British Munitions Output Has Grown Rapidly

Manawatu Times, Volume 65, Issue 1, 2 January 1940, Page 8

British Munitions Output Has Grown Rapidly

(British Official Wireless.) RUGBY. Dec. 29. Some indication of the extent of the Government’s war orders was given by the Minister of Supply, Dr. E. L. Burgin, when he disclosed that, from the outbreak of the w r ar to December 19, orders had been placed by the Ministry totalling £ 234-million without including sums under continuing contracts for raw materials. The Dominions and India had been in contact with the Government on matters of supply, and Dr. Burgin revealed that Australia was supplying not only ores and gun equipment but also the most modern anti-aircraft guns. The Minister said that his Ministry was in full working order a month before the war. Britain had been able to buy up the entire output of necessary raw materiols at pre-war prices, thereby assuring both constant supply and a great saving. Twenty new ordnance factories had been put in hand at a cost of £45million, and the Ministry had extended contractors’ factories in 300 cases at a cost of £ 10-million. Next year Britain’s gun and ammunition output would exceed the height of the maximum effort attained in the last war, and already ia four weeks of December British steel production was the highest ever achieved in one month. The French Minister of Munitions will visit London next week to confer with the British Minister of Supply on supply matters affecting the two countries.