Evening star., 1940-06-17
u. 5. Speeds Making
Of Guns 10 Replace
Those Sent 10 Allies
Commercial Factories
Being Expanded to
Supplement ArsenuIs
BY ROBERT BRuSKIN.

sion was reported today to be press
ing plans for immediate expansion
OF facilities for production of guns,
powder and shells to replace sup
plies sent to the Allies, assure an
even greater stream of shipments to
England and provide large stores
OF the critical items for this coun-
try's defense needs.
Plans prepared by the Army and
Navy under the Industrial Mobili-
zatlon Plan were said by an author
lty to be under close scrutiny by
the commission as orders were be-
Ing prepared-both educational or
ders to permit retooling of CONNER
clal plants and production orders
10 those already prepared through
previous eductional orders.
A large share of the 1862 $50 600
contained in the Military Appro-
prlation Act for manufacture of
critical items may be awarded to
government arsenals, which alone.
at 1ne moment, are fully prepared
1or quantity production of NUM-
tons, the authority believed. The
President has an emergency fund"
providing $66,O0O,0OO in cash and
a ike sum in authorizations which
Mr.. Roosevelt can allocate as he
chooses.
Emphasis on Artillery.
special emphasis apparently is
being given to production of artil-
lery. Only two commercial plants
are capable Of production. One. the
Z: n. Cowdrey Machine Works,
fltchburg, Mass, has an educa-
tional order of s174,20s to prepare
1or manufacture of 75-millimeter
PACK howitzers. The General Electric
20. has a production order for the
same caliber of howitzers. Both
weapons are Of comparatively small
use IN the present scale of European
warfare. determination of the pres
ent primary artillery weapon, the
75-mllllmeter gun of which about
300 have been sent to the Allies
from war stocks. is in the hands of
the Army's Rock Island IllD
Arsenal. The larger guns are being
manufactured at the Watervliet
IN. " and Watertown (Mass.)
arsenals.
Experience in the World War in
dicates that one year and three
months will elapse before new
sources can start large scale produc-
ton. The guns have changed little
since 1918. More than 1,4OO field
and heavier guns are to be manu-
featured and modernized under the
present program.
Several orders may be issued for
machine guns. Only one COM
mercial plant, the Colt Arms Co..
is equipped to manufacture them.
Recently. the Army announced it
had requested manufacturers to pro-
vide designs for new lightweight
machine guns.
To replace the reported 600 900
Lee-Enfleld rifles sent to the Allies,
the United States will have a pro-
duction capacity of about 400
Garand semi-automatic rifles a day
within year. Only the Winchester
Arms Co. and the Springfield
(Masso Arsenal are now equipped
for their manufacture. During the
World War several plants in this
country were turning out the Enfield
rifles for the British so that a
quick source was assured although
the United States was forced nearly
to abandon production of its own
Springfield rifle because production
capacity was only about 1000 day
More Powder Needed.
Commission experts declared an
immediate increase in production
OF smokeless powder may be neces-
sary. A capacity of barely 25,-
100000 pounds annually will be
available after the new plant fl
nanced by the Allies is completed
in Tennessee about seven months
hence. Since all types of projectiles
are propelled with this powder. ex-
perts believe production must be
boosted to a billion pounds an
nually. During October, 1918, the
United States produced about a.
100000 pounds-more than Great
Britain or France-but this was
made possible by Allied purchases
for three years before American
entrance into the war.
Probably the largest number of
orders will be issued for artil-
lery projectiles. Many educational
orders already have been issued for
components of shells-many to au-
tomobile manufacturers-but the
most pressing need is for plants
where the shells may be loaded
AT present the only loading plants
OF the Army are at the Picatinny
Arsenal, Dover, N. j., and another
for loading bombs at Ogden, Utah.
Both are small, but are to be ex-
panded.
Gen. George c. Marshall, chief
OF staff, recently declared Ameri-
can stocks contained only 6,OOO,-
600 rounds of IS millimeter am
munition. This, artillery experts
concede, would be enough for about
one week in a major battle. About
100000 rounds of a similar type
were expended each month here in
1918 for training.