Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-05-13
AMERICA HAD BECOME
GREAT GUN PRODUCER
WHEN GERMANS QUIT
War Department Report Shows the Material" Side OF
Winning the War

ton with the British and 1,450 ad-
ditlonal wholly by American enter
prise. Only one of these had been
delivered up to January 1, 1919,
but it is noted that the work on each
program on component parts was SO
per cent complete when the armi-
stice was signed. Orders for all but
100 of these tanks have been can
celed.
On November IL, 64 tanks of the
French six-ton type had been de-
lNered and by January 81 of this
year, POI. OF these six were ship
ped abroad. Orders for 1000 Mark
light tanks were cancelled as
were orders for 1905 three-ton
tanks, fifteen of which had been
completed on November IL.
Explains Rifle Situation
The history of the rifle produc-
tlon, including all of the consid era
tons which led to the adoption of
the standardized British Enfield
weapon for American use, also Is
fully outlined. This was another
element of the ordnance program
mat was severely criticised, but the
department states that it sees no
reason now to change its view that
tne wisest course was that which
was Followed. Army experts still
hold that the Springfield rifle is the
pest military weapon made, but it is
declared the rifle program wouId
nave been "hopelessly DELAYED" IL il
mad Deen attempted to euuip the
iorces with those weapons. 1t is re-
iterated also that the Enfield rifle as
IT was in production in American
pants when the United States en-
tered the
quate weapon, while as 1t was mod
ined, 1t became second only to the
Sprlhgneid. Despite the delay due
TO modifcation and Standardization.
an American troops We're equipped
with modern efficient American
made rifles before they left the
United States.
Inc decision to modify the Eng
neld. says the report, was one
OF the greatest decisions of the ex-
ecutlNe prosecution of the war-all
noi,oT 10 General John T. Thompson
ana the other rifle experts who made
Inc total rifle production in the
Cnited states from the beginning
OF the war up to November 8 1919,
was 2,6O6,3O7 of which little more
than 100000 We're Springfield rifles
Terrified Germans
CONSIDERABLE attention is devoted
10 the production of automatic pis-
tols and revolvers for the troops. In
the Colt .45," the standard army
automatic developed as a result of
Phll1ppine experience by the army
ana which also was an invention by
browning, the United States forces
had aWeapon which all Europe
could not match for efficiency in
actlon and which brought terror TO
the Germans when American troops
reached the front.
european countries failed to an
preclate the value of a large caljber
hard hitting weapon OF this type
ana the chief use of pistols and re-
VolVers in European armies had
peen as ornaments for officers uni-
Iorms 1T is said rather than for ac-
tive fighting.
The result of Europe's neglect I"
the report says, was that the small
cal1oer revolvers of the Germans
and even of the French and English
We're toys in comparison to the big
colts that slapped the thighs Of
american doughboys."
With this weapon, it is stated
any average soldier with average
training can hit what he shoots
at. In almost the first skirmish IL
proved its superior usefulness in
trench fighting. Such incidents as