The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1917-12-13
ORDNANCE
WORK LAGGARD
No Preparations Before
War Was Declared on
Germany
PERSHING'S MEN USE
FRENCH CANNON
Chief of Ordnance Tells of
Conditions in His Branch
of the Army

Washington, Dec. l3.-American lag.
gardness in preparation for the European
war was the subject of some startling
disclosures yesterday, when the Senate
committee on military affairs was given
an opportunity to question Major Gen
eral William Crozier. chief of the bureau
OF ordnance, and after the general had
told long and not especially interesting
story of the growth of his bureau since
the opening of the war. 1t was not until
after Senator John w Weeks, who had
been detained by local suffrage hear
ing, entered the room and began prying
at the lid that il showed symptoms of
coming off. In response to questions BY
Senator's Weeks and Wadsworth of New
| York, General Crozier testified TO the
sensational facts that:
Practically no preparations for war
were made under his direction before the
actual declaration of war last April.
The ordnance bureau had done nothing
more than make card index Of manu-.
featuring firms which might furnish sup
plies.
No guns, cartridges, uniforms or any
other war material had been even tenta-
lively contracted for when the president
advised Congress April 2
The United States is dependent upon
the French government for the field ar
tilery which is being used by our troops
in France and will continue to be for
several months.
1t will be next summer before field
guns for the home forces will be ready
for use
Labor conditions are causing great de-
lays in munition plants, but no definite
steps to improve them have been taken
beyond the appointment OF committee
to look into this subject General Croz
Ter declares that something must be done
TO compel workmen to stay in munition
plants. Conditions In the United States
arsenals are not as bad as among outside
manufacturers.
Both England and France have
reached point where their artillery out
put is in excess of the wsstage," said |
General Crozer I'VE have had offers |
from them to manufacture for us certain |
kinds of artillery, which we are taking |
advantage of to very large extent. 1t |
is very fortunate thing, and helps to
make up for the long years OF neglect in
this branch of the service. With this /
assistance we shall be able to supply our
forces with artillery promptly. We are
getting from France the 70 millimetre L
guns and the l55 millimetre howitzers
for all the troops we have sent Il
over and those that viii go for several
months TO come. We are short of artil-
lery here at home but We are not short
on the other side. 1t is a godsend to
have had this assistance. All the artil-
ery our troops are using abroad is of
foreign make We shall not be caught b
lp with the demand at home until next
summer Ii
The committee were little doubtful .
Is to whether facts of this character |
hould be made public, but upon General !
Jrozier remarking that they were no Sc !
ret, the correspondents were allowed to |
%. Details will be given the committee t
" General Crozier in executive session. |
Another point brought out by General 5
'rozier was that of the 500 100000 vot {