GUNS AND MUNITIONS.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 14590, 27 April 1918, Page 3

GUNS AND MUNITIONS.

ALL LOSSES MADS OOOD

{Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.)

(Received April 27, 8.45 a.m.) LONDON, April 26

Mr. Winston Churchill, m moving the munitions vote, said that since March 21st we had Jost nearly a thousand guns, between four and five thousand machine gurie, and between one and fchr.ee weeks' total manufacture of munitions. The German claims were grotesque. There had been a period of great strain, but by the end! of last week all losses had been made good and m some instances the supplies were greater than before, and we, actually had more serviceable guns than at the beginning of the battle. We had been able to replace every lost tank with a newer and better pattern. The expenditure m small arms ammunition duriijg the open warfare was enormous, but chip capacity/ of our factories was even' greater. Without touching on reserve stocks, the wastage of rifles bad been replaced easily. The expenditure of shells was very heavy, but less thaw the amount calculated! and provided for. There m-hs twice fche expenditure of shells wed during the Somme offensives m 1916. We were undoubtedly able to meet all demands if fighting continues at a supreme rate of intensity , until the winter,, provided the munition workers give loyal siipport. We probably would have made thirty per cent, more shells if imports "had not shrunk owing to the diminution of tonnage. We had been obliged to slow down production m considera.tiUj areas, but the supplies were the largest ever. >y7om^n, of whom there were nearly 751,000, turn put njne^tenths of the supply of shells. The cost, had' been reduced' and the quality improved incredibly. We were now making m three months as njtaflY aproplan^s fig iji jbhe who]? °t