The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1918-01-31
April the Lewin gun had not been sat-
i~sfactorily tested with American am

Although widely used by England,
the French. he said, never tool the
Lewis gun in any large numbers. THE
board" he added. referring to the
board he appointed in the fall Of 1916
TO test machine guns. never delayed
for ono second the procurement of adj
ditional machine guns
lie told Of the naVy's test of the
Levi" gun last April with an army Of
flcer present and added:
AS n result OF that test. an imme-
date order was given to the Savage
Arms company for Lewis gunS Large
orders for Lewis guns have been given.
We are advised, however, by General
Pershing that he does not desire Lewis
guns for use on land. General Pershing
and his staff desire them only for air.
craft"
Get Guns From France.
In the meantime" said Mr.. Baker,
the French government is able to sup
ply us with light French guns and
heavy Hotschkiss guns for the troops
that are abroad n that will be sent
for the present.
I'VE have ordered all the Lewis
guns we could get and have encouraged
the company to extend it's plant for in
creased production. IT has not yet be-
gun to expand to the extent we would
like. Our army abroad is provided with
the guns 1t has elected as adapted for
! us uoN, dilu oul supply 10 III supple
ment that"
Obviously, he said. there were not as
many machine guns for camp training
as was to be desired, but he read a
table showing that on November l.,
each camp or cantonment had been
shipped 80 Colt, 65 Lewis and as Chau-
chat guns and in addition each regular
cavalry regiment had been supplied
with 10 Lewis guns and each infantry
regiment with 10 Chauchat.
practically all of these were shipped
before the troops We're ready for them;
that is before November J." Mr.. Baker
said.
Senate Reed asked if before the
troops were ready for them" meant
that the men needed preliminary train
ing or before they nae been modified"
Secretary Baker said he believed tina
it meant that the ranges had not been
completed and also that preliminary
training was necessary.
Senator Kirby asked why Lewis guns
had been sent to the camps when it
had been decided not TO use them with
the land forces. Secretary Baker said
it was so the men might learn the COM
p~licated mechanisisms of as many types
as possible.
The Artillery Problem.
on the question of big guns, Score
tary Baker recalled that General
CroZier head of ordnance had urged
ongres and the various secretaries Of
war continuously for larger programs
because of the time it took to make
the guns. The record served, he
thought, to show that General Crozier
had realized the delay that must be
faced II sought to prepare in advance.
Reading from a letter from Nj. Tar
dieu, French high commissioner, Sec
rotary Baker showed hat france en-
tered the war with more n 5000
pieces of heavy artillery, but only 40
quick firers. Great effort was made NJ.
Tardieu said, to get the slow firing
guns from the fortresses into service for
the field, and this policy proved to be
q mistake as quick firers were needed
for field work.
An appended list Of orders for heavy
artillery placed by France, the secre-
tary said, showed that lit did not lie
in the imagination Of any one to real
ize what the ordnance programs OF the
war would become--not even France,
the very seat of the conflict, with the
enemy at her throat"
I'VE had a limited amount Of artil-
lery mt our first step" the secretary
said, was to speed up hat already or
dercd and in in process of manufac-
ture."
British and French theory of artillery
usage differs, he said. adding:
1--WE had to decide for ourselves what
we should use
You thought it was better use the
French factories instead Of waiting to
build our own" asked Senate Reed.
Exactly" the secretary replied, also
it saved tonnage. And I'm telling no Sc
crets when ] say ships are the cruX Of
this problem and every time we Ear
use French industrial resources instead
Of making and sending our own pro-
ructS we are doing it,
rs that a disadvantage to France"
asked Senator Beckham.
"Categorically ! answer no." sale Mr..
Baker, positively. 1T has been a very
great advantage to France"
II nave seen in the newspapers" Mr..
Baker continued. that this is putting
n burden on France. say to you, ZEN
tlemen, that Marshal Joffre and his as
sociates. General Bridge and all his as
sociates of Great Britain and in fact all
persons of commissions that have come
to this country. with any knowledge
of conditions, all bring me the conf
/ dence n positive assurance that we
are not only not taking from England
and Trance the things that they need,
but are helping their industrial
processes and saving tonnage and max
ing proper coordinated military efforts
with our allies
when W. went into the war" he
said, the standard of the army uni
form was rs per cent wool and 25 per
| NNlt NolAbh' i'tt NtitiI vas NhoiiSSb,
and nov every yard is of virgin wool,
with a large increase in it's strength
Making 6o.oO0.o0o Shells.
To the report on progress of shell
making, showing 60, 000, 900 shells under
manufacture for delivery his veal
Senator Frelinghuysen, of New Jersey,
said:
From my information am inclined
to challenge that statement"
Secretary Baker said it was hurried
ly prepared by General Wheeler, acting
quartermaster general, but he believed
it accurate.
II want to make n further obser-
vation," Secretary Baker proceeded,
taking up army food. Il think it is not
unfair for me to say that in the provis-
ion of food no army ever assembled n
where was ever fed so ably, SO well, so
nutritiously n so appetizingly as this
army. While there have been com
plants in other things, ] thing it is the
unanimous testimony that the food has
beer of the highest quality, with no
suggestion Of defect in it's quality or
preparation and that generally the food
proposition has been carried out with
the most extraordinary success"
Sites for the amp and ca%ntonInentS
wpra next taken I'M bN Mr.. Baker. He