The submachine gun never got a real hold in World War I, soon afterward began to figure more in gang news than in Army talk. Of 15,000 Thompsons ("Tommies") manufactured by Colt in 1921, nearly 5,000 were still unsold 18 years later. But World War II revised military opinion: the light, easily handled submachine gun (spitting a stream of .45-calibre bullets 300-400 yards, battle sighti.e., point-blank range) turned out to be a potent weapon in shock tactics. Recently Great Britain was reported eager to buy 250,000 to 500,000 from the U. S.if they could be made fast enough.
Last week a...