Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-01-28
To Harden Men.

80, the determination ultimately
was upon, an attempt to call men
needed for training. It was deemed
wise to put men into camp to learn
camp living and essentiais Of a
soldiers life, a little In advance be-
fore they could be fully supplied with
arms"
Regarding Senator Chamberlain's
statement that rifles originally sent to
camp were a motley collection"
Secretary Baker said no did not OBJ
ject to The ter1' but that the eod fa "as
springfield rifles and something over
100. 900 Krags.
THE German army. best prepared
in the world" he added. Furnished
an obsolete rife for practice until the
men learn to tax care of a better
weapon.
Necessary Guns in Use.
II do not mean to say" he added.
that the question was decided in
to have used the English Enfield. But
l do mean to say that it was de-
cidcd conscientiously and that now
every man in this country intended to
carry a rife has one and a rifle OF
better quality than il we had adopted
the existing type at the time.
And" he continued, although we
llhSS NSIS olS " IAlop hSANAA
more rapidly than we ever thought
we would or could, every soldier has
not only a modern rifle but has had
practice with it. That also is true of
every soldier who will 60 to Europe"
Turning to the machine CUR ques-
ton, Mr.. Baker said hat up to last
April the Lewis gun had not been
ammunition. although widely used for
England. The French, he said, never
took the Lewis gun in any large nun
bcrs.
Defending the lack of Lewis ma
chine guns, Secretary Baker reiter-
ated that General Pershing does not
want Lewis guns for the ground forces
but only for aviation.
THE board" he added. referring
to the board he appointed in the fall
of 1916 to test machine uns never
delayed for one second the procure
ment of additional machine guns"
He told of the navy's test of the
Lewis gun last April with an army Of
ficer present, and added:
Order Savage Guns.
GAS a result of that test. an immc-
Arms company for Lewis guns. Large
orders for Lewis guns have been
given. We are advised. however, by
General Pershing that he does not de-
sire Lewis guns for use on land. Cen
cral Pershing n his staff desire
them only for aircraft.
In the meantime said Mr.. Baker.
the French government is able to
supply us with light French guns and
heavy Hotchkiss guns for the troops
that are abroad and that will be sent
for the present.
I'VE have ordered all the Lewis
guns we could get have encour-
aged the company to extend its plant
for increased production. 1t has not
yet begun to expand to the capacity
we would like. Our army abroad is
provided with h guns 1t has elected
adapted to its use, and our supply is
to supplement that"
Obviously, he said. there were no,
as many machine guns for camp
training as was to be desired. but he
read from a table showing hat on
November l each camp Or canton
ment had been shipped thirty Colt
guns and, in addition. each regular
! cavalry regiment had been supplied
with ten Lewis guns and each infantry
regiment with ten Chauchat.
practically all of these were ship.
ped before the troops were ready 70,
, them; that is, before November L.
|: Mr. Baker said.
t Senator Reed asked if before the
troops were ready for them mean,
that the men needed preliminary
|. training Or before they had been mo
? Secretary Baker said he believed
that IT meant that the ranges had MOI
been completed n also hat prelim.
/, mary training was necessary.
| Senator Kirby asked why Levi.
. guns had been sent to the camps wher
; it had been decided not to use then
; with the land forces.
Csed for Experience.
Secretary Baker said it was so thu
| Vaccinations of as many types as
possible.
On the question Of big guns. Sec.
rotary Baker recalled that General
Crozier. chief of ordnance. had urs.
ed congress and the various secretar-
les of war continuously for larger
programs because of the time it TOOK
he thought. to show tina General
Crozier had realized the delay that
must be faced and sought to prepare
in advance.
Reading from n letter from NJ.
Tardieu. French high commissioner,
Secretary Baker showed that France
entered the war with more than g..
| OVv pieces VI JcdNS al tIiISI! " ou'J
40 quick freers. Great effort was
made. NJ. Tardieu said. to get the
slow firing guns from the fortresses
into service for the field, and this pol
icy proved to be a mistake as quick
firers were needed for field work.
An appended list of orders rl
heavy artillery placed by France, the
secretary said. showed that "it die
not lie in the Imagination of any one
to realize what the ordnance program
! Of the war would become-not ever
France. the very seat of the conflict
. with the enemy at her throat.
1--WE had a limited arnoun Of artil'
lery and u first step" the secretar,
said. was to speed up that ALREADY
ordered and in process Of manufac
ture."
British and French theory of ar
tillery usage differs, he said, adding
I'VE had to decide for ourselves
what we should use"
Study Abroad.
Army experts were sent abroad t.
r study the question. Early in June j
was intimated that France had SO ia
accelerated her industrial program
that 1.-The wastase Of industry woul'
. not fully occupy her AM
that she could supply artillery 70
American forces, then going to Franc
without curtailing her own forces
Captain Tardieu opened the subject.
ION July 13 or H." Mr.. Baker con
tinued, ar agreement was made b
t. which the French government agree
n IN sunnIy the nrincjna1 nieces If Z