The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-12-14
GENERAL CROz|ER PLACES BLAME ON SECRETARY OF WAR Chief of Ordnance Says Baker Supervised Ma
 chine Gun Selection DEPARTMENT HEAD IS SHARPLY QUESTIONED Senate Committee Is Going Deeply Into Cause of
 Delay in Equipping
 the Army

Washington, December 13. Members of the Senate military committee today subjected Major General Crozier, chief of ordnance, to three hours of sharp cross examination, seek ing explanation of delays in providing the war army with weapons. Tomorrow in execu- tive session they will press questions which the general ob- jected to answering in the open hearing.
 Throughout the examination General Crozier insisted that there had been i and would be no delay in equipping soldiers sent abroad He admitted that because of a shortage of machine guns l the American troops in France were supplied with weapons of French make and that there was lack of both ma chine guns and rifles in the training cantonments, but declared that the l training of troops would not be serious. ly retarded.
 Responsibility for the machine gun situation was placed by the general squarely upon Secretary Baker, who, he said, had taken personal interest in the matter and ordered an investi- gation which resulted in the adoption l in June of a new gun known as the Browning type. This statement came when Chairman Chamberlain said he was not satisfied with the explanation that the delay had been caused by in- l vestigations.
 1 DISCLAIMS RESPONSIBILITY
 Neither am I statistical responded the witness, .'but am not personally responsible" Nearly every member cf the committee joined in the examina- tion and questions were fired across the the table as rapidly as the general could answer.
 Chairman Chamberlain took excep- tions to the conclusions drawn from General Crozier's testimony yesterday that Congress by failing to make prompt appropriations. and labor troubles, were largely responsible for the delay. General Crozier said he had not intended such an interpretation land that millions of dollars appropri- ated had not been expended.
 | RIFLE DELAY EXPLAINED
 Delay in supplying rifles the gen eral explained in great detail, was du, to the factory changes incident tc modification of the British Enfieia type. which large private plants il this country are equipped to make tc use American ammunition. Better rifle. are result, he insisted He also sait Krag and other types now are beins sent to national army cantonments ant that other production is increasing. : Detailed statements regarding pros pective deliveries of rifles he regard ed as confidential and were postponed until tomorrow's executive session.
 CROZIER RENOMINATED
 While General Crozier was testifyin, l ms noHlnatlon TOT anotner term al ordnance chief was received from Pres ident Wilson by the Senate
 When told of General Crozier's testi mony Secretary Baker said the Senat committee was properly seeking all in formation as to what was being don by the war department. He decline, to comment on the statement as to ma chine guns further than to say tha the Browning gun was a new weapon approved by the special board he ap pointed to consider the question o light machine guns for the troops an
 that the entire capacity of the countr
 for producing satisfactory weapons 1
 under contract.