BRITISH WAR EFFORT

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20050, 23 September 1939, Page 4

BRITISH WAR EFFORT

SUPPLY OF MUNITIONS EXPANSION OF INDUSTRY REVIEW BY MINISTER (British Official Wireless.) Reed. noon. RUGBY, Sept. 22. In announcing in the House of Commons the names of those who will act under his chairmanship as the new Council of Supply, Dr. E. L. Burgin, Minister of Supply, gave in broad outline a description of the activities of his Ministry. It revealed the extent to which industry already had been placed on a war basis. Sixty-eight, firms were now engaged in shell production beyond those normally engaged in this work. Seven hundred firms were engaged in making shell components. GSQO contractors were now working lor the Ministry, and 9000 firms were either working or ready to turn over to war production.

The Supply Minister declared that a system of national factories had been, in effect, brought into being. At the beginning of the defence programme, four ordinance factories existed. To the outbreak of war, 18 more had been added, and since then six further had been added. In addition, a large number of private factories bad ben fitted with Government plant for the purpose of war production.

Division of Country

As a furthejr step towards the mobilisation of industrial resources to meet war needs where these resources are at present In reserve, the country has been divided into 13 areas, ensuring that problems such as labour, transport, and overlapping are dealt with speedily with a full knowledge of local conditions.

Regional directing organisations are now being set up by the Ministry of Supply, Stress will be laid on the need for machine tools upon which the country’s war production so much depends. By supplying s'uch 1 tools, reserve resources can make a contribution of vital importance. Meanwhile, ofiicejrs arc surveying plant, door space, and other essentials to ensure that no productive capacity which can be used or adapted for use in the war effort is neglected. The first demands on supply have been met. Labour Party Criticism

An example of what has been done is the equipment of the field force. The equipment provided has, in fact, more than satisfied the demands. In addition to what was required for immediate use, great reserves are already available to meet expansions and repair inevitable wastage.

While these and other short-term requirements have been satisfied, the larger task of expanding the mobilisation of the nation’s resources for itic- long-term prosecution of the wan’ are being energetically tackled. Resources of stocks, plant, and skill not already serving war needs arc being directed to their spheres of greatest usefulness. Mr. Arthur Greenwood, for the Labour Party, criticised Dr. Burgin’s speech on flic ground that the machinery outlined by him was too bureaucratic. He would prefer to see industrialists and manufacturers themselves organising industry for a maximum war effort rather than civil servants.