Martinsburg journal. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1920-1977, 1921-06-13
WEST VIRGINIA GETS
THIRTY GERMAN GUNS
UNDER KAHN BILL
Trench MortarS. Vehicles,
Rifles, BayonetS Allotted

West Virginia win receive 30
guns and trench mortars, IS vehic-
los. 1877 machine guns, 956 rifles,
656 bayonets and seahbards and a
considerable amount of smaller IT
I ems of war equipment as its share
of the war trophies taken from Ger
many, under the terms OF hill In
/ troduced in congress by Representa-
tive julius Kahn. chairman OF the
military affairs committee.
| The Kahn bill represents the So
luton OF situation that was fast
growing TO such proportions as to
| threaten both party unity and the
dignity and decorum of the con
gress. Practically every member CT
congress had apparently become I'M
lbued during the last twelve months
/ with the idea that his political flu
ture hung upon his success in pro-
curing maximum number OF Ger
man trophies to grace the public
parks of the towns and villages of
his district. The hGuse was flooded
with bills directing the secretary of
war to deliver cannon to all parts
Of the United States. Since the
supply was necessarily limited. ii
began TO look as though the affair
would develop into a race, and the
race into a scandal. The Kahn bill,
which has the endorsement OF the
majority leaders. has put a stop to
the flood of bills.
Distribution BY States
The Kahn bin provides that the
distribution shall be by states. Each
state Il to receive n quota proper
toned according to the military and
naval forces during the war 1t is
proposed that the senators and rep
rcspntatives shall have complete
control of the final distribution of
j tho trophies. After the secretary
Of war has assigned TO each state
its quota of material. according to
the ratio established in the bill, the
! congressional delegations will be
/ left to decide among themselves as
to the details Of distribution. The
plan Is believed to be as equitable
as any that could be devised,
With the exception Of small
amount of ordnance equipment
Withdrawn by the war department
for experimental purposes, none OF
the captured material has ms yet
been disposed Of. II is all there
dumped, according to last reports
on a lot somewhere in New Jersey
If the inventory prepared for the
military affairs committee Is cor
rect, it Includes not few items
that probably never before have np
pearcd in a list OF war trophies
The captured mpediments have
, been something of u white elephan
ON the hands Of the war department
: and when the time came for the ap
Ip0rti0nment at the hands of thu
house committee. II apparently wa
decided to include in the list every
thing that might remotely be sus
lpected OF being of interest to a con
CHEESEMAN'S constituents.
other Trophies Allotted.
In addition to the guns, rifles
vehicles. etc, that the West Nir
ginia congressional delegation will
distribute. there will be the follow
ing trophies. Thirty arm insignia
60 feed bags; Z paper saddle bags;
10 small round tin cans; 1G3 hel
NETS; % fur covered knapsacks,
picket ropes and . spurs
It Is easy enough 10 see that
! German field piece mounted in front
of the courthouse would be an as
set to any town but to devise a
dgnified and becoming disposition
of picket rope or feed bag. not to
speak of 4 small round tin can or a
( fur covered knapsack. is going to
tax the craftsmanship Of congress
men 10 the limit
West Virginia furnished 65,127
/ troops in the war. or l37 per cent
of the total, SO that the state will
receive 137 per cent of the troph-
/ les TO be distributed.