WAR CAPACITY

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 109, 4 November 1939, Page 13

WAR CAPACITY

EVERY OUNCE WANTED

HARNESSING WILLINGNESS IN BRITAIN

INDENTS TO U.S.A.

(Sritisb Official Wireless.) (Received November 4, 10.30 a.m.)

RUGBY, November 3

Since the outbreak of the war the Ministry of Supply had expended something like £110,000,000 in new commitments, said the Minister, Mr. E. L. Burgin, in a speech. Not a day passed without extensions — either new factories or additions to existing ones. Additional firms, small as well as large, were constantly being brought into the Ministry.

"I want every ounce of real capacity there is in the country, and more," he said. "It is therefore a question of the best way to harness this willingness which undoubtedly exists.

"It is of the greatest importance that we should place in the line at the earliest possible moment the, greatest number of our own troops, fully and adequately equipped, that it is possible for the country to achieve."

Referring to the lifting by the United States of the arms embargo, Mr. Burgin said that they must review their own production and see those items of which they were short and indent upon America for them. "I should say we should want machine tools and certain types of raw materials and ultimately some ammunition," he said. "It is quite impossible to forecast the extent of Allied requirements, but it is possible to say that with the arms embargo removed the Allied Governments are faoed with an arsenal of unlimited resourcesl should they wish to place orders with that arsenal."