Arizona republican., 1917-12-19
NEED OF
 GUNS IS
 EXPOSED
[Republlcan A. P. Leased Wirel

Republican A. p. Leased Wirel
 WASHINGTON, Dec. 1S.-The con- gressional inquiry into army war prep arations broadened today with the senate military committees decision to hear private manufacturers of ord- nance and ammunition tomorrow and to delve into the clothing, canton- ment building, food and transporta- tion situation Friday by examining Major General Sharpe, quartermaster general. aSi
 From Representative Mccormick of Illinois, who recently visited the Flu ropean battle fropt, the committee heard statements in executive session today tending to contradict testimony of Major General Crozier, chief of ordnance, regarding adequacy of Gen eral Pershing's equipment, especially heavy artillery. MT. Mccormick said neither the British nor the French had enough artillery and that they were supplying Pershing only because the Americans were still worse off. As a result of the charges of de- lays and shortages in the ordnance outfitting, the senate just before ad- | journing for the holidays, indefinitely postponed action on the nomination of General Crozier for reappointment. | The nomination was brought up by | Chairman Chamberlain of the mill tary committee which had unani- mously recommended his confirma- tion. Several Senators. including committee members, objected to i'm mediate action, sharply criticizing General Crozier, and Senator Cham berlain agreed that it was advisable to postpone action until the results of the investigation were fixed
 Evidence supporting General Croz- lers statement regarding prospects of increased production or ordnance was 1 given to the committee today by samuel Nauclain, vice president of the Baldwin Locomotive company and
 a member of the civilian advisory
 committee of the war industries
 board in charge of munitions work
 He stated that, with equipment of
 many factories which had never be-
 fore engaged in making ordnance the
 supply would be adequate in the fut-
 ure to equip the American forces. He } cited comparative production figures of
 American and British factories in mak- ing rifles and small and heavy artil- lery and declared American produc-
 ton IS greatly on the increase. Representative of the Colt, Rem lngton and other munitions manufac- turers are to be examined tomorrow and Thursday. General Sharpe on . Friday and Colonel Isaac Lewis, in yentor of the Lewis machine gun. on i. Saturday.
 Committee members say it is l1rob- able that, in addition to inauiring in
 to contracts and past and future am munltlon deliveries the committee will seek causes for recent explosions in , ammunition plants.
 In statement issued tonight Rep
 resentatlve Mccormick said neither
 France nor Italy had any artillery fo
 spare.
 : "The British said MT. Mccormicl T who, in proportion to their front D have more guns by far than either of . tnelr western allies. according to their d ehle1 military authorities, will moi : nave guns enough until next spring e Ihe guns which the French give us S they give us because the imrnediStc = necessities of our little army in d france are even greater than their
 own.
 General Petain said to me: Make
 guns. Send us guns and ammunition
 rather than steel billets We are
 grateful for the little force you have |, sent us. The echo of its footballs Il carried hope to every hearth in
 trance. but as it grows there must pc perlod when we shall be taxed a to supply it. While its nunbery = slowly increase, you Americans wbe
 are a great. industrial people. must 4 see that this war is an industry ot n destruction. You will understand how 's urgent It is to send us guns. middl, Q heavles and shells, in order that ", " may De armed to win victories am Ie to defend ourselves so that some o ,- us may be alive to fight by your sid, ,e when at last America is ready" 1t The Italian army" MT McCormicl l. continued, had something less thar
 one quarter as many guns as in,
 Brltlsh and French armies combined
 although there was no great differ
 ence in the length of the fronts. T.
 Italy they suffered from a shortac,
 of ammunition.
 "The middle heavy is to this wa
 what the steamshovel was to Pana n ma. If We make guns enough an. Y transport them to Europe before th, n spring of 1919 we ought to win tbi
 war without terrible losses. With out the guns we shall lose the me-
 and maybe lose the war.
 Id We must build for ourselves an, lg the allies 25,000 cannon That is th
 estimate of the best military opinio to in Europe. But apparently we sha' ar have produced practically no gun ln within a year after our declaration oh of war.
 % Tt seems evident enough that " at must create a department of muni SC tons just as the French and tn X English have done. The problem c n- gun and ammunition making is so bi Ia that even the ablest industrial execu Id tive in Aemrica will find he is taxe
 to the ultimate in directing their pro I'd auction. Time is the essence of vc CT tory ana cannon are the weapons b ts which 1t must be won. We mus
 make guns enough in time to win.'