L. Martin Kaplan

“ But not until fighting began in World War I was it generally realized what an important role the machine gun was to play in modern tactics. For procurement of machine guns between 1898 and 1916, Congress appropriated an annual average of only $150,000--barely enough to provide four weapons for each Regular regiment and a few for the National Guard. Although Congress in 1916 finally voted $12 million for machine gun procurement, the War Department held up expenditure of the funds until 1917, while a board tried to decide which type of weapon was best suited to the needs of the Army. ”

“ Far more significant in revolutionizing the nature of twentieth-century warfare than these improved hand weapons was the rapid-firing machine gun. The manually operated machine gun--the Gatling gun--that the Army had adopted in 1866 was employed successfully in the Indian wars and the Spanish-American War. ”

“ The Army's use of motor vehicles had modest beginnings. In 1900 the Quartermaster General rejected a proposal for use of automobiles for military operations because he believed that insufficiently developed U.S. roadways precluded their widespread use. Even had he been an enthusiastic supporter of motor transport, the funds were not available for experimental automobiles or trucks. ”