Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1915-07-24
FRENCH MAKING ALL
WAR MUNITIONS
Despite Reports to the Contrary
French Government Has Sup
piled Demands.
MILITARY COMMANDER
AT HEAD OF FACTORIES
Workmen Transferred From the
Front to Factories Are Still
Soldiers.

Paris, July 23.-1n spite OF German
assertions to the contrary, it is stated
that the French have as yet employed
no foreign.made munitions, and their
artillery, which is the strongest ana
most effective arm Of their army, mas
been able to depend wholly upon
France for it's projectiles. The pos
sibility that the occasion might
day call for even more extraordinary
quantities of shells than are required
now, and especially the munitions agi'
tation in England, have led the
French to foresee and discount any
sudden need which might arise by the
appointment of an Under Secretary OF
State Tor War whose duty should be
to give particular attention to the
production of munitions for the
French army and navy.
Military Production.
Already Mr.. Albert Thomas, the IN
cumbent of this post, has organized
the service of military production IN
three general divisions: a technical
service, an industrial service and a
labor service. At the head of each
he has placed competent men famll'
lar with the work before them. Al
the head of the technical service, Mr.
Thomas has set three military OIL
GERS, themselves technical experts,
who have also had practical exper-
fence on the fighting line. They serve
as a buffer between the War Depart
ment and the critics of the govern
ment in the Parliament. Also, they
constitute the court of first eXamina-
ton for all the scores of inventions
and tactical suggestions which pour
in upon the French government every
day. -.
The Industrial service is in charge
of a self-made man who began life as
a workman and rose to be one of the
biggest manufacturers in France. He
knows both ends, Of, production, and
it is therefore he who has charge of
making the utmost of the industrial
resources, in factories, machinery. and
tools, Of the French, Republic in its
one present business Of the, hour, war.
Thousands Of offers from factory own
ers to put all or part of their shops
at the disposal Of the government are
already in the hands of Mr.. Thomas
The industrial service is expected to
work out a system by which these
may all be used for that kind Of work
for which they are best suited. Later,
it is, planned that every factory in
France, will be called upon to furnish
the government, with, a detailed re-
port of the sort of machinery install;
ed in each and, the kinds of work
each, can do. The government will
then take. possession Of such shops as
it requires and is happen to be mot
favorably situated for munitions
work. .
Numerous Factories.
The labor service of the War De-
partment presents the mCst compli-
cations and is by far the most import
ant in France. At the outbreak of
The war, every ~able-bodied mar in
France was modified; the factories
therefore were forced either to shut
down or to supply the places of skin
ed workmen with such materia. as
happened to be at hand-men who
had been judged physically unfit for
military service. women or boys. The
result was, naturally, an immense de.
crease in production and a rise in the
cost of manufacturing due to the use
Of awkward, unframed factory hands.
As the war settled into the siege Of
Germany, it became evident that the
lack of skilled Torkmen in the fac.
tories handicapped not so much pri-
vate enterprise as the very work the
government itself must depend upon
Tor success in the war. The Dalbie2
law was therefore passed, permitting
the government to take from the
ranks wherever found such skilled
laborers as might be required in fac.
tories operating on military mater.
ials, and return them to their FORCES
and benches, still as soldiers upon &C.
i've military service, and under mill
tary discipline. At the head of the
labor service thus created, Mr. Thorn
as has placed a military commanding
officer, who will command his men in
the workshop precisely as he has
been used to command them in the
field.
Officers in Charge.
AS the staff of the officer in COM
mand of the labor service, GONZALES
cent officers of junior grades, or off.
GERS who have been incapacitated
from further field service by the loss
Of limbs or other permanent injuries,
will be detailed for this special and
most valuable service.
"1n this way, said Mr.. Thomas to
an editor Of LIE Matin, there will be
no more delay. In, going from the
front to the factories, the workmen
10 not cease to be soldiers. They
change corps, that's all. We want
everybody in the country to under:
stand that there aresnot two kinds OF
employment for Frenchmen these
days. Every Frenchman is fighting
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