Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1918-01-01

Nickers was adopted, however, be-
cause the boards report showed the
Lewis gun janfFned FOG times, had 81
parts broken and - parts required re
placement. while the Vickers gun
damned only % times and had no parts
broken. The board held the Lewis gun
inferior to the Vickers or Bennett-Mer-
cier -
NO other Lewis gun, General Crozier
said. was submitted for a test until
April 1915. The war department pre-
Nlousiy asked for Lewis gun to test
put the Savage Arms Co. stated none
was available. In the tests of April
1916. General Crozier said, the manu-
facturers withdrew the guns because
it was d they We're not in condition.
In the summer of 1916 General Crozier
said. on his own initiative and without
having been appropriated, he bought
800 Lewis guns for use with British
ammunition on the Mexican border.
Letters from officers having charge of
the guns criticizing the Lewis gun adj
versely were produced. and General
Crozier said that in the border serv-
ice the Lewis gun was generally prov
ed inferior.
A report last January from the army
school of musketry saying that the
Lewis gun AS at present developed is
not satisfactory arm" also was pro-
duced by General Crozier.
Early Appropriations Meaeer
Congressional appropriations for ma
chine guns prior to 1916, when s12, 0OO, 900
was authorized. Gen. Crozier said, had
been very measre. Because of machine
gun development and the large 1916 ap
propriatior, General Crozier said, Sec
rotary Baker decided to appoint spe-
cial board, organized in September,
1916, which arranged for the tests OF
May. 1917. 1t was evident. he said, that
good Lewis guns were being made in
England for use with British anmun-
ton and poor Lewis guns were being
made in this country.
When war with Germany became i'm
mInent. General Crczier said, he asked
for 5000 Lewis guns. On April IL, he
said. 1900 Lewis guns were ordered,
44C0 more on June -. and 1000 more
June 16.
This shows" said General Crozier,
that as soon as the Lewis gun was de-
Neloped for Use with American ammu-
milton large orders We're Immediately
given.
There is good prospect that our
forces in Aurope will not he lacking
guns in any way" he added.
Seventy-fivc hundred machine guns
are aNeilable Cor training purposes in
this eMintry, General Crozier said
Turning to the charges by Colonel
Lewis, inventor of the gun bearing his
name, that General Crozicr had been
preiGdiced against him. General Croziar
showed that a board which investigated
charges eXonerated him. Assertions
that he had opposed adoption of Col
onel Lewis range finder. also were cat
ecodcally denied by General Crozier
TO criticisms that the war department.
delayed rife production by modifying the
British Enfield SO thar is could be used
with American ammunition, General Cro-
ziaAxdenied that standards fixed for in
lerehangeabilty of parts caused any Sc
.rious delay.
Rega 4pg charges that there were rife
and machine gun shortages in training
camps General Crozier declared:
Enough rifles have been manufactured
to equip all the troops in the canton
hieiits' Out q NOT KNOW If they have
actually arrive a. NM tT
Brownie Gun Agreement ,A
General Crozier was asked If reports are
true that the government has agreed to
appropriate 25o900 for patent rights to
the new Browning gun and explained that
the government had agreed to pay MT les :,
than s229o.No in advance Of it's manufacl
N:e III reply to Senator Frelinghuysen,
General Crozier said that it was not in
tehdeo 10 ordtr any more Benet- MERCER
s"HS' from every report and recon-
nenoatioh until the spring of 1916, when
'ie Lewis gun was improved. said Gen.
NFo"ier' there wa absolutely no justifl-
cation for investing one cent of money in
Lewis guns. When it was improved its
investigation was Immediately begun.