BRITISH BOATS FOR RUSSIA

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2799, 17 June 1916, Page 12

BRITISH BOATS FOR RUSSIA

Aiter prolonged negotiations with the' Russian Government, arrangements hafru been completed for' the execution rn Great Britain of. the largest order ev<;r placed for Army boots.' ( Tho only other country in which 'such 'ii huge contract for hoots could havo been dealt with! is America, and at one time it ■ .was thought that tho Eussian order—oj< . a portion of ' it—might be placed in tho United States. But, in spite of the facilities which • America possesses, 1 for producing boots in immense quanlrities, the whole of the Russian contr; ict is being given out, through .the, Wp,t Office, to British manufacturers. Thje first portion of . the order, consisting ■of 3,000,000 pairs of . ankle boots, 'similar to those worn by British soldiers/, is to be delivered by the end of June, to bo fol-, lowed later by the deliverj- of a, "further 3,000,000' .together with tl'ie same quantity of high-legged boots VI ;nown as "Cossacks"—for the Eussian cavalry. Before arrangements for placing, so'large nn order could be completed," lit was necessary to ascertain whether , the enormous quantities of suitable 'upper and sole leather required would bo/- available. Until the ljussinn Government could be assured that sufficient leathoi: would be forthcoming, no steps could be taken by the authorities in Britain to; issue contracts to British boot ■ ma nufacturers. An official census was thereupon taken, not only 'of all suitable Is ather in the hands of British ' tanners : and leather merchants, but of the fntr/ro output ov tlie tanneries. This having shown that the leather required wouKl be forthcoming, all boot manufacturers in the country possessing the necessary machinery and plant were called upon, not to tender for the number of j'»irs they were willing to make, but to 'accept contracts for and to deliver such quantities a"s ; tlie Government authorities consider "ioihe within the scope of theji> productive, capacity. Until Russian "needs.have lifien filled, some hundreds of British boot manufacturers will no t, be permitted to produce boots of any. kind for ordinary weam's. •••-.