The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1917-12-31
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for orr failure to get it must rest
upon the people as whole.
General Crozier was recalled by the
? committee to answer charges OF IN
efficiency and lack of foresight, mace
Inv previous witnesses. He demanded
that he be permitted to make his ex-
planation under oath. No other W.T.
ness before the committee has gwen
sworn testimony, but upon the sugges-
ton of Senator Frelinghuysen that
the attorney general may later want
to use some of the evidence here,
General Crozier was sworn.
General Crozier, reading from a
icarefully prepared statement, told
how he had arranged last summer
with Andre Tardieu. head of the
French mission. for manufacture in
French factories. enough French rs
land 155 millimeter howitzers to sup
I ply all American forces sent to France
! to March 1, 1918. Emphatically deny
! ing that American forces were taking
artillery from France and England,
artillery which France and England
could not afford to give, General Gro
zier read from a cablegram sent the
war department from France by Cen
eral Bliss, chief of staff on December
IS.
Bliss cabled that the munitions min.
listers of France and England had
stated that the expansion of their ar
tillery production made it possible for
them to equip all American forces
sent abroad in 1918 and longer, II
necessary, with all sorts of artillery.
To save tonnage needed for other
things, the French and English agreed
to provide this artillery and ammuni-
ton for it. Delivery of artillery to
General Pershing's forces is now ex-
ceeding the promises of manufacture
ers. Pershing has been getting rs
and 155 millimeter howitzers in con-
siderable quantities since September.
Switching to the criticism of the
ordnance department for its failure to
provide machine guns, particularly
Lewis guns, General Crozier declared
the Lewis gun never proved satisfac-
tory in tests until May II, this year.
Though the Lewis gun as manufac-
tured for Great Britain proved highly
elective, the guns of this type offered
this government did not prove SO.
Why this is so. is a question / can't an
swer." said Crozier.
When war was declared upon Ger
many, Crozier said, all but 81 800, 900
of $12,OO0,00 previously appropriated
for machine guns had been spent
through contracts for machine guns
and automatic rifles.
On April IL, on Crozier's recommen-
Gation, the 81, 500. 900 was invested in
Lewis guns, which Crozier said had
been greatly improved since Ats ear
lier reflections.
-, ~ II
Lewis, inventor Of this gun, ever Of
rered his gun to this government free
or at any price" declared Crozier.
THE only offer OF this gun was made
through the Automatic Arms company.
The company wrote after the Lewis
gun had been rejected, that 1t was en-
tirely satisfied with the tests"
This statement was in answer to
Colonel Lewis statement that he had
repeatedly offered his gun free to the
government, but that offer had never
been accepted. Crozier also denied
that he had opposed adoption OF a
range finder, although the government
had to spend several thousand dollars
perfecting the invention before 1t was
disable.
More than 5000 machine gums
now are under order, Crozier stated.
SO 900 OF them from French manu-
+facturers. Deliveries of these will
insure perfect equipment OF all Amer1-
can troops abroad With both heavy
machine guns and automatic rifles.
The French government, Crozier said,
displayed the same willingness to sup
ply machine guns as artillery.
Crozier said the charge that his de-
partment turned down the offer OF
Colt machine guns. by stating it was
mot interested" was only partly
true.
1--WE had at that time spent all but
81 ,5OO, 600 of our available money for
types of guns proved moA adaptable"
said Crozier. "The Colt gun was go
ing out of use. General Pershing
never asked for them, though we
asked him If he wanted them
General Pershing cabled US to
push manufacture Of Vickers guns and
said until the new Browning guns
were ready, American troops abroad
should be equipped with Vickers
Hotchkiss and French type guns"
| Replying to the charge that toe
much time was lost in making the
modified LeeEnfield rifle interchange
able, Crozier showed the committee
parts of the rifle and explained why II
was considered important to have
them interchangeable.
In this connection he read letter
from an unnamed commander Of a ma
itional army camp.
There has been no delay in this
camp through lack of rifles" wrote
the commander Machine guns and
automatic rifles reached the camp be
fore the men were ready to use them
at is my opinion that the troops will
be equipped and trained before ships
are ready to transport them to
Europe"
Rifles are now available for every
man in camp, CroZier continued. He
said the lack of rifles testified to by
three camp commanders was due ia
the failure of the railways to deliver
them.
1--WE should be permitted to go
ahead when we see the need for ac-
ton" he declared.
ro S0n T esruic