Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1917-12-13

field test under actual war conditions,
Crozier admitted.
"We declared war in April; when
did you actually begin equipping the
army for war I" asked Hitchcock.
Crozier replied: Before the war, in
that we were then getting the equip
ment for the first increment for the
army authorized by the act of June
Is, 1916"
Chamberlain demanded why it took
Grozier so long after war was declar-'
ed to submit estimates of needed funds
to congress, if he had started work on
the first increment of the army author
lied in 1916.
operations required by law caused the
delay
Delayed Asking Funds
"We appropriated $l00,000,000 as
an emergency fund before the war was
declared, - said Hitchcock. +" Why
wasn't it used?''
Chamberlain prevented an answer by
asking "When did you first ask for
a share of this sum-
"The first formal request was made
in August, y said Crozier
III remember speaking about it once
or twice before that time. -
" Yiu got it as soon as you asked
for it, didn't you?" asked Chamber
lain. y
Yes, we got $35,ooO,O ,OOO," replied
Crozier
Senator Weeks returned to the sub
ject of pre-war preparations for con
gress.
every man in the country antici-
pated war long before it came said
Weeks "'What preparations did you
make before the war declarationq'
"We listed people we could get to
work for us and made estimates OF
needed MATERIAL replied Crozier.
Troops Abroad Well Armed
Crozier declared every American sol
dier abroad has modern American
rifle. He angrily declared a statement
by Senator Hitchcock that hundreds
of thousands of men in cantonments
are without rifles and therefore are
unable to complete their training, unI
true.
'tThousands of men are without
rifles" admitted Crozier, "but not
hundreds Of thousands. Rifles are now
on the way to the cantonments which
need them most. y 8
Crozier said rifles were sent to can
tonments in the ratio of one rifle to
every three men, early in September.
Considerably more than one man
can use one rifle, y said Crozier.
Rifles for Camps
Crozier admitted that some canton
ments didn't get any rifles until Octo-
Der. The first rifles sent to canton
ments were not the modern type the
army will use in France, but an obso-
lete type for which there was no am
munition. This, he said, made neces
sary postponement Of target practice
until modern rifles could be obtained.
''Isn't the real reason for the delay
to be found in the quarreling of the
war department over the Lewis gun9"
demanded Chamberlain.
Chamberlain Wants to Know
"That caused some delay admit
ted Crozier.
g At the outbreak of the war we had
very few machine guns in hand. No
body ever thought they would play
such an important part in the war. Oar
actual output Of machine guns when
we declared war on Germany was moth
ing. Some Lewis guns were being made
in this country for England, but be-
fore we could use these guns we had
to change them to make our ammunt-
tion available.
Senator McKellar asked why no part
of an appropriation made for machine
guns in 1916 had been used in provid
ing them
Part of it was allotted in contracts
for Vickar guns, such as we use in
our aviation service, said Crozier
But no guns have been ordered9''
asked McKellar.
"None, replied Crozier.
Well, what has the war depart
ment done to get machine guns be- |
tween the making of that very eonsid- |
erable appropriation in 1916 and our |
into the war9P
Waiting for Test
''The chief STEP answered Crozier, |
was the setting of time for com
petitive test of several machine guns.
The time was set for May, 1917, and /
he test was held then"
$50 that it WASH t until after we
lad been in the war a month that we
lecided which machine gun we w'Sre
going to use7'
80 The decision was made this June,
replied Crczier.
Factories to Blame
Questioning by committee members
brought out the fact that when the
United States entered the war the