Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-09-29
MAKING 1900 RIFLES
EVERY DAY FOR ARMY
Each National Army Camp to Have
5000 for Training-Supply All
Men Before Sailing.
PARTS ARE INTERCHANGEABLE
Ordnance Department Able to Sc
cure End by Delaying Early Dolly.
eries-Big Increase In Daily Pro-
duction Expected Shortly.

WASHINGTON. September 2S-Each
National Army camp will have 5000
rifles for training purposes. Each man
will have a rife by the time he starts
for France. That Is the situation as
regards arms shortage. as set forth
at the War Department to-day.
In each OF the National Army camps
there will be 10000 men to practice
with tho 5000 rifles.
War waBtage has proved IT necessary
to provide at least flvo rifles per man
for active service.
Rifles are now being produced for
the draft army at the ratio OF 1900
day. There arc $4,000 men to be sup
piled. War experience proves 1t will be
necessary to have at least 3,25O,000
rifles for this number.
The War Department has been prom
ised by manufacturers that the rifle
output will Increase each day. For
European armies as many as 10000
rifles n day were manufactured In the
United States. but the e-chambering
OF the English Enfield to meet the re-
quirements of the American Spring
field ammunition has made IL necessary
to use new machinery. and the output
OF rifles has therefore been reduced.
The National Army will be equipped
with EnncldS only. The regulars and
National Guard will have Springhelds.
BrigadierGeneral Crozier. chief of
ordnance. to-day made the following
statement:
My attention has been called to
published reports that there is
shortage OF rifles at the cantonmcnts.
and that three rifle manufacturing con-
Germs have been idle during the summer
when they might have been engaged in
manufacturing rifles.
ARMS COMPANIES HAVE NOW
BEGUN MAKING DELIVERIES
"Thcse arms companies have not been
idle. but have been making extensive
preparations for turning out rifle
which would give us both a reasonable
degree OF interchangcabllity OF import
ant parts, and uniform ammunition.
Two of them have begun making de-
livcries. Two days ago the deliveries
Of these three factories and the two
government ones were 1900 rifles a
day. The deliveries now are moro than
1900 day and the deliveries will
progressively Increase. The third com
pany. until recently on British con-
| tracts. is practically ready to begin
deliveries
And they also say that whenever n
| soldier Is ready to go TO Europe-that
is. when he is trained and equipped in
| every other way-a modern rife will
be ready for him.
AT the outset Of tho war Il was fully
| recognized and explained that we could
pursue two courses. either experience 4
perfectly endurable delay and produce
rife with intercha ng ea BILE parts to
use standard ammunition. or produce
rifles more rapidly. but without inter-
changeability of parts and Incapable OF
using uniform ammunition.
| by waiting two or three months we
have not only obtained a men ammuni-
ton rifle. but rifle with parts which
may be interchanged quickly on the
battle fields OF the earth. and which
| may be turned out by three factories
OF this country. Tho ordnance bureau
Is willing TO stand on this basis, mas
much as every soldier will be supplied
rifle OF that type when he sails for
| France.
There ere now at each Of the can
comments 5000 rifes suitable for drill
| ing purposes"