UNITED STATES.

Taranaki Daily News, 30 May 1918, Page 6

UNITED STATES.

SHIPBUILDING AND RECRUITING. Washington, May 28. It is announced that 15 steel and 3 wooden ships, aggregating 109,700 tons, were launched in the week ended May 25. The launchings during the month were 30 steel and 25 wooden vessels. A British-Canadian Recruiting Mission in Washington has appealed to subjects of the realm to join the colors, saying this is the crisis of the war. The (President gave an audience to a number of distinguished Australian visitors. The War Department announces that the tests of the heavy Browning ma-chine-gun for use in arming aircraft were successful.—Aus. N.Z. Cable Assoc. SWEDEN'S RE-EXPORTS. New York, May 28. The Stockholm correspondent of the New York Herald interviewed Meliel Lorgen, Swedish Minister of Justice, who said it was true in the early stages of the war that the Government's control of reexports was not rigorous, but since the American entry lie believed that no goods imported from America had been reexported to Germany.—Aus. N.Z. Cable Assoc. REMOVAL OF AUSTRALIAN WHEAT. Received May 29, 2.35 p.m. Washington, May 28. Australia is negotiating with the United States on the question of tonnage to move ten million bushels of Australian wheat.—Aus. N.Z. Cable Assoc.

AMERICA'S WAR OUTPUT. SOME BIG FIGURES. The following statement of things done by America in the production of munitions is from the New York Globe of April 15: — "Colonel M"Roberts, of the Ordnance Department, lifted the screen off a theoretic secrecy on Saturday, and repealed that 1,050,000 rifles have been delivered to the Government; that the present production is 11,500 a day, which is larger than the output of either Great Britain or France. Judged by comparative standards, such production is rather good in a year. Democratic civilisation will not perish through lack of the manufacture of rifles in America. Of machine-guns, 75,000 have already been delivered, and from July on 18,000 ma-chine-guns a month will come from the factories. This exceeds the production of Germany, France and Great Britain together. A gain good for industry which did not exist a year ago. No lack of ma-chine-guns will trouble American troops as they proceed with their great business.

\ "The ammunition figures are so stupendous as to be almost beyond popular appreciation. More cartridges are now coming out than either France or Great Britain makes. Explosives to the amount of 650,000,000 pounds are in process of manufacture. Think of it! No less than 165 pounds to be exploded at each German soldier if he escapes the contact of the 1000 bullets the rifles shoot at him. "But guns and ammunition are not of use except carrying ships are provided. Senator Harding, of Ohio, who has roared loudly in criticism, and is not disposed to exaggerate achievement says that production is now at the rate of 130,000 tons of steel ships and 75,000 t tons of wooden ships per month. By November .150,000 tons of steel ships will come from the yards, making with the wooden ships, to say nothing of the experiment with concrete vessels. 425,000 deadweight tons per month. In 1919, if the war lasts through it, it will be feasible to turn out 7,000,000 to 8,000,000 tons. Nothing like it was ever before known. Despite the waste of time, American energy has been functioning. This country may truly say as did Paul Jones on the Bon Homme Richard: 'We have not begun to fight.' We have the power in ourselves to whip Germany alone. All that is needed is to do it as well during the next twelve months as i during the last twelve months."