The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1919-05-14
Facilities For Making
Machine Guns Were
Limited
WHY LEWIS GUNS
WERE NOT ADOPTED
Expansion War Mater
ials Occurred With
Much Rapidity
Associated Press

WASHINGTON, May l4-Machine
guns and small arms produced by the
millions, ammunition turned out by
billions of rounds and tanks built by
thousands when the armistice ended
hostilities, furnish the subject of
chapters made pubic today of the
War Departments history of the
Material side of winning the war.
The story of machine gun produc-
tion, about which such hot contro-
versy waged in Congress as result
of the American army to adopt for
standard general use the Lewis wea-
pom used successfully abroad, is told
as follows: .,
"The manufacturing facilities for
machine guns in this country were
much more limited in extent that the
public had any notion of them (when
the United States entered the war;
or today. We had at the outbreak of
the war only two factories which were
actually producing machine guns in
any quintity at all.
1T was therefore evident that we
had to build up almost completely
new capacity for production. Never
theless, we took advantage of what
facilities were at hand; and at once
lii fact within week after the de-
claration of war, were placing orders
for machine guns. in this connection
the reader should bear continually in
mind that throughout the develop
ment OF machine gur uanufacture we
utilized I'LL existing facilities to the
limit iii addition to bailding up new
sources Of supply.
an other words, whenever con
Germs were engaged in the mannfac'
ture of machine guns, whatever their
make or type, we did not stop the
production of these types in these
plants and convert the establishment
into factories for making other wea'
mons. but we had them continue the
manufacture In which they were enga
ged, giving them orders which would
enable them to expand their facili'
ties in their particular lines of pro
duction."
The statement shows that the two
Browning guns, the heavy and tn
light automatic rifle (of the type nov
in use by the troops in France) wer'
pronounced by the special test boar'
which held conference in May, III
"the most effective guns of their type
known to the members" in addition
to being designed for the purpose o
qpantity production. At the same ties
| improved Lewis guns also proVe'
highly efficient and were recommend
ed by the board. Subsequently tn
Lewis guns were shifted to aircrat
work because of special adaptabilit!
and on recommendation OF Genera
Pershing's staff.
The report says there was grea
dearth OF heavy machine guns for ar
craft work, to be syncronized witt
propellers. This shortage existed Il
the French and British services a
well as in the American. The Brown
ing aircraft. gun would have met tn
requirements, but it would be loni
time before it could be produced i
quantity. In seeking stop gap wea
pon until the Browning could D
ready, the Ordnance Department, D.
zone Of those surprising and almos
| accidental successes" sometimes en-
countered, found that modified Mar
lin gun which could be quickly Pre-
duced met all requirements. Genera
Pershing cabled in November lSf
"Marlin guns now rank as high a
any with pilots, and are entirely sat
isfactory."
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