The Cordova daily times., 1919-05-23
WAR SUPPLIES FURNISHED BY
 UNCLE SAM

ciated Press). 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 of the war departments history of the material" side of win ming the war.
 The story of machine gun produc- tion, about which such hot contro- yersy waged in congress as a result of the failure of the American army to adopt for standard general use the Lewis weapon 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 or 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 completely new capacity for production. Never theless, we took advantage of what facilities were at hand and at once, in fact within a week after the de- claration of war, were placing orders for machine guns. In this connection the reader should bear continually Tn mind that throughout the development of machine gun manufacture we utll- ized all existing facilities to the limit in addition to building up new sources of supply.
 "In other words, whenever con- cerns were engaged in the manufact- ure of machine guns, whatever thelr make or type, we did not stop the pro- duction of these types in these plants and convert the establishments into factories for making other weapons !; but we had them continue the manu- facture in which they were engaged, giving them orders which would en- able them to expand their facilities in their particular lines of produc- tion."
 The statement shows that the two Browning guns, the heavy and the light automatic rife (of the type now in use by the troops in France) were pronounced by the special test board which held conference in May, 1917 @'the most effective guns of their types known to the members" in addition to being designed for the purpose of quantity production. At the same test improved Lewis guns also proved highly efficient and were recommended by the board Subsequently the Lewis guns were shifted to aircraft work because of special adaptability and on recommendation of General Pershing's staff.
 The report says there was great dearth of heavy machine guns for air craft work, to be syncrOnized with propellers. This shortage existed in the French and British services as well as in the American. The Brown ing aircraft gun would have met the requirements, but it would be long time before it could be produced in quantity. In seeking stop gap weapon until the Browning could be ready, the ordinance department, by ''one of those surprising and almost accidental successes" sometimes en- countered, found that modified Mar lin gun which could be quickly pro- duced met all requirements. General Pershing cabled in November 1918, Marlin guns now rank as high as any with pilots, and are entirely satis- factory"
 ''The first twelve American divi- sions to reach France" the report con- tinues, were armed with Hotchkiss heavy machine guns and Chauchat
 
 ment. More than 1000 Vickers heavy machine guns produced in the United States were traded to the French as they were needed in French aircraft. During May and June, 1918, eleven American divisions sailed, all equipped with Vickers heavy guns built in the United States, and received Chauchat rifles in France. After June all divi- sions to sail were equipped with the standard American weapons the light and heavy Brownings."
 The work of the light BrQwnings is declared to have been so spectacular as compared with any existing weap- ons of this character that when they were demonstrated in France the of- f1cers of the American Expeditionary T0roo rro,,o,,<lp doo@do1 <o irouooco l