Rare weapon featured in new state exhibit

A major development in warfare is one of 100 “Creations of the 20th Century” to go on display December 16th at the State Historical Building in Des Moines.Curator Jack Lufkin says he had to include the machine gun on the list of “20th Century Creations” because machine guns dramatically changed military thinking in wars that were waged in the past 100 years.The machine gun was invented by Hiram Maxim, an American, but it was first used in Europe by the British and French. He says it ended the trench warfare that was used until the rapid-fire gun came along.Lufkin says a rare machine gun is in the display that was captured from the German army in World War I. The gun was taken on a tour of Iowa at the time to raise funds for the American Red Cross.