SUPPLY OF MUNITIONS.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXIX, Issue LXIX, 17 June 1915, Page 5

SUPPLY OF MUNITIONS.

RESPONSIBILITY FOR SHORTAGE.

QUESTIONS IN THE HOUSE OF

COMMONS

THE COTTON CONTRABAND

MOVEMENT.

EMPLOYMENT OF MIDDLEMEN,

A PROBLEM FOR MUNITIONS

COMMITTEE.

.(Received June 17, 10.30 a.m.) LONDON, June HB. Sir A. R. Markham, in the House of 'Commons, teaid that if Mr Asquiih'Q Newcastle statement was macfe son the highest authority he could wijjy, be referring' to Lord Kitchener.'"1 For month© after the war the War Office had not taken steps to' organise the manufacture of munitions, and the Government ought fto inform tfchelHouse whether the Master of General Ordnance or Lord Kitchener was • responsible. A captain who had returned from the front iin & speech''to' the Northwich Unionist Association stated that thousands hafl been killed through lack of ammunition. This officer was severely reprimanded by Lord-Kitchen-er, and was not allowed to rejoin his regiment, yet miEsfcary members of the House of Commons were allowed to make similar speeches and -were not censured.

The Daily Maal renews i its ■ campaign against freedom <tff >o6ttoai< cargoes, and demands that neutrals should prove that cargoes are not intended to reach the enemy. It says there are now more cotton ships -at Gothenburg than before the 'war. 'Other-neutral ports in Holland, Denmark and Greece are playing a Bimiliar part. Fear of offending America ris the'cause of the Government's hesitation, " but Manchester has offered to negotiate for the purchase of whole American crop at an excellent price.

The Daily Chronicle says one of the most important problems for the new Ministry of Muinlfcions 'is involved in the contract whereby the Pierpont Morgan firm acts ;as. agents for Britain in all purchases r6i "munitions in America. There Vis a growing desire for revision of fhe items of the contract and the beliefiis-widespread that, however justifiable: it ••might have been in the early days rffthe war to employ middlemen, such a fcoarse is no longer necessary.