. The Belgian company, he found in 1913, was drifting into German con. trol, and he busted the German di- , rectors., He went to Birmingham, , England, and in 4S hours, ne said, closed contract with a British firm The gun used in the Belgian and Brit
 ish tests, resulted in it's acceptance at
 both places, were the same original
 models the American government re-
 fused to test in 1912. The ammuni- tion, used in the British tests was of American design, he said. Senator Chamberlain asked why the army should opopse the Lewis gun and the inventor replied: sThey want to kill it, to take the label off it." r. The Browning gun he characteriz- ed as picture. figment of the : imagination" Ordinance manufactur- : CTS have previously described it as 5 superior to anything else now l known).
 .| "It'S tru. if eot through the arsen.