South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-01-28
SECRETARY OF WAR
SHOWS ACHIEVEMENTS
OF u. S. RAISING ARMY

s(CONTINUED FROM PAGE ONE
field and 100000 Krags available
when war was declared. he said. lie
told the committee that the modified
Enfield rifle had been adopted with
the unanimous approves of Gen.
Pershing, Gen Crozier and Gen.
Scott. The decision was made about
June /. he said. He defended the
delays resulting from the decision 10
make all rifles Interchangeable, be-
cause, he said. it would facilitate
repairing.
When the war department de-
cided to obtain more rifles, it was
discovered that although the fac
tories were making the British En-
field rifles. the bolts of one factory
would not ut the mechanism OF an
other. He admitted that it was
some time" before the army had
been adequately supplied with rifles
but declared that was foreseen.
SAY WOOD URGED
CALLING LARGE ARMY.
The secretary also defended the
calling out of more men than could
be adequately armed. He said that
Gen Leonard Wood had urged the
calling out "a large army instantly"
without waiting for all necessary
equipment
THE men need many things be-
fore they need a rife" Gen. Wood
said, according to Sec'y Baker Eng
land. Gen. Wood said, had trained
men in civilian clothes, armed with
walking sticks. Sec'y Baker said he
didn't go as far as Gen. Wood
urged, but that 1T was deemed wise
to call out men a little in advance
of their being supplied with arms. -
Continuing his explanation of the
selection of a rife, Sec'y Baker said:
81 do not undertake to say that
this question was decided infallible,
but il was decided thoughtfully and
conscientiously, and now every man
in our armies intended to carry a
rifle, has a rifle and a better rife.
Although we have sent soldiers
much more rapidly than we thought
we could, every soldier who has
gone has had a modern rifle, and
had it long enough to practice with
il either here OF there, and that
observation is true of every soldier
who will go 10 Europe"
SAYS FRANCE CAN
SUPPLY MACHINE GUNS.
Sec'y Baker then took up the
question Of machine guns and de-
clared that France is able to supply
all troops possible 20 send abroad
this year. with the type of machine
gun it has been decided TO use.
1.-The machine gun problem" said
Sec'y Baker, sis complicated by
difference Of manufacture and the
difference in the theory in the use
of guns"
He told of the French and English
theories Of machine gun practice.
Then he told of the existing board
to test machine guns and claimed
this board did not delay for one
moment" the procurement of ma
chine guns He told OF a test of the
Lewis gun made by the navy de-
partment last April and declared
that after this test large orders were
Immediately placed for Lewis guns.
GAVE PERSHING GUNS
HE SELECTED HIMSELF.
Gen. Pershing does not desire
Lewis guns for use on land" the
secretary of war said and explained
that Gen. Pershing has decided to
arm the land forces with light
Chauchat and Hotchkiss guns. and
reserve Lewis guns for aircraft
work.
France is able to supply us with
Chauchat light rifles all of the
troops we are able to send abroad
this year" said Secy Baker. "Our
army abroad is provided with the
guns Of the type they have elected
TO use"
The secretary Of war then took
up the question Of the lack Of ma
chine guns in camps and canton
ments in this country. He declared
he has been advised by camp COM
manders that this lack Of machine
guns has not delayed them. but he
admitted that if the men had the
guns they would have been able 10
use them.
The question of artillery was next
taken up by the secretary Of war.
He pointed out that ever since 1906
Gen. CrozierNhas argued before con-
gress needs for more artillery.
DENIES L. <. Is
DRAINING FRANCE.
q have no criticism 70 make OF
the response of congress said Sec'y
Baker. but he emphasized that the
needs had been shown 20 congress.
He declared that France had been
unprepared wich artillery and read
a letter from Andre Tardieu, French
high commissioner, stating mat at
the outbreak OF war. France had
but 6,496 heavy guns and but very
few OF these were rapid firing.
Sec'y Baker took pains 10 answer
in detail and with emphasis the con-
tention that the United States was
draining French resources in OBJ
tanning its artillery from the French