INDIA'S PART.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 11509, 4 October 1915, Page 4

INDIA'S PART.

MAKING WAR MCNITIONS. ARRANGEMENTS FOR HUGE SUPPLY. CALCUTTA,. August 24. At the request of the British Government the Government of India has created a munitions department, and has endowed it with the widest powers with a view to the wholesale conversion of ordinary factories into factories for the production of munitions of war. A few weeks ago tho Government of India approached tho heads of various engineering concerns in Calcutta and asked them whether they were in a position to come to the assistance of the British War Office. The iirst reply was in tho negative, and the authorities therefore turned to the railway administrations, who unanimously agreed to place their workshops at the disposal of the Govenment. The work of organising tho munitions resources of India on a new i'ootina was then entrusted to Mr Vic- | tor Baylev, assistant secretary, Stores j Department of the Railway Board, J with the title of superintendent of munitions-, and the respons.bility for j the new department was vested in the | Railway Board. EIGHT 5, LARGE FACTORIES. Mr Baylev came down to Calcutta, a short time ago and' made another attempt to bring private workshops into line wit*i the railways. The principal difficulty apparently was that the owners of private factories were doubtful j as to whether their equipment was suf- ! ficient. Certain modification's were aei cordingly introduced into tin; wlk-ric, i and tho immediate result has been 1 he, : starling of eight largo factories in Calcutta alone. General work in the railway workshops throughout India will be .suspended as [ar a.s possible to accelerate the munitions operations, and a. number of jute mills have expressed their readiness to assist with their lathes. SHELL BODIES. It is proposed that efforts shall at first be concentrated on shell bodies, which will be prepared to receive High explosives. These will be inserted iu England. It is hoped that sufficient labour will be forthcoming to euyiilo tho shops to work twenty-four hours per day. Mr Bayley has powers in India equivalent to those wielded in England by Mr Lloyd' Geurge; and while, as he told a journalist, there will bo no brandishing uf the olg stick, any attempt to hold back supplies of raw material frill be summarily dealt with. No shortage is, however, anticipated, as tho resources of practically every workshop in India, have been placed at the disposal of- the new Department. It is expected that millions ei' shell bodies will be sent to England every week for a. considerable t,.;ne. Arrangements have been made, wit It the lava Iron Works, the Uiggpsi concern of ds kind in the (v-e-t. to eoneeu Ira t••• mi ilie suup'y ei til lor (>ni<r -dell-.