CANADA AS MUNITION MAKER

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2688, 7 February 1916, Page 8

CANADA AS MUNITION MAKER

ENORMOUS OUTPUT DEVELOPED (Special Dispatch to tho New York "Evening Post.'*) Washington, December 23. Within another month, tho advocates of an embargo 011 arms against Great Britain will be deprived ol their chief argument—that the Allies will be severely embarrassed if they cannot get munitions from the United States. The "Evening Post's" correspondent obtained official information to-day to the effect that Canada, by the first of February, or soon thereafter, together with the new factories in England, will amply meet the needs of the Allias for shells and ammunition, so that an embargo might pinch for the moment, but would not vitally affect, the military campaign of the Entente Powers.

For many months the British Government has secretly developed the munitions industries of Canada, so that today an amazing work, is nearly accomplished, due to the thoughtfnlness and ! foresight of the British Minister of Munitions, Mr. David Lloyd George. The ! will-o'-the-wisp nature of American politics, and the possibility that the United States might suddenly need her own supply of munitions, caused the British Government to take time by the forelock and prepare. Two business men, Mr. Lionel Hitchens and Mr. R. H. Brand, were sent by the British Cabinet, accordingly, to Canada, and have organised in the Dominion an Imperial Munitions Board, which takes the place of the Dominion Shell Committee. Just what the activities of these men have been has been kept a secret, but it can bo stated authoritatively that the volume of wai; orders from France, as -well as Great 'Britain, has grown at a remarkably rapid rate. 320 Firms Making Munitions. The output of shell cases- and component parts lias grown so large as to require a highly organised department to ensure efficiency and prompt delivery. More than 320 firms, according to oflicial information, are now engaged in the manufacture of munitions, which has the largest singlo industry in the Dominion of Canada. New fields have been opened up, and the development of untouched resources begun on a systematic _ scale. Of course, many of the factories have American capital behind them, and are closely allied with tiie financial interests in tli© United States which are selling supplies to the Allies. AVhile the new Imperial Munitions Board is directly responsible to the British Minister of War Munitions, it was' recognised early that there should be some nexus between the Imperial Government and the Canadian Governiment and, the purchasing agencies, and therefore Major-General ,Sir Sam Hughes, of the Militia, has been appointed honorary president of the board. Many business men are on it, and !} special commission lias been appointed to inquire into the supply of raw materials, and tho best methods of using available resources. The amount of the contracts that were let several weeks ago was estimated at about 60 dollars per head, 011 tho basis of Canada's total population, or about) 40,000,000 dollars. This amount, however, lias since then been very materially increased, but the figures are withheld. It is known, however, that wljile the United States factories were said to be supplying some time ago about 5 per cent, of the total munitions usea by the Allies, they will not go. beyond f? or 9 per cent. at the maximum moment of our output. With the aeiv plants in Canada in full swing, however, the American supply will drop to 5 per . cent, or below, though a surfeit of rnuntions will not be unwelcome to tho Allies at any. time.