Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-03-13

between the German and the British
lines. He was shot through the back Of
the head, fell over the controls. and we
instantaneously nose -dived to earth. No.
I didn't feel afraid--my overwhelming
feeling Of sorrow that he. my best pal.
should have gone west"
Then, as the earth came nearer and
nearer. lost consciousness I don't re-
member anything until I woke up in a
hospital at the base---ffteen miles away.
I had been unconscious for thirty-seven
hours-with two fractured ribs"
But was soon all right again. Never
lost my nerve at all ~
AN Observers job In these machines
Is just as arduous AZ the pilots. You
see. an observer Is responsible for the
safety of two-thlrds OF the machine. The
pilot can only fire in one direction
|. e. straight ahead OF him. for his gun
Is fixed. But the observer has Lewis
gun In all directions. above. below. side
ways He must be ever on the oui vive :"
PRAISE FOR LEWIS GUN
Speaking Of the Lewis gun. one hears
trem endous praise of It's powers every
where. IT is the invention OF an Ameri-
can tof course y. Colonel Isaac ~
Lewis. And Englishmen think It ex-
traordinary that such wonderful in
vention should have been turned down
by the generally far-sighted American
Government.
The Lewis gun has been q remark
abe asset to all Rrltishors in the
trenches and tanks and In the air. and
the fact that British capital came to
Colonel Lewis's aid twelve months be.
fore war broke out. has proved a
splendid thing for Britain.
as for airplanes. II you ask any Of
the flying men. they have but one name
&c say --"Lewis"--that wonderful little
machine gun. manageable bv one man,
light. efficient and dependable
After detailing his failure even to give
his gun to the American Government,
the Colonel told the United States Mill
tary Affairs Committee:
~ went over to Brussels in 1912, but
I soon found that my Belgian company
was in the hands of the Germans. My
president and managing director were
both under German influence. Ny COM
pany was about to pass under German
control ] succeeded. by the help OF
my loyal Belgian associates, in ousting
our president and managing director"
II went to London" he continued, ito
the Birmingham Small Arms Company
] d'6 not know anybody connected with
the company. but made an appointment
TO go there with the gun. In forty-eight
hours' had closed a contract for the
exclusive manufacture Of the Lewis gun
in Europe. We are working under that
contract today. They are delivering
guns every week into the British forces"
Writing to the secretary of State at
Washington OH December IL. 1917, the
Colonel has some very interesting in
formation to give. lie says:
1.-The Lewis gun is no longer new
and untried weapon. 1t has successful
ly met every military requirement under
n grilling test of more than three years
of daily service oil the battleflelds OF
Europe during the greatest war In his
tory"
u. S. GOVERNMENT REFUSED
Colonel Lewis goes on to state how
his own Government turned him down:
"As early as 1911. when the first
model OF the Lewis gun was built,
took 1t myself to Washington and pre-
scented 1t In person to the Chief of the
! staff, requesting him to examine it,"
The offer was ignored again and
again. and when he wrote AS lately as
December. 1917, to the Secretary Of
War. renewing his offer, and actually
asserting his readiness to give up royal
ties Of two and one-quarter million dol
lars on 1000 guns already under con-
tract for the Government, 10 reply was
Nouchsafed.
Some one has asked Colonel Lewis
why he wished to make such sacrifice
and he replied:
81 got my education at the expense
of the American Government. | de-
voioped my gun under very discouraging
circumstances. was a poor man with