New Britain herald., 1917-09-06
NJ PLOT SEEN IN
 BAD AMMUNITION
Baker and CroZier Blame Deteri-
 oration Of Powder

Washington, Sept. 6.-secretary Baker and Brig. Gen. Crozier. Chief of Ordnance yesterday told the Sen- ate Committee on Military Affairs that the defective small arms am- intuition sent to the Pershing expedi- ton in France was caused by deter 1 ioration due to chemical action in primers made at the Frankford Gov- ernment Arsenal. The use of potas- sium chlorate which contained a
 small portion of potassium bromate caused the deterioration. | They testified that. in their opin- ion, no outside eremy or treacherous source was responsible for the im-
 pure chemical used. Before the war the potassium used in making pri-
 mers was bro6ght from Germany. This supply being exhausted. a new source was used
 The navy first discovered the de- feet and reported it to the Ordnance Bureau of the army in May. Gen. Pershing was notified, but he has not reported any defective cartridges. Gen. Crozier said all the defective amm munition had been segregated. In presenting Secretary Baker to the committee Chairman Chamber lain said that nothing was pending | before the committee, but in view of the statements in the press as to the defective ammunition some official explanation should be made. "we desire the facts from the Sec retary of War and army officers. so 1 that we may know whether to ask for an investigation of not" he said. Several forms of primers are used 1 in small arms ammunition,' Mr. Ba- ker testified. "The one we use Is
 made of potassium clorate. In May
 it was found that ammunition made at the Frankford Arsenal was de- fective. There were 'misfires' and 1 'hangfires' with guns using it.
 One Out of Ten Bad. 1 "Other reports came. Some r1ne
 clubs had bought ammunition maoe
 by the arsenal. The reports became fairly hume merous, and they indicated that about one out of ten of par ticular class of primers was defective. 1 "The trouble was reported to the Frankford Arsenal. It was discovered bv the chemists that the potassium chlorate we were using contained pota assium bromate, which in the presence of free sulphur tends to break down, and there is some free sulphuric acid in tthe primers. The result is that when the primers stand for some time they deteriorate. "Since we discovered that the Frankford ammunition was defective none of 1t has gone out. That arsenal
 bought primers from private con- cern." Could the bromate have been put in for a purpose?" asked Senator Hitchcock.
 1T don't think so," answered MT.
 Baker.
 The secretary was asked if the de- feet could have been detected by in- spection.
 Nothing could have been dis ] covered by closer inspection, but since | the trouble has been found it can be detected. Private primer manufac- l turers use a different illuminate. The pota ssium chlorate has to be treated
 to rid 1t of potassium bromate." l Has there been any defect in the 1 ammunition of this class purchased from private concerns?" asked Sena-
 tor Chamberlain.
 1 Mo-
 | "Is it. not rema rkable that such a 1 defect would have developed at a 1 government plant?"
 1 Secretary Baker explained again l that the private concerns did not use
 that particular potassium chlorate.
 About 2 per cent. of the total sup
 ply of small arms ammunition, he
 said, is affected by the defect in the
 Frankford primer. Those primers l 1 June
 Did Not Buy Rejected Arms. "Is 1t true that the United States
 purchased small arms ammunition
 rejected by a foreign nation?" asked
 Senator Hitchcock.
 "There is no truth in that state
 ment," said Mr. Baker.
 Gen. Crozier was asked what he did if he found defects in ammunition he
 purchased.
 | "In inspecting ammunition to be
 bought" said he, i've reject any that is defective. If a defect is found
 after we have made the purchase we
 do not, as rule, turn it back.
 "The common form of primer used 1 contains illuminate of mercury, but
 this practically destroys the cartridge.
 The salvage is less. In practice the
 salvage counts, but in war it is diff
 ferent, when we want the primer to I produce results with absolute oer- | tainty above all else"
 The chemist of the Frankford 1 arsenal said the potassium bromate
 was present in such small quantities
 that 1t was difficult to find. The in-
 vestigation. he said. had required
 from the end of May to the middle of
 last month.
 MT. Baker announced he has ap- pointed the following to investigate