SHELLS OR FOOD?

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2963, 29 December 1916, Page 8

SHELLS OR FOOD?

(. — v A COLONIAL QUESTION'. . "Australia cannot produce finished shells as quickly and cheaply es tho Homo factories can, but what she can do is to produce for. shipment to the Allies ilio maximum of food products, steel, copper, lead, zinc and coal, which are all necessary." In tliesojvords Mr. .Russell Sinclair, M.l.M.ft,,a prominent eneineer of Sydney, summed up Australia's position in regard to the making of munitions. Several months ago Mr. Russell Sinclair went to England oil behalf of the New South "Wales Munitions Committee, and also of the Commonwealth. Ho returned recently, and at the invitation of the Premier of New South Wales and the Munitions Committee, a large number of people attended a lantern lecture given by him. Every effort should be made. Mr. Sinclair continued, to produce maximum quantities by national organisation of all the resources. The lantern slides aimed (at showing the people of Australia in some way the determination, energy, and sacrifice that the people in ISngland were now giving towards the defence of our liberties, especially in the making of munitions. Surely they in Australia should bo willing to sacrifice themselves equally, and to do more than, they had been doing. The wonderful development in the manufacture of shells in Great Britain, said the lecturer, had surprised even the officials in England. Great credit was also due to Australian peoplo and munitions committees for having endeavoured to render assistance. They had the misfortune that, owing to their distauco from England.- they were late in getting tho information. By the time they liad overcome thoir difficulties tho conditions of'warfare had altered so that tho requirements of the particular shells became less, and Canadian and American factories had got going, turning out huge quantities. Regarding steel, Mr. Sinclair said that the Ministry had hade it known that the capacity for manufacture was now in excess of the supply of raw materia], and in addition large quantities were required by France' and other Allies. Thus the available supply of raw material in Australia could best be utilised by tho shipment of steel nearer the actual theatres of war. As far as he could judge this condition of affairs would become more acute' as tho war • progressed. Tho difficulty of importing iron ore was increasing owing to Hie enemy submarine activity.