PROBLEM OF MUNITIONS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 15899, 23 April 1915, Page 8

PROBLEM OF MUNITIONS.

DEBATE IN COMMONS. WAR OFFICE ACHIEVEMENT. ACCELERATED OUTPUT. OPPOSITION CRITICISM. London, April 21. In the House of Commons, Mr. . W. A. S. Hewins, Unionist member for Hereford, moved that it was urgently necessary for the munition firms to be controlled by a unified administration in direct touch with 'tho firms. Ho said that Mr. Asquith's speech yesterday was unfortunate. He appeared to think there was great cause for contentment, while his speech did not contain a vital suggestion for dealing with tho situation. Mr. Lloyd George agreed with the motion, but said that Mr. Hewins did not take account of the "War Office's special difficulties. They had hitherto estimated for an expeditionary force of six divisions, but the number was now more than sixfold that total. They were adequately supplied with munitions, and every man ■nho dropped out had been replaced. This was one of the most magnificent pieces of organisation ever devised. Ammunition was expended on a scalo never anticipated. As much was expended at Neuve Chapelle as in the whole Boer war. The character of ammunition had been changed in the middle of the war on expert advice, while the system of sub-contracts had been extended to 13,000 firms.

If contracts had come up to time . there would have been no shortage, and in the last resort the Governnent had taken over suitable works. If one took the figure twenty as the amount of artillery ammunition manufactured in September, it was ninety in October and November, £•■ 156 in December, 186 in January, 256 in February, and 388 in March. ' We were' also assisting the allies with explosives and other munii. tions. ' There were no deficiencies of am.^,munition at the present moment, a-, but the Government had to prepare • generally for a war policy. .;;:' Mr. Bonaj Law said that Mr. .-.'- Lloyd George's speech showed that lie thoroughly realised the nature ;"; of the problem. .He criticised Mr. ".'j'Asquith's optimism.

MB. ASQUITH'S OPTIMISM.

NEWSPAPER COMMENT. CONFLICTING VOICES. . J _\<.:: w.a.,; London, April 21. V Newspapers comment on the re- ? markable > divergence • of . Mr. Asquith's optimism in stating that there was not a word of truth in the statement that the army was being hampered by the failure to "produce ammunition and Lord Kitchener's speech of March 15, in which he stated that the progress of equipment . had been seriously hampered, together with Mr. Lloyd George's'speeches on February 28 and March 17 to the same effect.

'■FEEDING THE GUNS. ufiu .«./(■< '. »'4 ■■-•■ i , , — """""■" h 200,000 SHELLS A DAY. V'Vr""' ' .V- Pa? 1 8? April 21. The British, used • 6000 kilo- ' grammes (nearly 6 tons) of dynamite to blow up Mont Saint Elor." i It is stated in military circles •that 70,000,000' rifle cartridges are used daily and another 7,000,000 r»y the machine-guns-The Franco-British forces in the battle of the Marne fired 180,000 shells a day. General Joffre notified the French Government in November that ho was unable to begin to drive out the Germans until he had a steady supply of 200,000 shells daily. This was promised for May 1.