THE LEWIS GUN.

Taranaki Daily News, 12 February 1918, Page 2

THE LEWIS GUN.

.HOW ENGLAND OBTAINED IT. THE INVEXTOK'S -STORY The story of the invention and development of the famous I.ewia machine gun and. the disappointing effects of the inventor to persuade the United States Government to accept it without cost, was told in dramatic fashion in Washington recently by the inventor himself —Colonel Isaac N. Lewis, U.S.A., retired, testifying in'.tlie Senate Military Committee's investigation of the armyWith an occasional show of heat Col. Lewis related his controversy with General Crozier, chief of ordnance, whom he severely assailed; denied that he first offered liia invention to the British Government; detailed repeated tenders of Ilia patents to the Government, with his profits, aggregating niillions of dollars, and told of the success with which his weapon has been used by nearly all of the Allies. , At times Colonel Lewis was so severe in iiis strictures on General, Crozier and the War Department that committee members stopped him,. saying lie was "too loquacious and desultory" and was lotting his "feeling run away " Supporting Colonel Lewis' , testimony, President A. E-' Borie, of the Savage Arm Company, whioh has the exclusive American license right to make .the Lewis gun, also told of the refusal of the Wai Department >to adopt tlie Lewis gun' and tlhe achievements of that weapon. Both lie and Colonel Lewis predicted that sufficient numbers of the new Browning gun, adopted by the War Department, will not be available for the American forces. Othei manufacturers have testified that the production would be sufficient.

At the conclusion of Borie's testimony the committee adjourned over Christmas. It plans to resume examination shortly with Quartermaster-General Sharpe regarding the clothing, enntonment, transportation, and other questions. Col. Lewis told the committee that as early as 1911 1 he offered to Gen- Wood, the ohief of staff, to turn over his invention to the Government. Gen. Wood favored acceptance, he said, but Gen Crozier prevented it. Again in 1911 and 1912, when he left the active service hecause of resentment over his treatment, Col. Lewis said, lie renewed the offer, only to have it rejected. TURNING TO EUROPE. His last tender was' made in a letter sent to Secretary Baker eleven days ago. He also agreed to turn over large royalties oil United States orders of the invention, but 'lied not heard from that tender. Col. Lewis said his offers to the Government were from patriotic motives. His experience wifcli Gen. Crozier, lie declared, almost stilled that patriotism. He exhibited a cheque for 11,(100 dollars, part of 17.000 dollars he said he had sent to the Government in return for royalties on orders. The cheque was sent to Secretary Baker last February, and lie said Gen. Crozier opposed its acceptance. It finally was accepted, but receipt was not acknowledged until two weeks ago. After his futile fight to get his patents accepted or his weapon adopted by his own Government, Col. Lewis said lie turned to Europe, where, lie said, the gun gained instant success. Thousands are Wing used by England and France lie declared, while many others furnished Russia, Italy and Belgium.

ORDER FINALLY GIVEN. ; Although the War Department had never given his invention a fair test, Col. Lewis said, it has at last been ordered for aerial lighting In the official tests last May, when the Browning was adopted, Col. Lewis said he did not have time to prepare his gun adequately for use with American ammunition. Col- Lewis denied assertions of critics of his gun that it worked well only with British ammunition, saying it is adaptable to any make of ammunition. Regarding the 1913 tests, when' pieces of the Lewis gun broke, Col. Lewis said breakages in tests were common to all machine-guns. As further evidence of his efforts' to give his own Government the benefit of his inventive genius, Co I.' Lewis said that last year, when the Browning gun was being developed, he offered to return to his country, develop a light model machine-gun, at his own expense and present it to this Government. ' Col. Lewis repeatedly stated to the committee that General Crozier's attitude toward him and' his invention was the result of deep prejudice and personal animosity. He declared Gen. Crozier was autocratic, responsible for alleged failure to properly equip the American armies and for alleged lack of progress m American ordinance.- He declared that, the ordinance equipment of Gen. Pershing's forces was a "disgrace," and that modification of the British Enfield rifle for American use was .a ' colossal mistake."

FRANCE MAKING SACRIFICE. Gen. Grazier's statement that France has a surplus of war material from which American troops ca n temporarily be supplied, was characterised by Lewis as "'simply astounding." Anything that Gen. Pershing gets from France, he declared, simply is a sacrifice. In machine-gun fighting, Lewis declared British ammunition was quite aa effective as American. His gun, he said, can *be, and is, being adapted for anv ammunition. When asked how many Lewis guns are being used by tlm British, Lewis said that ,in the recent British drive 50,000 were on the front. Lewis disclosed that in July, 1914, a week beforo the war broke out, the German Government had arranged to test the gun, but that he called it off. OFFER OF 1500 REFUSED.

The Government's reluctance to adopt the Lewis machine-gun was described at length by E. E. Borie, manufacturing head of the Savage Arms.Company, the American makers. When Mexican border trouble began, Borie said, She offered 1500 Lewis guns to the Government, but got an order for only 350 to use British ammunition. Before. the United States entered the war he offered Lewis guns to the War Department, and was refused ordws, but got them from the Navy Department, Borie said. "I went to the War Department in February," he continued, "lint they would not do anything until after th" tests ordered for May (when the new Browning gun was adopted). The Navy 'Department also did not want to place any order at that time until after tihe War Department's tests, but did order eome gun mnijntu.