The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1918-01-01
RIFLES ENOUGH
INSIDE A MONTH
Gen. CrOzier Answers Crit
icisms Against i. S.
Ordnance Dept.
FACTORIES ARE
AHEAD OF ESTIMATES
Cannon Were Supplied by Allied Ma
tions at Their Own Suggestion-Says
Lewis Gun Was Not Perfected Until
Last April

WASHINGTON, Jan. Complete
SUI plies Of rifles within month for all
American forces under arms We're
promised Yesterday BY Maj Gen. Croz'
Ter, chief of ordnance, testifylng before
the s,nate military committee.
Sprinafelds for ever regular ana
National Guardsman Will be ready be-
fore Feb. !, he said, and the manu-
facture of remodeed Enfields for the
first National army viii be finished
in a week.
As to machine guns, the general sand
a full supply of American make shenld
he ready by July | next. Rifles Tor
the next draft, he declared, would be
on hand before the men were IN camp.
Gen. Crozier appeared particularly 70
aaswcr charges made by Col. Isaac y.
Lewis. inventor of the Lewis machine
gun.
He submitted a prepared statement
detailing the official record Of the wal
department 3 dealings with the Lewis
gun and then submitted To a cross X
animation of several hours, during
which many interesting points were de
veloped.
In reply to assertions made recently
bE other witnesses that the allies hac
furnished heavy CANS to the hmericai
evolutionary forces only because tn,
Americans were worse oil than they
the general submitted official docu
mcntl to prove that England aae
France Voluntarily offered 10 provide
cannon, their output having dcrelope,
/ 10 the point where surplus was being
! produced.
/ Cen Crozier refused to shoulder re
suor hilitr for the failure 70 eluiI
the army adequately with ordnance be
/ fcrc the war he said it belonged I
! the country, and cited the refusal 0
the GHafe.ary OF war ana congress i
tho pa to approve modest ord
nanec programs.
The general vigorously defended hi
course IN regard to the Lewis machin
gun. He gave the committee the re,
OIL Of the various tests to which I'll
gun was put and REPORTS Of the arm
experts show that il had not been den
onstTat"d to be satisfactory weapo
until April 1915, after which order
for them were given by tho depar
ment -
Whom Gen. Crozier finished Scnatt
Hitchcock. who has been one of b
chief questioners, ann ouncel that he W.
entirely ltiyfied with the record B.
fore the war, but still did not unde
stand why more Of the Lewis gul
were not ordered aftcrward.
Among other things, Gen. Crozi,
: told the committee that the COVER
! merit already was building a powd
factory that would have daily c
pacity Of million pounds
He denied stories that wooden Cul
had been furnished to men in the ca
! tonmcnts, explaining that what hi
!, been taken for guns were sticks +
bayonet practice.
/ Concerning payments for the Brow
ing gun, Gen. Crozirr said the COVER
ment s policy was to pay outright. !
said he and Secretary Baker both a
proved the agreement to pay $2,250, o.
IN advance royalties.
For that sum, the general sai
1--WE secure the night during tho "
to make as many guns as the Cover
e mcnt desires. Already we have order
enough 50 that the royalties Won
amount 70 thrcc or four times tn
sum.
Il Gen Crozier explained the Cover
e mont will not pay any more royalti
J. on Browning gums during the war. '
n. tuallv acquiring the American man
!, featuring rights.
: Senator Frelinghuysan brought Q
: that in the war department contra,
l. there are no stipulations or penalti
d regarding deliveries.
,. ''Thcn YOU are practically in I
. power Of the manufacturers the S,
l. ator asked.
It "No, | can step in and take OF
$ the factories, said the witness. 'B
- actually. they are exceeding cstimat
Of deliveries.