The Washington herald., 1919-02-03
U. s. Gets BACK
RIFLE PLANTS
Great Britain to Release
Factories Taken Over
During the War.

Twenty million dollars was paid oy
England for privately owned rine
manufacturing plants in the United
States a few months after the war In
Europe began. so much as that sum
suggests the desperate straits to
which in the beginning Of the war
Great Britain was put in order TO sup
ply the rapidly increasing number OF
troops with arms. This purchase OF
machinery and the use OF American
plants is spoken Of as sufficient an
swer TO those who have claimed that
England forced the war and thst
Germany entered it solely for defens-
i've purposes.
The plants and machinery which
passed into the control Of Great Brit
ain were the Eddystone, which Is
near Philadelphia, and has now been
absorbed by the MidvRle Company;
the plants at Lion. y. Y, and those
at New Haven. These were privately
owned plants. They were pushed 10
their caacities after England secured
them until at last she had established
her own plants SO fully that she was
able not only TO provide amply for her
own army and navy but also 10 lend
or sell some Of these munitions OF war
to France and. after the United States
became a belliRerent, TO our own gov
eminent, so that the first American
troops to arrive in France could be
adequately supplied with munitions Of
this kind.
L. :. Secures Plants.
After the United States began TO
participate IN the war It was found
imperative that our army should be
supplied with all the rifles that were
needed as speedily as it was possible
TO manufacture them Therefore. a.
Great Britain had no longer need OF
these American rife plants, IL was
possible TO enter into negotiations with
the British authorities to the end that
he United States could secure the
plants and machinery. Sir SsmueI
Harden Lever represented Great Brit
ain in these negotiations, and Frank
Scott took part in them as the repre-
sentative Of the American govern
ment. The bargain was made ana
the property passed into the posses
sion Of the United States on the pay
ment Of somewhat less ihan so. .09O. .vyp.
These privately owned plants have
manufactured FOR the United States
10000 rifles designated as the United
States rife Of the 20 calibeT. 1917 model.
II was the modified Enfield rife.
The term modified Il used because
the skill and inventive capacity OF eN-
perts made Il possible so TO improve or
perfect the Enfield rife that IL beCame
standardized. or in other words. that
ammunition which would Mt any other
rife could be used in the modified
Enfield rifles or vice versa. This ac-
ton resulted in standsrdiZinE Ihe
parts OF all the rifles. including the
machine guns. so that it became I'M
{ material whether one or another rife
or machine gun was used. This IL
spoken OF as a great triumph. so tar
as IN" manufacture or rifles is con-
Cerned
Praise for Rife.
What Is now TO become OF the plants
. formerly privately owned. such a.
the Winchester. at New Haven. the
Remington. at llion. or the EDDY
stone. near Philadelphia, Is a ques-
tion yet to be determined. Certainly
the government will have no great
use for them. since 1t will rely almost
entirely upon the two oldest arsenaiS
in the United States for munitions OF
this kind. These two are the armory
at Springfield, Mass, and the arsenal
at Rock Island, i'll. The Springfield
/ rifle. which is manufactured at the
/ Springfield MassD Armory. is the
/ standard regular army rife. II is
/ known as the Springfield 1895 model.
/ And il is OF such hiCh quality that the
regular army will continue exclusive
. ly TO Use it. The life of a rife on the
firing line has been estimated At
about FIVE weeks. But there is no
longer any firing line. at least of any
! consequence. so that the rifles which
| have been supplied TO our soldiers will
have a much longer life than this.
The regular army as it now is and as
If hereafter is organized will make
constant demand upon the Springfield
arsenal for the standard army rifle.
I Therefore II is presumed that the ar
mory at Springfield and the arsenal OF
Rock Island will be occupied TO Their
capacities in tho manufacture OF this
rife which is recognized as without a
a superior.
Some months after the United States
| found itself in position to supply our
army with all the rifles needed. Cot.
J. Webbley Hope. OF the British Royal
ARTILLERY. who was sent TO the United