Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1917-12-13
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guns, Crozier stated. But until they
actually begin deliveries, the Ameri-
can army will have to depend on
France for most Of its machine guns.
Senator Wadsworth inquired
whether I'VE are not taking a chance
| by planning to equip our army with
guns never tested in the field" Gro
zier didn't see any danger.
Wadsworth brought out the fact
that more than 10000 light machine
divisions of the army.
And none of these has yet been de-
livered?" asked Wadsworth.
| None" replied Crozier.
when will they begin to be?"
Next April"
why don't we use the Lewis as the
English dor" insisted Wadsworth.
ENOUGH FROM FRENCH.
I'VE are getting enough guns from
the French" answered Crozier. Well
use Lewis guns If we can't get any
other. But we are certain that all
our troops that get into the theater Of
war before next April will be equipped
with these light French machine
guns"
These guns shoot French ammuni-
tion," Crozier said, but are later to
be made in this country so they will
shoot American ammunition.T
Through this summer the American
output of machine guns for our forces
was practically nothing" Crozier
said.
The delay wasn't due to lack of
money. not to labor conditions. and
have never been entirely satisfied what
1t was due to-"
4 CAUSE POINTED OUT.
} isn't the real reason for the delay
to be found In, the quarreling of the
: war department over the Lewis gun %
demanded Chamberlain.
That caused some delay admitted
Crozier.
"At the outbreak Of the war we had
very few machine guns on hand. No
body ever thought they would play
such an important part in the war. Our
actual output of machine guns when
we declared war on Germany was
nothing. Some Lewis guns were being
! made In this country for England, but
t before we could use these guns we had
to change them to mako our ammuni-
, ton available"
NO GUNS OBTAINED.
Senator Mcclellan asked why no par
OF an appropriation made for machine
guns in 1915 had been used In provid.
!. Ing them.
Part o( Il was allotted In contract,
. for Wicker guns. such as We use In oul
I aviation service" said Crozier.
but no guns had been obtained ?
. asked Mcclellan.
None" replied Croker.
= well, what has the war department
done to get machine guns between tn
making Of that very considerable ap
preparation in 1915 and our entranc
into tho warn
"The chief STEP answered Croker
, was the setting OF time for . com
petitive test of several machine guns
4 The time was set for May. 1917. an
II the test was held them
i $50 then 1t wasn't until after we ha
: been in the war q month that we de
9 cided which machine gun we we're go
ing to use"
3 DECISION IN JUNE,
4 Tho decision was made this June,
: REPLIED Croker. Questioning BY com
mittee members brought out the fac
that when the United States enters
the war the rifle factories were max
tns 10000 rifles daily for the allie,
Now they are making a little bette
than 5000 daily for the army"
II Committeeman demanded he explai
the cutting In half of this productio
: of a vital weapon.
"It's principally due to the disinte
grafton OF the nations in the factories,
said Crozier.
"was not some one grossly nesli
gent in allowing these organization
10 d,sinteprate? ?" asked senator Week