The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-05-14

WASHINGTON, May 13.-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 public today at the War Departments history of the material" side of winning the war.
 The story of machine gun produc- ton, about which such a hot con- troversy waged in Congress as a result to adopt for standard general use the Lewis weapon used successfully abroad. is told 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 tRe outbreak of the war only two factories which were actually producing machine guns in any quantity at all
 ''It was therefore evident that we had to build up almost a completely new capacity for production. Never lheless We took advantage of what facilities were at hand; and at once, in fact within 8 week after the dec 1aration of war, were placing orders for machine guns. In this conneCticu the reader should bear continually in mind that throughout the devel- opment of machine gun manufa cture We utilized all existing facilities to the limit in addition to building up new sources of supply
 "In other words, whenever con cerns were engaged in manufacture of machine guns, whatever their make or type. we did not stop the produc- ton of these types in these plants and convert the establishm ents into factories for making other weapons; but we had them continue the manu- facture in which they were enga ged, giving them orders which would ena- ble them to expand their facilities in their particular lines of production"
 The statement shows that the two Browning guns, the heavy and the light automatic rifle (of the type now in use by the troops in France) were pronounced by the special test board which held a conference in May, 1917 "the most effective guns of their types known to the members" in ad- dition to being designed for the pur- pose of quantity production. At the same test improved Lewis guns also proved highly efficient and were rec commended by the board. Subsequently the Lewis guns were>shifted to air craft work because of the special adaptability and on Recommendation of General Pershing's staff.
 The report says there was great dearth of heavy machine guns for aircraft work, to be synChonized with propellors. This shortage existed in the French and British services as well as in the American. The Brown ing gun would have met requirements, but it would be a long time before it could be produced in quantity. In seeking a stop gap weapon until the Browning could be ready, the Ord nance Department, by lone of those surprising and almost accidental sue cesses" sometimes encountered, found that modified Marlin gun which could be quickly produced met all re- quirements. General Pershing cabled in November 1918, Marlin guns now rank as high as any with the pilots and are entirely satisfactory"
 ''The first twelve American divi- sions to reach France" the report continues, were armed with Hotch- kiss heavy machine guns and Chau- chat automatic rifles by the French government. More than 1000 Wick CTS heavy guns produced in the Unit ed States were traded to the Frencha as they were needed in French air craft. During May and June, 1918, eleven American divisions sailed, all equipped with Vickers heavy guns built in the United States, and re- ceived Chauchat rifles in France. Af- ter June all divisions to sail were equipped with the standard Ameri- can weapons the light and heavy Brownings.
 The work of the light Brownings Is declared to have been so specta- cular as compared with any existing weapons of this character that when they were demonstrated in France the ofx&ers of the American Expedi- tionaEy force promptly decided to in- crease the equipment of infantry troops by 50 per cent adding enor- I@ ously to the production burden at home. Two heavy Brownings fuuc- toned so well that an official ieport is quoted telling of the work of r guns which were tested imme diateIy after they had been engaged with the enemy in severe action and while they W gre still encrusted wit. rust ( nd bearing shrapnel scars. With out being cleaned in any way each gun fired a. belt Cf 250 cartridge without a malfuncljon.