Show An And the star spangled banner in triumph shall wave ave I Oer O'er the land of the free and the home of the brn brave e. e Extracting Definite Information OUT UT of the ordnance investigation ahon we e are at least getting petting a few tangible facts concerning our preparedness mesS edness program Of course ourse it is somewhat disconcerting disconcert disconcert- jug ing I to know that our troops will not be equipped with machine guns before July 1 1 Still it is better that we e webe wehe ebe be he apprised of this fact now no than next July When we turned the administration loose on our war program we confident confidently e expected that we ve would Tic The fully equipped and ready for the fight early carly in the thc spring Now No Koit it appears that it will be the middle of summer before our forces are fully equipped for service ser 1 ice which means that we e are not not going goin to make our full power felt as soon as we expected The apparent delay lela in providing pro machine guns teaches us the danger of indifference to what our officials of of- are arc doing toward winning the tile war var If we had maintained closer supervision over O the ordnance program program program pro pro- gram at its inception it is likely that factories would have made some production guarantees If we had bad been beens as s interested in this program last summer as we wc are tolay to- to jay lay we no doubt would have ha our troops completely complete equipped before July 1 1 There however is no satisfaction in regrets and no 10 speed in iu lamentations and we should feel encouraged that the ordnance program has assumed something of a definite ite shape We Ye are told that we will have ha no need for wooden rifles after February 15 and antI that by July 1 machine guns w will ll be in the hands of our troops As AsI Asa a I result we WC are not to be disappointed if the early days of spring sprin do not find us taking the lead which we ex cx J when war ar was declared Under the present program of the ordnance nce department depart depart- ment we should be in a position to g give ge e a n good account of ourselves during the summer and fall months The department is on record and must make good or admit its inability ty to cope with the tle demands of war Responsibilities are definitely placed wInch which is a step nearer to wartime efficiency The congressional probes are ha having hang ng the effect of starting our war plans out on a straight rond rood to a definite goal They are giving Con- Con that connection with war act activities which it should have Hl e had from the outset Investigations In are somewhat some discomforting comforting to inefficient officials but they are the I trail rail blazers of efficiency |