Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-05-07
ORDNANCE PRODUCTION
DELAYS VERY SERIOUS
output OF Heavy Browning Machine
Guns Declared Virtually at
StandstilI.
BUILD CANNoN.MAKING PLANTS
Much Of War Funds Needed for Crc-
ating Facilities for Manufacturing
Great Guns-Billion Dollars More
Asked for Airplane Construction.


Asked for Airplane Construction.
WASHINGTON. May 6.-Testimony
indicating that the War Departments
ordnance program, has fallen down to
production was placed before the House
Military Committee to-day. Major-Gcn-
eral Tracy G. Dickson, ordnance pro-
duction chief. who appeared TO ask ap-
propr!atons of 15.37s.30",S0 admitted
that III not one single particular are
accomplishments UP to promises.
lie testified that production of heavy
Brow ming machine guns. counted on as
chief weapon Of infantry, is practi-
cally at a standstil Although hun
dreds u. them should be on their way
10 France. he admitted The number ac-
tually delivered is negligible"
War Department investigation he
said is nov under way at the Colt
munitions works on why this concern
the chief contractor, has been unable
TO make deliveries as promised. Until
the department has finished the in
auiry. Dickson asked tina, the commit
tee take no action.
lie was asked by the committee TO
furnish IL complete report OF What
contracts have been let; who holds
them; the terms OF the agreements. and
why the contractors have not been held
up 10 their agreements.
REPORTS OF FAILURE ARE
ALREARi UNDER PROBE
Reports Of the ordnance failure are
already under inquiry BY the Senate
Five members OF tho Senate Military
Committee will recommend in the next
day or so whether the situation shall
be thrown open. This subcommittee
consists OF ofSenators Hitchcock, Fletcher.
Bcckham Wadsworth and Weeks.
Cost-plus" contracts wcrc largely
blamed for the situation by Dickson
lie said that labor constantly asked for
larger pay under this system. Con-
tractors were entirely willing to grant
increases. as their profits were thereby
enlarged. \ continuous stream of
strikes resulted. Efforts arc being
made now. Dickson testified. TO let only
"iat" contracts.
Another item in which in which al
most complete failure was admitted
WAS in incendiary bombs. intended for
aircraft raids over Germany. Neither
the aircraf, nor the bombs have been
produced in any quantity, Dickson
said. ic asked $500, 100000 for con
tinuancc OF this work next year.
Informal canvasses OF tho commit
tees attitude toward the Baker pro-
! gram nave shown an overwhelming
majority for the bill. There will be.
however. an attempt to call to account
the department for its accomplish
mcnts on aircraft and ordnance
Ordnance department; officials cx-
planned later in the day. when told
of the evidence given before the House
! committee. that the Colt Company had
been delayed By failure to obtain tools
for use i'll the lathes and other ma
| chimes used in turning out the heavy
| guns II was suggested that the
| shortage in skilled mechanics ac-
| counted for the failure of the Colt
! Company to obtain tools. but no cx-
| planation was forthcoming as to the
| failure of the ordnance department,
! through i;s labor department to mobil-
| ize skilled workmen from lesser cs-
| scntlal industrial plants
Unofficially II was stated that about
! twenty-five heavy type Browning ma
! chine guns arc being produced each
week. Some officials had hoped that
| by this time the production would be
near the 800 mark each week.
| Since tho failure Of the aircraft board
| to reach the point of production pub
| licly predicted by some of the members,
| officials In other government depart
ments have refused to give any csti-
! mates of what the nation may expect
in the production of war munitio..s.
| They have been inclined at all times
| to point to the fate OF officials who fail
to produce supplies they promise.
| Ordnance officials arc pleased with
| the progress made in the manufacture
OF tho light type of Browning gun.
and insist that for the present it is
| far more necessary to obtain great
Of this arm than to hamper the
.s<.s. that greater speed may be made
in the manufacture of tho heavy type.
1t developed that large part of the
immense sum asked by the ordnance
department for next year, totaling be-
tween ss,oo0,000,o00 and $4,000 Oo0. 100,
is to be spent in erecting plants in
which to build cannon, rather than for
cannon themselves. These factories
will be operated after construction
mostly by the United States Steel Cor
poration.
DIG GUNS WON'T BE IN USE
FOR ANOTHER YEAR YET
This means, Dickson admitted, that
1 1900 TTon1i. -ed 49, Soocn5 po