South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-04-26

cause n Americans were BOlnE 10
fight in the French lines; because
the French machine guns were be-
lieved 10 be the best on the battle
front: and because the French gov
eminent had a sufficient output of
these guns 10 supply all the Ameri-
can soldiers without stinting its own
troops. our var department ac-
cepted the offer OF the French to
furnish the French machine guns to
our first contingents in France. and
went ahead with the preparations
for quantity production Of the new
browning machine guns tina were
regarded as superior 10 the French
weapons.
The navy has chosen TO use the
English Lewis gun. Our marines
arrived in France armed with Lewis
used in our aeroplane service. on
Gen. Pershing's orders, our marines
were rearmed with the French guns
as better fitted for trench and field
service. The Lewis CUR was retained
only for our aerOplane work by the
war department. Any criticism of
the department for not using Lewis
guns is therefore another criticism
made in ignorance. The depart
ment elected 10 use the French guns.
as a better weapon than the Lewis,
and its choice was sustained by ex-
perience in the field.
Meanwhile, to each cantonment
of the draft army 1873 machine guns
Of different types were delivered for
practise work, before the machine
u corps were ready for them: and
for each camp of the national
guard 100 machine guns were pro-
vided. Work or the new Browning
guns proceeded. They proved SUI
periOr 10 both the English and the
French arms, and the policy of the
ordnance bureau was justified. The
English Lewis weighs rs pounds;
the light French gun 20 pounds, the
light Browning 10 pounds. The
Browning has stood up under ser
vice tests hat silenced all its rivals.
Rusted with %corroding chemicals,
and blown full Of abrasive metal
more ~ClOgging than sand, il has
continued to function perfectly. The
heavier Browning has similarly out
classed all competition by firing 90
600 rounds in 40 minutes and 16
seconds without m~aIfunction. De-
liveries of the light Browning gun
began in February and will reach
maximum production in June. when
thousands a week will be turned
out. The heavier Browning will
come to quantity production a few
weeks later
That is TO say, u machine gun
program has provided a supply of
the best machine guns on the battle
fields for our soldiers in France,
and il has prepared and brought 70
quantity production still better ma
chine guns to arm our troops for
the corning year. 1t has. during
the year supplied 1900 machine
guns to our soldiers at home and
so accelerated the manufacture of
machine guns in America that in
stead of 10000 "a year we are now
producing at the rate OF 225.0O0 a
year. This is a record of achieve
ment that cannot be discounted by
a hurried" reference to wooden
guns.
There remain only the big guns
TO be considered. AS in the case OF
machine guns. the French and Bri-
fish authorities offered to furnish
our expeditiOnary forces with heavy
artillery, in order to place the
minimum strain on available tom
mage" The offer was accepted. or
ders for shells and cannon, amount
ing to a billion and a half dollars.
were placed in England by our war
department in seven months.
At the same time, our ordnance
bureau prepared for the production
of heavy guns in America. 1t or
dered three-inch guns of a new
American model. 1t obtained from
France designs and models for the
manufacture of the famous French
guns. There was no machinery in
this country capable of making the
reCoil mechanisms Of the larger
guns. For these, castings must be
fooled with such accuracy that they
will not be of" twO-thousandths
of an inch in six feet. Private man
u-faCtureres had to be prevailed
upon TO undertake the work. They
had TO be helped financially. in
building a thirteen-acre plant and
in buying six million dollars worth
of special tools. Consequently their
contract was not signed until
Nov. /, and out of this delay,
apparently. came the charge that
the ordnance bureau retarded the
production Of French 75's in Amer
lea by trying 10 improve on the
recOil mechaniSms, which are ad-
mittedly the most marvellous part OF
a perfect gun. The charge is un-
true.
In short. all the accusations
AGAINST the ordnance bureau are
accusations that are based on APP
~pearences, not on evidence. Instead
of rushing men TO the battlefield
with obsolete rifles. the war depart
ment has sent them with weapons
whose superiority will 20 far To win
the war. our soldiers in the fight
ing line have bee furnished with
the best machine guns in Europe
and those who are TO follow viii
have better machine guns thar