The sun., 1918-05-07
ARMY MAY NOT
GET BROWNING
GUNSTHISYE YEAR
Complete Failure to Pro-
duce Heavy Type Disclosed
to House Committee.
WARNING IS UNHEEDED
Light Machine Weapon Being
Turned Out in Fairly Salts
factory Quantity.
WARNING IS UNHEEDED
SpecjsJ DespateA to TIE srS.

.
ure to produce the heavy Browning ina
chine guns, delivery of which was prom
ised In April. and that othef features
Of the ordnance programme were threat
ened with serious delays were confirmed
to-day before the House Military Com
mittee to such an extent that the com.
mittee stood aghast at tho disclosures.
Not only was the truth Of THE SUMS
statement established. that no heavy
Browning guns had been delivered but
the grave possibility was presented that
none Of these guns would be In the
hands Of American soldiers In France
this year. In place Of this type Of gun.
acclaimed In February as practically the
onicial gun OF this Government in the
present war, American troops must con-
tinue to use guns OF foreign make II the
hard pressed Allies can furnish them.
The heavy Browning machine gun IL
the weapon relied on for defensive pur.
poses, as contrasted with the light type
to Be used in, charges Plans Of the
Ordnance Bureau called for 234 Of these
weapons to a division. Three thousand
Of these guns were TO have been pro-
duced in April. Optimistic promises
were. made by Secretary Baker last
February that quantity production Of
them would begin In a few weeks.
Failure In Production.
Progress In the manufacture Of the
! light gun Is only fairly satisfactory. But
the production OF the heavy Brownings
10 a failure to date, 20 great a failure
k> oe1l
| tofore engaged In turning out other
| makes. has been directed to make be-
| lated start IN the manufacture Of the
Browning model.
The Colt Arms Company. delegated to
manufacture the heavy Browning. has
been unable to produce. Labor shortage
and the lack Of gauges are advanced az
| reasons for the distressing failure.
When tests Of both types Of the
| Browning gun were held on February 81
eecretary Baker announced that manu-
Ffacture Of the light gun was proos1tns
l on q quantity basis and that MANI.
basis would begin soon after.
| Tho hearing before the House Com
mittee revealed to-day the fallacy Of
that prediction. So aroused were COM
m!ttee members In fact that there were
suggestions OF a CONGRESSIONAL investi-
CATION to AK responsibility for the delay.
| Major-Gen. Peyton c. March, acting
Chief OF STAFF. and Brig. Gen. Tracy
| Dickson. chief Of the control division
Of the Ordnance Bureau. were before the
committee. 1t was during the examina-
ton Of Gen. Dickson that the disclos-
ures regarding the machine gun pro-
gramme were brought out.
Representative John Q. Tilson
| Comm, the ordnance expert Of the
House committee. who long ago uttered
a pre-war warning that advance manu-
facture Of gauges. figs and special tools
was essential to a preparedness pro-
gramme. was the principal questioner OF
the army officials.
Developments At Hearing.
Representative Kahn (Cal.). ranking
Republican OF the committee, Is under.
stood to have Indignantly expressed the
opinion that an investigation should b.
made OF the machine gun situation
Outside OF the revelations relating e
machine guns the hearing developed
that:
American soldiers now brigaded
with the British and French OH the
western front are using machine guns
ami ammunition Of foreign make.
| d
purely American sector are using
French machine guns and ammunition.
The Ordnance Bureau asked to-day
for appropriations Of approximately
$3,37S,0o0,00o.
The House Committee on Appropria-
tions and not the Military Committee
will handle the large allowance for
heavy field artillery amounting to
about $4,000. 100000 in addition.
Ordnance officials admitted that tho
heavy artillery programme had been
, slow In getting under way. out that
Z necessary supplies are obtainable from
| the Allies.
, A large part Of the gun machine an.
preparation is wanted for guns to
equip airplanes. a great air offensive
, Is forecast by the estimates for gun
. equipment Of aerial Oarriors
I Pistol production has been some-
what of the schedule. but 10 improv-
Ing.
1t has been necessary to Use foreign
rifles In a number Of instances. but
the American troops holding their own
sector have been supplied with Spring
field rifles and ammunition.
= Practically $1,000. 100000 OF the
: ordnance appropriation is desired for
the purchase of trench warfare
weapons.
The production OF tanks. II was said,
will 90 "well into the thousands"
shift Of Manufacture.
4 It was brought out at the hearing ths
r the Colt concern was hrst ntrusted wit
: production Of tho Browning heavy gu
. on the quantity basis. When 1t recentl
. became apparent that the Colt compan
q would not produce tho guns desire
that. In fact. Its production was prax
s ticaIly nil and with little prospects {
r early Improvement, II was suddenly d,
i ternined by the Ordnance Bureau I
X delegate the Marlin Rihe Corporation I
< 90 to the rescue.
Manufacture OF tho heavy guns hs
q likewise been given to another concev
u recently. but even with three con
K panies at work on tine output. member
o OF the House Committee are convince
I- that no heavy Brownings will be
France this year
r, The Marlin company has been pr
!. ducing machine guns for fusilading an
Il airplanes. and II will be necessary
Continued on Third Pags~O