§ MAJOR EVANS-GORDON (Tower Hamlets, Stepney)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether he can say how many of the 108 field guns, purchased from the Rheinische Metal Waarenfabrik have been issued, how many remain in store, and how many of those issued have broken down; and having regard to the fact that such breakdowns have occurred during ordinary field battery drill, when guns and limbers were subjected to no such strain as would be thrown upon them on active service, whether any conditions and tests as to the quality of the material supplied, such as are invariably imposed on manufacturers at home, were imposed on the German company; and whether guns of identical pattern made by the same firm are in use in the German or any other Continental army.
*LORD STANLEYOf the eighteen batteries bought, fifteen are in the hands of the troops. No guns have broken down; defects have been found in the carriages, but have been put right. One brigade division has completed its annual practice at Imaal with perfectly satisfactory results. The batteries were under inspection during manufacture. It is believed that guns of this pattern are under trial by several European Powers, but none have yet decided to adopt them.