Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1919-05-17
11laEs-RnpuBlicAN. xAksHAII IOWA NAY Il 1915

IL -
cent addlrU enormously TO the produes
tion burden ut home. The heavy
Browninss functioned so we'll that M
official report IN quoted tellinE-of the
work OF seventeen guns which were
tested Immediately after they had
been engaged with the enemy In Sc
we're action and while they stiil were
encrusted with rust anc mud ana
bearing shrapael scars, Without be-
ing cleaned in any way each gun firea
IA belt OF $50 cartridges without NAL
function.
rhe demand for light Brownings vas
30 heavy that when the arrnistice was
signed the department was driSihs
forward production TO the end that
British. Belgian and French troops
might be equipped with this weapon
these three nations having asked TOT
supplies Of this latest American addi-
tion to the fighting equipment,
Up to November, IL the production or
Browning rifles was sass, a majority
OF which were Ia France. In addition
20. 900 Chauchat guns had been pur-
chased. so that enough light automatic
rifles were on hand to supply 100 d.
visions or an army of 3,50O0Oo men. In
the same time 4l.so4 heavy Browninss
and enough Vickers guns had been
produced TO make with the Hotchkiss
weapons purchased from the French
total of 5i.6e7 of this type, or enough
TO equip zoo divisions or an army OF
1000, 900.
AT the peak OF our production" the
report says, "a total OF 1874 machine
guns and automatic rifles OF all types
were produced within period OF
twenty -four hours" and the total pro-
duction OF machine guns in the United
States between April s. 1917. and No.
vember II, 1915. was 5.0Ss as against
22s2SS produced by the French and
lsl,4o4 by the British in the same Pc
Rod.
Only the loyal cooperation of the
manufacturers with whom "competi-
tive commercial advantages weighed
not at all against the national need"
made possible this achievement. the re-
port states.
Other production struggles descrio-
ed in today's chapters include items
varying in size from trench knives to
the Aston Mark VIII tanks Of British
design of which / 800 were being con-
structed in cooperation with the Brit
ish and 1850 additional wholly by
American enterprise. Only one of these
had been delivered IN TO January l.,
1919. but il is noted that the work on
each program on component parts was
30 per cent complete when the arms
tiCe was signed. Orders for all but 100
of these tanks have been cancelled.
On November IL, 81 tanks of the
French six-ton type had been delivered
and by January 81 of this year 291. OF
these six were shipped abroad. Or
dcrs for 1000 Mark | light tanks were
cancelled as were orders FOR 1905
three-ton tanks. fifteen or which had
been completed on November Il.
The history 81 TIC rife production,
including all of the considerations
which led TO the adoption OF the stan
dardized British Enfield weapon for
American use, also is fully outlined.
This was another element sof the ord
nance program that was severely crit
icized. but the department states that
it sees no reason now TO change its
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 IL
is declared the rifle program would
have been hopelessly delayed" if j:
had been attempted to equip the forces
with those weapons. IL is reiterated
also that the Enfield rifle as it was in
production in. American plants when
the United States entered the war was
an utterly inadequate weapon. while
as 1t was modified. ii became second
only u the Springfield. Despite the Ce-
lay due TO modification and Standard
cation, all American troops were
equipped with modern. efficient. Amer
lean made rifles before they left the
United states.
The decision 10 modify tho Enfield
says the report. VAS one OF the great
est decisions of the executive prosecu-
ton Of the war-all honor 10 Gen. John
T. Thompson and the other fife ex-
perts who made it
The total rifle production in the Uni
ted States from the beginning of the
war up to November 8. 1919. was p
506.3e1. of which little more than
10000 were Springfield rifles.