Salt Lake Herald-Republican | 1916-12-31 | Page 19 | How England Was Made over into One Big Munition Plant

fOW ENGLAND l AS MADE OVER TER INTO II TTO ONE BIG I PLANT r Which l eTz Confronted t the Nation on at the l Outset o of the file War and How HOIU It Has Been BeeTZ Mastered ed l s. s Hu Humphrey 1 J Wards Ward's Del Description Description De De- o of the Work Tf f Ork 0 of Women lf 1 in in Turning Out the Needed War Material rial r From a Booklet By Sir Gilbert Parker Bart Armageddon began the thus VV V I forces force liberated were Uld a No 0 single brain Mr Churchill declared II achieved cd a n complete com com- I and rightly proportioned view yiew of the time cataract of events c Stupendous masses of men armed with thu tho deadliest deadliest est weapons were precipitated against ng each other fortresses dis dissolved oln d like Jike clouds of vapor apor great battles were fought unnoticed Neither belligerent erent nor nor neutral could visualize the di dimensions di- di dimensions of the conflict much mach less could they limy calculate the potentialities which loomed ahead or define the durntion dur- dur lation of the struggle No one r realized the thc sinister forces I 1 that had been loosed against ri civilization tion not Hon not even evert the governments go of the countries attacked attached That fact alone I demolishes the plea pica of Germany German that sho was the iet victim im of a crushing rushing out conspiracy iracy formed by her neighbors neighbors neigh neigh- I bors that she was wa was engaged ed in a d d fens c war It also explains why tiny on cu the eve e of tt war ar Britain like France I and like Russia was mobilized for lc peace ce Did not a well known American Amen Ameri I that readiness I Int can declare Germanys Germany's at nt the outbreak of war r would redound re- re re redound to her eternal dishonor while Britain's Britain i would be bo to her eternal honor At the thc beginning ginning of AUgust IP l 1914 14 the British army was a mere unit in inthe in inthe n the worlds world's fi fighting for forges forces cs It conEl ron con El of men Their ami am- am i needs V were served by 1 three I I government ot factories n l augmented r bv by I n a few fen private armament firms This establishment be it noted in was accordance accordance ac nc- with a fixed national ideal j fully appreciated by hy our allies oies When Germany opened her Eu- Eu Europe attack on Europe Eu Eu- I rope lope no one had hod foreseen foreseen or or indeed could have havo fore foreseen tile foreseen the een-the the number Humber of 1 heavy guns and 11 the I quantities I it of high h I U. U cr I lil il J l iv LUU- LUU jj- jj 1 nume The file colossal demand demaud wa was wa wag g generated gen geu- lUU 1 crated bv hy the changed hang conditions of I j warfare During the heroic defense I of of Verdun France it is asserted fired on one occasion ion a as many a as shells in twenty four hours On the front in y according h ha to toa toa a British officer British artillery hurled about 10 a against ain t the thc enemy's line lines without counting the file serenades grenades or or the missiles of machine r guns ung and rifles Germany was wm the first to to require require and therefore the first to produce such huge stores stoles of war materials For the expedition against g Russia for example Mackensen Macken- Macken sen was wa supplied pried with fifty batteries I for each army corps carps and twenty four I machine guns for each ach regiment regiment-a a I number since increased to f forty forty- j l I I eight I The Nature of Britain's Task I 1 1 Not until the fluctuating fluctuating- lines of the armies in the thc we west t congealed into entrenchments did Britain realize the measure of her task k on land She had to face then a blasting I of such magnitude demanding so o many men amen and so many shells requiring inK ing f such a continuous of r sUJ supply pl of big guns gluts mac machine linc guns aircraft and other engines of destruction that only by hy the complete mobilization of the time country country's t en engineering and industrial resources resource's could it be pursued Only y by uy transforming Britain could the attempt at attempt attempt at- at tempt be made to restore the North Korth Too ui UJ anti ana Belgium to 10 ful owners Only by an herculean m effort effort ef ef- ef- ef fort b by sacrificing all to the one paramount idea could the invader be hurled back and and the cause for which Britain entered the war upheld Many neutrals neutral neutrals especially especially those far removed ed from the war and unsusceptible ible to its penetrating realities realities arc are i ignorant of what has actually 4 been achieved They know nothing of the silent revolution re that has taken place in m the island country of that marclous marvelous marvelous mar mar- clous metamorphosis which has affected affected af af- affected every class of life ever every indus indus- industry tr try every home every ery man and woman woman wom worn an in the r realm alm It is the purpose of this brief serve survey sur to enlighten them to show them what Britain has achieved in in two fateful years to prove proc the tho truth of the old proverb that willI willpower will will- I power mower I finds a W wa way y P. P A Years Year's Work in Four Days I I t What has Britain done 1 Instead lof f of providing for an army armp of she has provided for fora an n arm army of and in addition helped to toI I equip the armies of her allies Instead j t of three arsenals in the United Kingdom King King- b c dom dam she has built or improved ninety I all nil working night and day Instead d of a few private I a. a armament firms I II I 1 working for the thc government there are arc areno uret no v controlled firms firma t I v. v engaged e exclusively ex ex- el muni- muni in In the production of muni t Ninety five per pel cent of these c 1 firms had never produced a gun shell l lor or cartridge before the war X Yet et in r i Yo 1 ii It t tt r wr t f E 4 I 2 Ii r i 1 f fu r a r 1 n Q t rv arf arfi arft 1 i t y t Y 1 Y h I L 1 f yr M A r t t Arne m i n Ya b V T. T r J. J r. r Ni 44 s fir y i w a i j f. f rw v w l vw Hb I. I M mm r w r r a w w rr o w v. v w. w w. w www w f 1 J w. w w H r v v ry r v r ft k kt 2 i M i L Yet 1 fy lJ rC ar M. M r. r i y 3 r. r eS t a r x t C h f t p 4 w yr r tr f F 1 t l r 1 f r f. f r rf T 1 t r n 3 a ar r r Wj IY 4 R 7 J rf f xi i i. i D i t r y c y AH 4 A rA r hap o ot t r 4 v ro v r t n. n t f k I 1 i r t 4 il r r 4 rt 4 r. r i. i f J 1 I N r 4 2 7 J P 1 ten months they supplied more shells I than all the government go arsenals and und armament houses existing at nt the outbreak outbreak out out- I break of the time war var Even Een then there was an enormous balance of f shells I f over OYer It now be hl practicable practicable- I d and Hud indeed has been practicable since gime the great allied offensive began hegan on July 1 to I-to to have hac a battle of Loos every week The weekly output of c cartridges for example is now greater great great- er cr by millions than the annual output output output out out- put before the war The rime output of guns ns and howitzers has been increased i by hy several sC hundreds per cent A Ayears Ayears years year's work in pound 18 ammunition I is now done in three weeks a years year's work in howitzer ammunition in in il two week weeks a years year's work in hea heavy shells hells in four days lays Miracles in Munitions Before the war time the nay navy al ah of ed almost all that the national l arsenals produced There was no room in the workshops for an army gun program 1111 even if there had been room there were no workmen or workmen or rather the labor of Britain was engaged else else- where Th The new minish ministry of munitions munitions munitions muni muni- had therefore a n. stupendous task before it it It had not not- only to I c create reate guns and allI shells hut but tit heavy hearty guns and hea heavy shells not only to find the material but to find the fife machinery and md the human hands that could shape p that material not only to provide pro for forthe forthe forthe the pressing present but for the stillmore still stillmore stillmore more pressing future not only to meet the requirements of or an army twenty five times the size of a peace army firmy but hut the time requirements of other oilier and even en larger armies which were allied to it And this colossal undertaking was achieved ed thanks to the unity of the tile nation in in spite of 1 the widespread upheaval ul of existing r. r industries in spite in-spite Spite of trade union conventions con con- in in spite of the fact that the skilled manhood of the time country county r had been heavily ily drawn upon for the fighting services One On Gigantic Arsenal I The Time ministry of munitions Is is the general staff of British industry organized organized organized or or- for war The fhe e existing factories factories factories fac fac- tories previously in engaged war manufactures have ha increased their output to such sueh an extent that the weekly output of expo explosives i es of er e every w description now exceeds as asue we ue have seen the previous year year- yearly output Existing Ex Ex- works used for different differ ent cut purposes have hun been heen con converted to together to- to together gether with their workpeople to th the e special needs of warfare Works 1 V en engaged engaged engaged en- en in spinning cotton in the manu nanu facture of has gas engines and nul 1 motor cars are now armament firms firma s flaring night and day with the fur ful 4 races naces of liars The following following- typical industries have ha been converted con so swiftly as to turn the United Kingdom Kingdom Kingdom King King- dom into iato one Otte gigantic arsenal he Agricultural implements motor engineering en- en brass rass baud band instruments doors locks and springs spring'S table stationery sta sta- stationery printing machinery fire firc extinguishing extinguishing ex ex- apparatus arc lamps pleasure boats hoats boot hoot polishes gramophones gramophones gramo gramo- phones and milk sterilizing Not ot only have ploughshares been beaten into swords but sewing maChines machines ma ma- chines hines have haye been expanded into nero nero- planes Sporting apparatus makers arc are making shells and plugs plug's for shells A confectionery works is making shells instead of hot cross huns hues A music roll 1011 manufacturer is making gauges auges for that shaking earth music which rolls over O the trenches of Eu Eu- rope Men lien who have hae been heen employed all their lives in making the springs of watches are arc now turning out with the same minute care some of the the- most difficult parts of a shell sheH knowing knowing knowing know know- ing too that on ott their care the thc lives live iv of their sons and brothers may de de- pend A firm of jewelers has built builta a l great new factory for making optical op op- instruments which require great accuracy thonsa thousands of delicate in instruments instruments instruments in- in and skilled manipulators are arc up iii nerve nervo and brain to make mule these eyes for the army aIl ami navy m Inside a Shell Factory Let Lct the reader accompany Mrs 18 Humphry Yard Ward into one of the improvised im im- ed shell factories Situated in Yorkshire it is under the control of one of the country's leading engi engi- It is filled writes this visitor vis is is- is Hor II with to DOO m men n all aB medically medi cally unfit for the and almost all drawn hawn from time the trades und and d professions of the town especially from those which had bean hit hard by the war Among Among- those are arc a keep lech- lecher keeper I er of bathing g machines a publicans publican's ut's I assistant clerks shop assistants I three clergymen these going gom home for their Sunday duty duly and giving their wages u es to the Red Cross unemployed architects and the time Jik lilac like No Xo shop I makes a greater impression of energy of a n spirit behind the work than this shop In it its inspecting room rooms room a agla gla graduate from Yale I 1 had to join in the fight fig lie paid aid quietly this was was the heat bost way a ay 1 I could couIll think of ot And it was noticeable besides les for some remarkable machines which America merica had sent Rent In other shell factories factories fac fac- tories a single lathe carries through one glue prose process in interminably repeated sometimes two possibly three three But here with the time exception of the time fixin fixing and ana drilling lr of the lime copper band and anda I a few fete minol operations operation s one lathe made the cut shell shell cut bored hord roughed f turned nosed and threaded it so that tha t it dropped out all but the time finished thing thing minus minus of course the fuse The tel pole pol introduced at the beginning begin begin- nin ning of the process made nine lilac shells and the average time per Ier shell was twenty three three 3 minutes No wonder I that in the great warehouse adjoining the the- work shop one saw the shell heaps I piling up in their tens of thousands only to be he rushed off week by week incessantly to t the h front The introduction of these thee machines had he been en largely the time work of if an able ahle Irish mana manager er who described to Mrs Humphry Yard Ward time the intense anxiety with which he had watched their first putting up and testing lest the vast expenditure incurred should have hac been heen in any de degree t thrown n a away His cheerful looks and the time shell warehouse warehouse ware ware- house told the thC sequel I When hen I next met him it was at a northern station I I iii n company with his hiR director They I were then apparently in search of new new I machinery The workshop I had hal seen I was being given over to women and the men were moving on to heavier hen work And this is the time kind of process which i is going goin on over o the length eng and hrco breadth th of industrial industria Eng Eng- land I I Indispensable Key Industries Elsewhere fa factories were requisitioned requisitioned i- i to produce e machine tools forone for forone forone one of the earliest steps taken by hy the ministry of munitions was to acquire control of every even machine c toolmaker in inthe inthe the thc United i Kingdom Practically e every ery ry weapon used in t time the hc war has been heen fashioned with the time aid nid of a machine ma ma- machine chine hine tool but hut unfortunately ma-I ma the time greater proportion of these tools tools' is of foreign 11 origin During DUling the war it has lIns been necessary to secure scores I of thou thousands ands of machine tools in in order order order or or- der to enable the munitions output of the allies first to approach and then tiler to surpass s. s that of the enemy lions of pounds pounds' worth of machine tools tool have h been cn bought in in America during th time the war Hr period to insure adequate ade ude- quate a supplies supplier of munitions from our factories mint factories national and otherwise Without imported machine tools not have thou thought ht of winning win win- ning the war Her Tier own fa facilities for producing these machines were totally inadequate at the commence commence- commencement I ment went of hostilities The British machine ma mo- chine tool trade was as being steadily sin squeezed d out omit by hy German and American Ameri Ameri- can cnn competition on Brit Britain nin exported inthe in inthe inthe the year before before- the war less ess than I wort worth h of machine tools as compared with Germanys Germany's export of OV ut ar T tt worth in The file I war ivar pointed out the urgent necessity sit iw r L r Y V 7 I 4 r y rr 4 k A 6 3 7 s f sS ar A fy r t T J t v j t i r. r r rt tM ry ty i 4 Y Y n yv f J i bl 1 Y L k t r xz f. f r a fh aY r fd i h. h Y r. r V K j 1 rr f rT f O S 4 d Fi y y y S r r S. S i f I SZ ii fr y t i i 6 ro jj j j t n 1 2 t w 1 f L rr