MUNITION MAKING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16310, 17 August 1916, Page 6

MUNITION MAKING.

The statement of the new Minister for Munitions, published to-day, is I by far the most encouraging of the j many official announcements made j on this important subject. It | bristles with interesting statistics, : showing the phenomenal develop--1 ment of munition making, but these, ! as Mr. Montagu points out, have i become fantastic. The practical : value of the report depends more on j the facts, now given officially for the , first time, showing the relation of supplies to actual needs. A vigorous offensive has been in progress for some seven weeks, yet we are told that the weekly output of munitions covers the expenditure and that the existing machinery is sufficient to supply a continuous offensive. In view of this it would seem idle for us to discuss theories as to whether the British attack on the Somrae was forced or spontaneous. In either case the ammunition used to drive the Germans back to Pozieres and to Guillemont has all been replaced and our armies are as well supplied as they were at the end of June when the Somme bombardment commenced. Another striking point is that we are now wholly independent oi America for light shells, and that the Ministry aims at complete self reliance. The shortage- of machine

: H" guns, which handicapped every British army for many bitter months, has been entirely overcome, and it is expected that the British factories will soon be able to devote their attention to supplying our allies, not partly as at present, but, wholly. These statements give us a clearer idea of the actual war efficiency of the department than the most interesting and romantic of comparisons with pre-war output. j They should also encourage the most j pessimistic to look forward with , confidence to the final and complete

victory of the Great Alliance. j