New-York tribune., 1918-01-01
Plenty Of Guns for Army by
First of February, Crozier Says
COntinued FROM page !

stand there is any machine gun short
age in Italy.
Senator Wadswcr.h inquired into
equipment at Camp Funston, saying lie
understood 5000 rounds Of 3-inch AM
runition had been sent there for use
in A few 32-inch guns borrowed from
Fort Riley. the only feld artillery ia
the camp
General Crozicr said he did not
know the size of the artillery at Camp
Funston and offered to investigated
They have twelve guns" he added.
ITS al entirely inadequate supply, but
Tor the same reason as other short
ages, because the country hasn't seen
tit to approve larger supplies"
Senator Mcclellan asked just when
each man in the American forces in
training and in the field will have a
rifle
81 think the regular army and Ma
tional Guard" General Crozier replied,
will be completely equipped with
Springfield rifles within month un-
less new organizations are unexpected
ly created"
Eniields for Draft Army
The National Army, he continued
will use Enfield rifles.
within a fortnight there will be
enough made" he said. but / don't
know how long it will take to get them
TO camp. Their manufacture will be
completed in another week. If the
railroads Will do what they ought to
do we ought to have a complete supply
delivered III camp by February L."
Senator McKellar asked when all
forces can be fully equipped with ma
chine guns.
I'VE should have the full number Of
our own manufacture by the early part
Of summer the general replied.
That's very indefinite,' said SEN
ator Mcclellan
Il do not think it could be promised
before the first of July" General
Crozier added
What's going to happen" asked
which has not been tested for field
service. does not work."
The witness replied that the antic-
pated supply would then be much re-
duced and the larger dependence would
have to be placed on the Hotchkiss.
DO you think there's any doubt
about It's working satisfactorily
u don't see how there can be-" re-
piled the witness, and he explained
that armory tests are much more
severe than field trials.
There seems to be minimum Of |
risk he added
Senator Frclinghuysen brought out
that in the War Department. contracts
there are no stipulations penalties +
regarding deliveries.
"Ihen you are practically in the
power Of the manufacturers >" the I
Senator asked,
Estimates Are Exceeded
NO. can step in and take over the
factories,' said the witness. But,
actually. they are exceeding estimates
Of deliveries"
What part the Council of National
Defence and War Industries Board
takes in Ordnance Bureau contracts
was inquired into, and General Crozier
explained that he negotiated his own
contracts, although ct times the War .
Industries Board had been asked to
give It's advice as 10 prices in some
contracts.
General Crozier said he believed he
could equip the proposed new draft of I
100000 men with rifles in two months. /
BY the time the men are ready their
rlfes will be ready" he said.
Reports that the Ordnance Depart +
,nent had issued woodeA guns to train
ing camps was fatty denied by Gen
eral Crozier, who said wooden fencing
sticks, for bayonetry practice, shaped I
something like guns, had been issued.
Rifle production in this country is
satisfactory General Crozier said As
sistance from the Allies in heavy ar !
t!lle,y Is necessary. he stated, adding:
well get out very we'll with the !
assistance from England and France;
but without that assistance we would
get out all wrong
II am not attempting to excuse tho
situation that requires us to depend
on our friends for heavy artillery" said 7
General Crozier, "but the responsibility
rests on the whole country"
How he had. during previous years
often asked Congress for larger appro-
priations for artillery. and that he and
other army heads had many times
called the country's attention to the.
need for more artillery, Was related by
the general.
Turning TO the charges that preiu-
dice had kept the Lewis gun out oe
American equipment, General Crozicr
detailed the official records of the de-
rartment.
The first offer, to his knowledge, was
received May 2, 1919. whe.. the Auto
matte Arms Company asked for a
special test. The CORES spondence showed f
that the Ordnance Board offered n
regular test with ammunition furnished
by the government. No test followed,
hut on March s, 1913, another Lewis
gun was offered for a test, Which was
held at the Springfield Arsenal. The
Nickers was adopted. however, because
the boards report showed the Lewis
CUR. jammed 206 times, had 80 parts
broken and lJt parts required replace [
ment, while the Vickers gun ,iammed
only % time sand had no parts broken.
The board hold the Lewis gun inferior
to the Nickers or Bennett MERCER
Guns Are Withdrawn
No other Lewis gun, General Crozier4
said. was submitted fer a test until
April l., 1916. The War Department
previously asked for "a Lewis CUR TO
test, but the Savage Arms Company
stated none was available. In the tests