The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-04-21
ASQUIYH DENIES
BRITAIN LACKS ARMS
no Army or Navy Was Ever
Better Equipped. Says
Premier.
WORkMEN ARE PRAISED
Spec,1, Cdble Dsspotcb 70 Tar srS

Special cable Despotcb 70 Tar srS.
LONDON. April 2O.--Premier Asau'tn
In a speech before u great audience
at Newcastle tonight set at rest all re-
ports of the Governments anger at the
British workman or the British manu-
facturer by praising both agencies IN
tie manufacture OF armament and sur
lilies. lie made no reference 10 he
liquor problem except indirectly when Ne
,eprecated the charges OF idleness and
deba uchery.
Mr.. Asauth received great recen-
ton from his audience and spoke with
more than his ordinary emphasis.
~ am not here. he said at the ou'-
set. TO imputc remissness 10 any one
| do not believe that any army or navy
ever entered upon campaign or main
tanned a campaign with better or more
adequate equipment saw statement
tie other day that the operations OF our
army and the allies had been hampered
Ivy our failure to provide necessary ar.
n unitiou. There liz not word OF truth
IN the statement. which is all the mo %
inschie,ous because. IL II is believed. II
10 calculated to dishearten our troops
,nd discourage our allies and to sti'nu-
late the enemy.
1T il equally untrue that the Govern
ncnt only recently became alive TO the
Z
tiers. Furthermore. II II untrue and I'M
fair to suggest that there has been any
thing in the nature OF "A general slack
ness in the armament industry ON the
part either OF the employers or the en-
pJyed. I am informed by the best au-
thority that the armament firms are
registering the high average of sixty
seven to sixty-nine hours work a week
| man.
The great urgency OF the present
! situation can be explained without resort
to recrimination. The blame is due first
TO the unprecedented scale upon which
both sides are expanding ammunition.
ard. secondly. to the shortage in the
skilled labor trades most closely con-
| cerned.''
Mr.. Asquith then instanced the loss TO
] labor. stating that $4,000 coal miners
/ have enlisted. Since the war began
there has been an influx OF some 1000
men in the industry to I'LL gaps. but
! mtuy Of these are unskilled and the
result has been that the outpu; OF coal
Is - per cent below the monthly normal
The speaker paid an earnest tribute
TO the oarnestness and selfsacriiice OF
I all classes In war which has lasted
nearly nine months, during which they
| have shown no tagging in national
/ spirit. They have obtained as a result
I not only by far the largest but by far
, the finest body of men that ever fol-
! lowed the colors. They are drawn, az
! never before known, from all classes and
| all sections of the empire. The unen-
listed workers in the industries are serv-
ing the country as truly as the men In
/ the trenches.
The Government is ANXIOUS to exercise
it's powers in maintaining the output OF
munitions without compulsion. although
! II II be necessary compulsion can be re.
sorted to. There must be "A close cooper.
alton and mutual sacrifices by opera
tives, employers and taxpayers. sacrifices
that may be summarized under three
, heads-limitatiOn of profits, Temporary
| suspension OF trade union restriction.
and provision for reasonable compe as
ton IN case Of injury and loss.
Abnormal pEotits could not be allowed
10 the manufactures. yet the Government
| intends TO compensate those losing pri
vat" contracts through state work. II
strongly appeared that the cngineerini
employers and the engineering operative
had come to an agreement with refer
.nCc to union restrictions They shoulc
lose nothing and should no, suffer il
the long run.
Mr.. \sGuith appealed strongly for con
tnued energy In Ill" output Of the in
dustrics. dwelling upon the needs of Ia,
navy as well as the army