New Britain herald., 1918-01-26
ELM and FRANKLIN STREETS.

about equal MT. McCormick-Yes; the balance has been nearly restored. The Ger mans recently were not able to main tain an equal counterbom bardment because they had sent their men and guns to Italy. Senator Wadsworth-I want to ask you, MT. Mccormick, in your confer ences with ony of the French or Brit ish officers, did they make any com- ment on what we had thus far done in the adoption of the Enfield rifle and the modified machine guns with respect to Interchangeable of am- munition?
 Premier Asked About Wood.
 MT. McCormick-Lloyd George eX- pressed great anxiety lest we be re- sponsible for multiplying the num- Der of calibres * * * He was afraid we would add to the mum Der of rifles. There were already too many kinds of ammunition over there. I spent three hours with him Gloyd George) the days be got last bad news from Italy. He talked very freely. Lloyd George was especially anxious to know what had happened to Leonard Wood,
 
 he was not in Washington or Paris. He wanted him on the Allied War Council as our representative. He was very insistent upon that point. He was also insistent on the impor- tance of having as few different cali bres as possible.
 Sen. Hitchcock-IS he disposed to be critical of our military authorities?
 MT. McCOrmick-Perhaps I had better put it this way. Between the time when I first went to England and before 1 went to Italy, and when I re- turned, there was perceptible change. When I landed they hur- rahed for America, the wonder work CT of the world but when I got back there was some apprehension. They 1 would say, we wonder if there is a. 1 lack of coordination at Washington? i We wonder if you have all the big men whom you might bring together l in your gOvernment?" They were very 1 polite but you senseG a difference in i their attitude. About the 1st of Oc- tober one of the British, together with one of the French government, cabled | to Colonel House. urging him to come over for the purpose of securing bet l ter coordination. They felt that they were losing time by trying to co-ordi- 1 nate over here rather than on the scene of the problem.
 Senator Hitchcock-Do you think that we have to make more artillery on this side, rather than depend on i the French or the British?
 MT. McCormick-The French can- not do it. If your roof leaks in France, you cannot mend it. If your window is broken, you cannot have 1t glazed. Every man who is in France is needed to be making guns for 1 France or to be on the line We have to ship the steel to them.
 Senator HitchcOlk-General Crozier said there were some advantages in shipping the raw materiol because when it was lost there was no labor lost. France had the equipment and the factories and was able to go on 1 and supply the armies.
 MT. McCormick-If the committee thinks his opinion is worth more than that of General Petain, why
 Can't Have too Many Guns.
 Senator Hitchcoclx-Do you think the French factories can supply these heavy guns or the light ones faster than we can?
 MT. McCormick--I can only say, (and I quote the man who won the battles) that it is impossible to have . too many guns. Palpably we should not put on France, which is denuded of man power, any burden which we can assume ourselves. It is true that the labor may be lost, but how much rarer and how much more val uable is the labor in France than it is here? The hands of every able bodied and skilled worker in France l are priceless. You cannot replace them. Here you can take fellow out of. let us say the Harvester plant and put him to work at some thing else.
 Senator Hitchcock-General Croz- fer thinks it would take a great while to equip the armories for the mak- ing of artillery and that we could get it so much quicker over there.
 MT. McCormick--I do not mean to say that they should not produce the maximum of their output, but steel than all Europe. We must have 25, 900 more cannon, and it is i'm possible for the Allies to make them We should have a munitions direc- tor. Here was Kitchener, who cer- 1 tainly was as big a man as Baker I do not wish to make any deroga- 1 tcry remarks regarding MT. Baker The job was too big for Kitchener They took the biggest in the service of the enemies of Germany-Lloyo George. Tn France they took Louch- eur. They made him the head o1 munitions, They first made him the nominal assistant to Thomas. Wher Thomas went out Loucheur took his place. He is the head of it now. ! Senator Hitchcock-He is gettine results?
 Mr. McCormick-He is one man O. whom all Frenchmen spoke to me ir ] praise.