New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-04-21
ENGLAND NEEDS
MORE MUNITIONS
ASQU1TH URGES
Premier Appeals to Work
ers to Rival Soldiers
in Patriotism.
UTTERS WARNING
TO CAPITALISTS
Trades Unions Must Relax Rules,
but Employers Must Forego
Undue Profits.

London, April 20-The British Prime
Minister, Herbert Fl. Asquith, who SO
often during his premiership has haa
to gloss over statements of his CABINET
colleagues. in an appeal tonight TO
the workmen of the northeast coas.
to speed up the output Of munitions OF
war refrained from all reference 10
the drink question and declared that
there had been no slackness on the
mart of either the employees or the en-
ployers.
The necessity for greater efort' ne
said in a speech delivered in Newcastle
arose from the fact that an enormous
quantity Of ammunition was being eN-
nended owing to the success of recruit
ing among the workers and the conse-
ouent shortness of skilled labor. This
was being remedied. and the Premier
foreshadowed the enlargement OF the
present plants and the utilization OF
factories otherwise engaged TO do gov
ernment work, with proper compensa-
ton.
The appeal was addressed almost as
much to the employers as to the men,
although the meeting was entirely for
tho workers, and the manufacturers
we're told in plain terms that they must
not expect to make undue protts from
government contracts.
Premier Asquith said he was SPEAK
ing not only TO the men OF Newcasue
and of the Tyneside, but through tnem
to the men of the northeast coast TOT
in no other area of the empire, not
even in Flanders or France, could IL oe
eaid that the natural fortunes OF Great
Britain or ner success more intimately
depenced upon the efforts, energy, pa
triotism and self-deyc.iOn OF lndlVld-
uals.
The men OF Northeastern England,
the Premier continued, were specially
called by the supreme exigencles Oh the
time and by their own capacities ana
onnortunities to render their best ser
vices to the state. The demand Tor
men and material, he continued, was on
so vast scale that it might be sald
without exaggeration that the Wno!e
nation was taking part in the war.
The men who were producing mate
rial were, he insisted, in as true sens
as the sailors and soldiers fighters and
combatants in this national war. No
man was worthy the name OF British
citizen who was not taking part in 1t.
81 am not here" said the Premier,
"to allege remssness. Never has
there been better equipment. | saw a
statement recently that our work at
the front was being crippled by lack
of supplies. There Is not word OF
truth in that statement.
"Some employers register sixty-seyen
to sixty-nine hours a week man. The
situation is due TO the unprecedented
scale on which ammunition has been
expended on each side, to the short
ness of skilled labor and to the sue
cess in recruiting"
Mr.. Asquith appealed to the men to
rival the patriotism of their fellows
who had gone TO the front by regular
attendance at work and insuring the
increase in the output. All were called
upon TO make sacrifices. These sacrl-
fees included a limitation of profits
by employers and a temporary suspen-
sion of restrictive rules and customs
by the employed, with provision for
reasonable compensation in cases OF
proved injury or loss.