South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-05-16

production Of machine guns in the
united States between April o.. 1917.
and Not. d. 1918. vas fS5.0sq. as
against --9.-ss produced by the
French and $4,000 5y The British
iH The sn,e period
JrIl The loyal cooperation Of tho
manufacturers. with whom com
re'itte commercial advantase
weighed MOI ft AN asalnst The MAJ
uoraI need. made possible this
achievement. tnc report states
Built Heavy Tanks.
otner production struggles de-
erIlbeo in these chapters include
items -er2 ine in size from trench
suisss 10 the f5-ton Mark VIII
tanks ot British design. of which
1000 were being constructed in CO.
OPERATION with the British AND 1850
additional wholly %, American en-
ierpriSo. only oie OF these had
been 1cuverco ~ 10 Jan. /. 1918.
bot DO b. notcC that the work ON each
program on con- pOucnt parts was 80
percent complete when the armis-
tie was signed. orders for all out
Too OF these tanks Shave Oeen cam
ceIled
on Nov u, % tanks az the
French Six-ton type had been deliv-
cred ana Dy Jan. - OF this year 22I.
90 these six were shipped abroad
orders FOR /, 900 Mark ] light tanks
We're cancelled. as were orders for
1905 direction tanks, 10 of which
had been completed on Nov. IL.
Tell oT Rifles.
The history Of the rifle produc-
tion. including all of the considera o.
tons which led 10 the adoption Of
the standardized British Enfield
weapon for American use. also Is
fully outlined This was another
element Of the ordnance program
that was severely criticised. but the
department states that il sees no
reason now 10 change It's view that
the wisest course was that which
Was followed Army experts still
hold that the Springfield rifle is the
best military weapon made, but II is
declared the rifle prosram would
have been "nCpelesSiy delayed" If L.
had been attempted 10 equip the
forces with those weapons 1t IL
reiterated also that the Enfield
rIfc as il was IN production IN
American plants when the United
states entered the war was an utter o.
ly inadequate weapon, while as IT,
was modified. It became second only
% the Springfield Despite the de-
lay due 10 modification and stand-
ardization, all American troops we're
equipped with modern efficient.
American made rifles before they
left the Uniteo states.
The decision TO modify the En-
field says the report. was one OF
the greatest decisions Of the execu-
: tive prosecution of the war-alI
nonor 20 Gen. John 4 Thompson
Z and the other rifle experts who
! made it,
Made 2.5O6.3O5 Pieces
The total rifle production i'm the
United States from the beginning OF
the war Up TO Nov. 9, 1919. was
..5O6.3O7. OF which little more
than 50O.O0 were Springfield rifles.
Considera bic attention is devoted
to the production of automatic pis-
tolls and revolvers for the troops In
the Colt As the standard army
automatic developed as result OF
Philippine experience by the army
and which also was ar invention by
Browning. the United states forces
had weapon which all Europe
could not match for efficiency in ac-
ton and which brought terror to the
/ Germans when American troop
reached the front
( European countries failed ito ap-
preciate the value of a large caliber
/ hard hitting weapon of this type and
1 the chief use of pistols and revOlvers
! In European armies had Oeem as or
/ naments for officers uniforms. il Is
said. rather than for active fighting
Colts Were Best.
The result Of Europe's neglect
f. the report says, was that the small
CaIiber revOlvers of the Germans
and even OF the French and Ems
lish were toys in comparison TO the
Dig Colts that slapped the thighs OF
/ American dOughbOys."
With this weapon. IL is stated
any average soldier with average
( training can hit what he shoots at
I'm almost the first skirmish II
/ proved its superior usefulness N
trench fighting. Such incidents a
that of the single American soldier