New-York tribune., 1918-02-28
Wadsworth Pumps Bullets
Into Imaginary Host of
Advancing Teutons
Officers of Allies
Witness Exhibit
Ordnance Department Ar
ranges Demonstration OF
Machine Rifle Work
By Ralph Block

WASHINGTON, Feb. 27.--Thc Ord
nance Department pu, on short en-
tertainment about five miles southeast
of Washington this afternoon. 1t was
interesting and not without its thrills
however brief. 1t was stimulating, too
1t needed little help from the actors TO
picture for the spectators another
drama in which the Ordnance Depart
ment expects to participate on another
and greater stage. Doubtless the scenic c
effects there will be much more reahs-
tic and impressive.
In the first act the Ordnance Depart
ment had ten soldiers stand in a row
in the middle of valley and pump 12O
bullets into the side of hill 100 yards
away. They did it in two and one-half
seconds. In the second act three sol
ciers took larger gun and pumped
several thousand bullets into another
bill 400 feet away.
The view was obscured by a scarcely
visible haze, and in the second act it
was ROT possible to see the bullets
plunge into the hill. But it was easy
40 sec the face of the hill slowly take
on a different aspect as the metal
poured into it and with only n little
effort of the imagination the several
hundred spectators could see row on
row of men in iron gray fall, as If a
huge arm had knocked them over.
Not Test, Demonstration
Somebody remarked that the Ord
rance Department was giving rein
depreciation of General Sherman. The
Intention of the Ordnance Department,
However, as 1t was disclosed. was to
take the public into its confidence about
the Browning machine gun. And so
far as any one could discover in the
ample demonstration this afternoon, ,.the
Browning gun is we'll devised in
strument for putting fear into the
hearts of the German army.
The Lewis machine gun wasn't Off
cially mentioned at the ceremonies
his afternoon, bat the Bureau of Pub
lie Information declares that, "accord-
ing to army officials, the Browning
rife in many essential features, such
as reliability of function, durability,
iightness and hardness, is superior to
any other light machine gun. and in
particular is supreme over any gun of
similar type developed by the enemy"
The ceremonies to-day, army men
were careful to inform ignorant Wis
itors, was not a test, but a demonstra-
ton. The tests of the Browning gun
took place months ago, at time when
certain persons were declaring that
the Browning was only paper gun.
The Browning gun, however, is so far
from being a paper gun at the present
moment that quantity production is
already in progress. with expectations
of an ability to supply several thou
sand a week by the middle Of the
summer.
Allies Experts See 1t Work
The demonstration took place at
Congress Heights Range, with large
attendance of lieutenants, captains, ma
iors, colonels and generals, Senators
and Representatives and Journalists
present. Brgadier General Wheeler,
acting head of the ordnance depart
ment, was there. SO were General
Goethals and Colone. Apping, an Eng
lish machine gun expert, and several
other English staff officers, % one Of them
with an empty sleeve. The French
were on hand, and couple of Italians,
and a Belgian officer who looks like
King Edward VII reincarnated. Senator
frelinghuyscn was there, along with
Senator Reed and Senator Shafroth.
Senator Wadsworth OF New York tried
his hand at one of the Browning rifles
and demolished whole brigade. Rep
resontative Borland did not fare so
company or two.
Doubtless there is good deal of con-
fusion among folks who don't know
about the science Of machine cunning.
The Browning gun is of two kinds.
One is heavy placement gun, weighing
341s pounds, water cooled, operated by
the power developed by recoil action,
shooting $50 bullets from cotton belt
at one time. The other kind, which
was easily the star performer to-day.
weighs 10 pounds, light enough to be
iired from the shoulder or in motion.
ar cooled, and fired automatically bv
the gases generated by powder. 1t can
be used as rife for single shots or for
continuous automatic action. It's de-
tachable magazine contains twentv
cartridges and it takes 212 seconds to
put IN new magazine.
a Handy Instrument
hese features, coupled with the fact
.S, s.aV 'ne gun contains only twenty prin-
opal parts, all of them standardized in
nanu1acture and simple enough for
reassembling in the trenches. with
no.hing but cartridge edge for scre,,,
uriVlng-all of this makes the Rrow,
ing rifle handy instrument ~ h"'.o
around in time of war. ''"'e
The important thinc about A..
hrowning light gun is that II ;S h,'s o"e
s'n enective army rife for kill;no ~
fs'eHy is 1;.sbt IN single, we'll aimed shots, and
Ign. enough to be carried in The
.r@- .-s--.-s. - -or spraylng the enemy trenches