The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1918-03-19


rifle requirements for the year 1918.
estimated that We would need sofne
2.5T5 600 guns. To provide this
number and give a Hlight surplus.
orders were placed for 1890. 600
rifles. 400 900 % thene 60 be 81 the
modified Enfield type. $40 900 10 be
our standard springsiclds. The or
dcrH were placed as follows;
Remington Arms company. Eddy
stone plant. $4,000
Remington Arms company. ilion
plant. 800 900.
Winchester Repeating Arms com.
pany. as. 900.
Springfield Armory. 900. 900.
Rock Island Arsenal. 100 900.
These orders gave Us. on hand and
under order. .tss. tsi rifles. or some
$4,000 rifles more than our outside
estimated needs.
4 revised estimate made February
u. places our requirements at
2.12s 900 for tho first half 81 1915
Despite the delays resulting from
the changes required in the British
rife and the extensions necessary At
the Rock Island and Springfield
plants. there were produced on these
orders. before January /. 1918. the
following guns
Remington. Eddystone plant. is7.
5ia
Remington. Hon plant. i7sil.
Winchester. lo2. 0ts.
Springfield Armory. a741a
Rock Island Arsenal. 20 270
Making a total new production
prior 20 January !. Of fos.ai2 rifles
or a total on hand January /. in
GLIDING springfiolds on hand at the
outbreak Of war. Of aS3,373.
Ahead Of Schedule
The Remington and Winchester
plants. however. were Just getting
into quantity production az the first
Of the year. In January tho output
Of rifles WIS slightly above $4,000
Tho February schedule called for
90. 200 guns from the Eddystone
plant OF the Remington alone. 1000
from the Ilion plant. 1880 from the
winchester. 2e,400 from the Spring
field Arsenal and $500 from Rock Is
land
But instead OF tho guns scheduled
for February. production Is actually
running ahead OF schedule. and Is
now approxinatinE 10000 per day.
Despite tho delay resulting from
changes required. our daily produc-
ton OF rifles at the end OF the first
10 months after entering the war
was four times as great az tho daily
. L.
months after war was declared and
twice as much as the daily produc.
ton in Great Britain two and one
half years after she entered the war.
Two for Each Man
In addition 10 the 2.496. 46i rifles
now ordered or In the hands OF
/ troops. estimates have been prepared
/ for the production OF an additional
! I 400 400 rifles. This would make a
| grand total Of 1905. SCI riflcs--all OF
which. under present established On.
F pacity, can be produced before Jan.
/ uary. 1912
Inasmuch ms less than GO per
! cent Of the men I'm service carry
rifles. this would provide TWO
RIFLES FOR EVERY MAN
who should have u rifle In an
army Of more than 3.s50.00
! While service rifles were being
produced In quantities to supply all
troops on the field or In training. use
was made Of 100, 900 Krags 100 900
Russian rifles and 10000 Ross rifles
for training purposes only
Today. however. all men In camp
are equipped with the new rifles.
every man abroad has his full equip
ment and there Is at home and
abroad n rapidly increasing surplus
more than sufficient to replace vast.
age and supply new incrcments of
troops as they are raised
OUR RIFLE PROGRAM HAS
NOT FOR ONE DAY DELAYED
THE SENDING or TROOPS
ABROAD.
The net result OF the changes
made has simply been to give our
whole army weapons using n uni.
form ammunition and weapons of a
superior type 10 those they other.
wise would have had-and to supply
them In quantities sufficient TO give
every man his gun before he was
ready to take his place on the battle