New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-06-05
WORLD HUNGRY
FOR AMMUNITION;
U. S. IS ITS HOPE
Sir Thomas Shaughnessy
May Be Britain's Official
Bullet Buyer Here.
RUSSIANS PREPARE
TO GIVE GIANT ORDER
General Electric Co. Said to
Have Closed S75.0O0,O00
Deal with Allies.

The world is ammunition hungry,
with snail hope Of relief Przemysl
fell because Of its lack, ard all the war
ring nations arc clamoring for more OF
it than all the powder and cartridge
companies in the world can turn out.
The demand has become so desperate
in England where the war chiefs have
despaired Of goad'nC the factory work
ers into Increasing the output sum
GENTLY. that Earl Kitchener. accord
ing to word received here yesterday.
has summoned Sir Thomas G. Shaugh
messy, president OF the Canadian Pacific
Railway. to London TO consult about
the situation.
Sir Thomas. il was reported. would be
asked to consider taking charge of the
purchase and transportation Of all war
supplies from the United States and
Canada. The plan was 20 have him
establish his headquarters in New York
and use every effort % accelerate and
increase the supplies from this coun-
try.
The United States is looked to for
relief, and although the regular ammu-
milton producing companies have null
tiplied their output many fold and al
though scores OF factories in other
lines have been turned over TO the
business this country cannot fill the
demand. according 70 an officer on Cen
cral Woods staff at Governors Island
yesterday.
Every one Of the fighting nations
he said. "has its agents here. and all
are bidding against each other for pow
der and shot, but, strain as it can. this
country is not able to produce enough
although We have the biggest poWder
concerns in the world.
"There is no computing how much IS
being turned out. The government may
know what the ammunition posslDii'ties
of thi. coLntrv are, but 1T is closely
guarded information. the goveFnmeHI
Ias its own powder mills. and probaoly
in the event of war would be able to
command the entire output OF the prl-
vate concerns
The last figures on explosive pro-
duci1g companies before the war
showed that there were elghty-slX IN
This country. with a capital Of S5Olol,-
e76. The annual value OF their prod-
uc,s was Si0.l39,66l
Br+ this number ard the amount OF
canital invested have been greatly IN
creased by the entry OF other manu-
facturers into the field. As an instance
i, was reported yesterday that the cen
eral Electric Company had practlcaIlF
closed contract with agents repre-
senting the Allies for s75.O0O.OO0 worth
o. rifles and cartridges. The rites are
10 he delivered within the next elgn-
teen months. The order calls Tor Jo'-
100000 cartridges.
Arotber Contract attributed to a non
muni'ion COMPANY was one Whlch II
was reported the American Can Com
pany has in process OF negotiation WIN
war agent, calling for supplies o. car
trIdges. 49, II
the fall of Przemysi was the arriVal
hero yesterday seeking war supplies
der commission by their government 70
,cour the United States and Canada
for rosslble sources and TO inspect
supplies already ordered.
The party arrived on the Bergens-
ford from scandinavian ppart'. IL con,
sisted Of Macmillan Groton, NicJaei
Rronikovfky. Michael Jurin, Nlcholai
Kemmer. Victor Kofhkin and Already
Nartvnoff. They expect TO spend two
weeks here after which they VIII Visit
tho manufacturing centres where sup
plics are now under construction. lhey
eApect 10 be here IN all about SIX
months.
On arrival the party was met at the
pier bv representatives OF a dozen Dig
manufacturing companies. One OF them
sad that the contracts already mace
and those under consideration would
total SG0000.Oo0 altogether the largest
sum Of money ever spent III a lump
sum by a foreign govcrnmen. IN the
United States for supplies OF this
nature.
As an index on the increase OF the
munition activities in tine United
States. the exports Show significant hg-
ures. The total value Of cartridges
dvnarnite. gunpowder and all other eX'
=
tbo nine months ending IN March, 1918,
was S3.s63.sl9. For the same period IN
1914 il was S4.7l9,543. But for the
nine months ending with March OF this
wear the total was Sl5,0S6.2l5.
For frearms the total value for nine
months ending with March. 1914, was
so.7l3,Ol4 For the same period ending
with March this year the value was
S6.9Q4.165.
The total value OF explosives export
I'd during March OF this year. the last
month FOR which complete figures are
available. was S2.793. $50. For the cor
responding month a year ago the value
was only 1854 O93. A significant feat
ure OF the detailed figures showing the
kinds Of explosives IS that the amount
OF dynamite sank from l.5Ol 400 pounds
% S2f 1oS mounds. while the increase
m cartridges. cunpowder and other eN-
,iosives far outbalanced this loss.