MUNITIONS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 11828, 13 October 1916, Page 7

MUNITIONS.

AMAZING BRITISH FIGURES. Mr Montagu, in tho Honso of Commons, submitted mi interesting < «t» tern on t, on tho activities of tho Ministry of Munitions. The following an- a lew of 11is examples oi' how ilio production of munitions has grown A year'n output beforo tho war _oi' tho following classes of ammunition could now bo turned out in tlio following tinio: Jtf-pounder ammunition -thrco weeks. Field-gun ammunition - two weeks. Modium-sized shell-eleven days.

Heavy shell—four days. We now turn out in a month twico as many big guns ns we had for our whole hiud service before tho war.

Our equipment of light 18-poundor guns is nearly complete. The total stock of machine-guns existing when the Ministry of Munitions was formed could be replaced now m three weeks- "We shall shortly have satisfied all tho requirements of the British Army." Noarlv threo timer, as many rifles of home manufacture had been delivered by tho Ministry as were promised previously. Tho equipping of our whole armies now overseas with machine-guns and with rifles has been accomplished entirely from homo resources. GERMAN GUNS OUTRANGED.

Tho weekly consumption of high-ex-plosive ammunition is between 11,000 and 12,000 times the amount required for land service ammunition at tho beginning of tho war. Wo are sending to France one-third of tho whole British production of shellsteel. Tho value of tho metals _ supplied monthly to ovir Allies was six and a half million sterling, i Our unpreparedness for war has had at least ono compensation—our new guns outrange tho German guns. Reports from the front .showed a, steady improvement in tho quality of tho munitions. ■ . - We havo ninety-five National munition factories, as compared with three at the beginning of the war. Witjh the help of the Canadian output, ho honed soon we should bo ableto do without American shells altogether. No fewer than 45.000 soldiers released from tho Army aro now making munitions. There are 13,500 skilled munition volunteers. _,aa The Ministry started with 1.635,000 men; now there were 2.500.0f'-O men and 450,0U0 women. BIG GUNS SPELL SUCCESS.

In conclusion, Mr Montagu acknowledged the debt which the nation owed to organised labour and to women, and i in regard to the latter said boldly, '' Where is the man who would row deny to women the civil rights which thoy have (Laughter and cheers.) He also paid a tribute to tiio work of Mr Lloyd George, who hod created tho Munitions Department- out ot nothing. Tho success of our Army was bound up with the big gun, and the programme of tho Ministry woukl not be. fulfilled until were in a position to maintain indefinitely along tho whole of our front tho. present expenditure of ammunition on the So mine. (Cheers.) He looked forward to a time when the organisation of the Ministry of Munitions would be utilised for tho production of work l ; of peace, but its immediate task was to furnish the means for rescuing civilisation from tho present menace, re-establishing peace by the Anal and lasting defeat of those who had sought the war. (Cheers.)