A GREAT WAR FEAT

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 243, 2 July 1918, Page 8

A GREAT WAR FEAT

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BRITAIN'S COLOSSAL OUTPUT OF MUNITIONS MR. CHURCHILL'S STORY Jtr. Churchill's sense of the dramatic and picturesque lifted his speech in introducing tho munitions voto high out of the region of a mere reoital of astounding facts ami figures, writes tho Parliamontnry representative of thu "Express." He described the impression his own survey had mado on himself in a glowing passage:— "It is an impression which grows into an unshnknble conviction. As _ tho war advances, as tho dangers and difficulties gather, and as the storm rises in seemingly quenchless violence, one derives the intense conviction of the massive strength, the massivo solidity, and inexhaustible resources of this great nation, of this wonderful island, battling for its life and' the life of the world. Ask what you please and look where you will, you will not gel: to tho bottom of the resources of Britain. No demand is too unexpected to be met and supplied; no strain is too prolonged for the patience uf our people. No suffering or perils daunt her." 1000 Lost Guns. ' The Minister himself did not shrink from facing facts. He be?an by reciting tho heavy, losses in the present battles in France-.— "We have lost very nearly 1000 guns by shelltiro or gunfire, between 4000 and !il)00 machine-guns, a quantity of ammunition lost in dumps, or captured by tho enemy, amounting to something between our manufacturing output for one week and three weeks. Other forms of war material havo been lost or used up in great variety of classes and on a similar scale. To provide for these losses, for our present needs, and to retain our programme of expanding production has required an enormous effort. lam glad, however, to stato that by the end of last week the losses had been mado good and in many eases more than made good. To-day there are actually more serviceable guns as a whole, and more of practically every calibre with our Army than when the battle began. And by guns I mean complete equipments, with wagons, limbers, gun-sights, platforms, and all the ancillary requirements. I observe that the German War Minister claims a capture of guns nearly double that I have mentioned. That is a gross exaggeration and untrue, but liiyl that statement been true, it would, 1 believe, still have been possible for me to stand here to-day and mako the same statement that tho losses in guns had been made good." (Cheers.) Better Tanks. Jtr. Churchill described briefly the measures taken to replace other material lost, and increase its-Machine-guns: Our establishment in light and heavy machine-guns is being rapidly and extensively increased. Wo have already supplied mora than twice as many for use in aeroplanes or on tho ground as havo been lost. Aoroplanes: The 6upply has been for some time in advance of.the developmertt of squadrons and the provision of' trained pilots.

Tanks: AYqr are in itlio position to replaco every tank lost l>y a better quality tank, and to supply them aa fast as tlio Army can take them ovor.

Rifle Ammunition; This has been' used andlo9t, owing to the new open warfare, on aii entirely dilferent scalo from that in any fighting hitherto. Tlio expenditure, however, has not exceeded tlio maximum potential capacity of our factories, withaut touching the enormous resources we had accumulated for such a contingency as that which has arisen. EiHes: The wastage is great, but easily replaced, Shells: Our preparations contemplated nperiod of supreme battle intensity from the third week in February instead of from the third week in March. We are therefore to the good instead of .to the bad, to the extent of a supply of from one to threo weeks' manufacturing capacity on our original calculation. This calculation allows us to firo during the whole fighting season up to the winter a considerably heavier volume of shells than was expended on a weekly average all last year, and more than double, tho volume expended during the bombardment preparatory to the Sonime offensive. It also provides for carrying forward to 1919 sufficient reserves to allow an average amount, still higher in weight, intensity, and power.

Volunteers. Mr. Churchill explained that these ( achievements had been made in spite ol' tivu seriously adverse jnlluences:— . "Since May we have released more than 100,000 skilled men for the forces; we.are now releasing, and shall continue lor some 'time to release, men at the rate of ltlOD a day. I pruposo shortly to issue au appeal lo workmen to enrol themselves in a body of war munitions volunteers,' who may bo employed wherever tho residum of skilled labour left in the country can be put to the best nilvantage. ".Regulations will bo made at I lie &aine time to apply to employers. Thero should be no absolute protection from military service lor any cauae, however urgent, -.but every man should-be judged on his merits for the protection only of the one great iudnstry of the nation—tho carrying 011 of tho war." (Cheers.) He staled that of the 18,300 employees of the Ministry at headquarters, 11,000 are women; only 1037 men were tit for any l'oriu of military service under the old Act; only 372 were iu Grade V, and only live of those iu grade 1 were under the ago of twenty-six. The second adverse influence was I he severe restriction on tonnage of imports enforced by the submarine campaign. "Jt is," 110 said, /'no exaggeration to say that we could havo. made this year, owing to the ever-growing efficiency of the shell plant, 30 per cent, more shells, and wo could havo provided tho gnus to fire thoso shells if we had greater tonnage. The Ministry has had to slow down to a steady pace ou shell production over considerable areas of industry. How, iu these circumstances, has our work been accomplished ? It looks like a conjuring trick, and, as in a conjuring trick, the explanation 19 simple. Tho first explanation is the loyal and faithful industry of the whole population engaged iu munitions supply. Wo had a splondid autumn and winter. Strikes and disputes of nil kinds were practically negligible as compared with the volume of work in the country, the lost time was less than one quarter ot oue per cent., and for many sections or production less iliun one-sixth of one per cent. The extra time put in voluntarily at Easter really balanced all tho tiliic that had been lost. Let us havo au end, then, of the croaking and carping as to the attitude of Labour towards the war. Wo ought to be continually congratulating ourselves 011 the inherent soundness of our industrial institutions and 011 the loyal heart of the people whose servants we have tne honour to be." (Cheers.) Mr. Churchill spoke of tho translormaliou of industry, of the "factories planned by the foresight and vision of His first Minister of Munition-;, winch we'o now roaring away at lull blast throughout the country, and whose revitalising influence would be felt long after tho war." His second explanation of his conjuring trick was the women :— "Nearly 750,0C0 women are now actively employed in munition work. More than nine-lent lis of the whole manufacture of shells, and in many branches much moro than nine-tenths of the shells which form the foundation of the power and terror of tho British artillery, is due to the labour of women, and of women who before tho war had novel - turned a lathe." (Cheers.) The cost ol manufacture has gone down; the quality of work has gone up. Mr. Churchill dealt with special features of development last year. Aeroplanes: More than twice as mnliy produced as in any year before, AVe now inako in a week moro than were made in all 1011; in a month more than in a 1015; and in a quarter more than in all lfllfi,' The quality has been improved, and the variety of types reduced to onethird of what they wero last August. The expansion is only just beginning Wo may look forward this year not enly lo the'primacy in aircraft among the Allies, but to an increased ascondency moving forward to au unmistakable 8U-

premacy over the enemy, Wo owe ttiis to the work of Sir "William "Weir. Provision of Steel for 81ii])i>nilr! inpr: The provision is now nearly half as large again a? in pence time, anil Ihis year's steel budget exceeds all records. Ship-plates: ]''or tho Inst six months nil tho shipyards have been supplied to I he full extent of their demands, and a reserve lias been accumulated. Chemical "Warfare: i'he whole explosives position is sound. Tn regard to lethal and laclirymntory gases, we have killed more Germans than they have killed of our men, though the lighter casualties inflicted by their gases are more numerous than ours. In regard to gas masks, wo hold the first place ; n tho world. Wo aro supplying the Italian Army as well as our own forces. Artillery: Last year wo could not fire all tho acumiilated ammunition because of declining gun-life. This year we'shall linvo sufficient guns to fire all tho ammunition that can be provided. Not shells but gunners and organised ballcries will be tho deciding factor. Mr. Herbert Samuel congratulated Mr. Churchill on the success of his Ministry. Sir Worthington Evans, who gave many details of the work of tlie Ministry, slated that it is spending over J:2,Uftfl,f|flo each working day. The Ministry's turnover is i£2,000,000,000 a, year. During the past year a million accounts were paid, and only twenty were paid 'llio Ministry owns 180 factories, in whir!, .1'a0.003,090 of public money is invested. Tt is the biggest _ buying, importing, manufacturing, selling, and distributing concern in the world. A "break-down gang" of accountants has recovered .£8,000,000 of materials, not previously charged, from manufacturers. A balance-sheet of the Ministry is being prepared.