New-York tribune., 1917-12-14
Gen. Crozier's Testimony
Before Senate Committee

war, we find our men in the camps
without clothing, and why do our men
use the French artillery at this time {?
Crozier: In regard to clothing, that
does not come IN my department.
presume the Quartermaster General
will inform you as 10 that. Taking,
however, the supply Of artillery, and
the necessity for our army having
supply Of the French artillery, | will
say that no appropriation that could
possibly have been made at the time
of the outbreak of the war could have
had any effect worth mentioning at all
with regard 10 the situation as TO ar
tillery.
Chairman: That is, heavy ordnance?
Crozier: ! mean light cannon. Take
the lightest one, for instance, which is
not substantial artillery at all, the
three-inch gun.
b Chairman: Were we not manufactur-
ing ordnance for our allies at the time
war was declared in this country?
Crozier: Yes, sir.
Chairman: Was not the same ma
chinery available for manufacturing
ordnance for this country that was
available for manufacturing for our
allies?
Crozier: II was not available if we
continued to manufacture for our al
lies. After starting in with appropria-
tions in April for the procurement of
artillery, one would start in with no
hope OF having artillery TO amount TO
anything in quantity by December of
the same year.
Hitchcock: Congress hastily prepared
for this and appropriated Sl00,OO0,OO0
without restrictions, and now. in
March, we find it has not been used.
Crozier: That / cannot speak in re-
gard to. | know, in a general way,
that it was reserved for certain par
ticular purposes. ! mentioned yester-
day a part that was used for the ord
nance department.
Chairman: When did you first re-
quest the President TO give you any
part of the S100,000,000 for the use OF
the ordnance department?
Crozier: | think il was in August
that the request was made. | remem-
Der speaking about it once or twice.
Chairman: That was four months
after the declaration of war. Whst
were you doing in the mean time 20
provide ordnance?
Crezier: was engaged, first, in max
ing estimates, and then negotiating
with manufacturers, then placing or
ders with the funds that l had at my
disposal, with those which were appro
priated in the act of June 10. was
given TO understand that the S100,000,-
900 would not be available for the gen.
eral purposes Of the ordnance depart
ment.
Chairman: But you got it as soon
as you made a Tequisition?
Crozier: | got $35,000,000 for a GER
tain purpose. An important feature of
the matter was that it was known per-
fectly we'll that no great amount of
that allotment of S35,000,000. if any
of il, could be expended by the time
the appropriation bill would probably
pass.
Senator Weeks: And. as a matter OF
fact, none was expended?
Crozier: No, sir.
Hitchcock: | think the committee
wants to get at what was done in
March, April, May and June. when Con-
gress was giving all the money out and
apparently no start was made? What
was done then?
Crozier: Why, Senator, that is the
UlSAdht III Aut NOIiu 10 sup
pose that no start was made. There
was tremendous start, and a great
many things were done. i
Weeks: Take the S90,000000 which
you anticipated and did receive as the
result of the appropriation before the
4th of March. When were the orders
placed?
Crozier: They were placed all along
Ittr n n VI
spring of the years 1916-17.
Hitchcock: When were they deliv-
cred?
Crozier: Most of it has not been
delivered yet.
Hitchcock: Is the delay in the manu-
facture?
Crozier: Senator, it is not a delay.
1t takes that long to make these things.
Hitchcock: Does it take that long to
make field artillery? =
o Crozier: Yes, sir; it takes that long
TO make field artillery.
Hitchcock: Does it take the Euro
pean countries that long to make it?
Crozier: Yes, sir; il takes long
time. / have been told that in ordinary
times, from the time that a new de-
sign of field artillery makes its ap-
pearance in Germany this has
been told me In gosSlpy way-untll
that piece of artillery. if it is success
full. and if it gets through the design
ing stage, the testing stage, and passes
through the different stages of modif-
cation, is accepted and ready for
production, is several years. If you
have designed even a field piece and
can place an order for it, for one piece,
you can manufacture a gun and car
riage in much less time than that, but
when you consider all the delays nee