Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-08-14

Nontlnueu from Ihkt Ont
one-half the force we should need. we
find that we must increase the number
of workers In our arsenals t19 times,
while this number of soldiers means only
increasing the army three times.
NOT IMMUNE FROM AGGRESSION
"The national feeling OF security needs
strict condemnation. The United States
are not secure from foreign aggression.
Thip fact must be faced and faced with
out evasion. We cannot obtain in the
short time needed the additional arsenal
workers and the necessary additions to
the arsenal equipment to meet the de-
mandB of an army even 60 per cent. of
the desired and needed size. We cannot
expect factories to change from an es-
tablished product TO war munitions over
night. 1t is more than a year since the
contracts for munitions were made with
American manufacturers by the Allies.
and yet we are producing very little.
What "A tragedy this would mean II
America needed those cartridges and
shells.
Let us take a leaf from the expert
ence of the countries at war, Germany
and Austria are estimated to be turning
out 25O0OO shells per day, In England, at
the outbreak of the war there had been
no systematized preparation for the inn
lnense task that suddenly confronted
them. The War Office decided to utilize
the skill of existing firms which were
capable OF doing the work. They found
10 their intense surprise that the arma-
rnent firms were inadequate to the i'm
mense task not only of organizing their
own work, but of developing the re
sources of the country outside They
could not command the stock. and sub
contracting was declared by Lloyd
George TO have been a failure. The out
put was a pitiful 10000 shells a month.
THE machinery for the manufacture
of rifles apd machine guns takes eight
months. at least, to construct before a
single weapon is turned out, Then
there are certain materials which must
be on hand before munitions can be pro-
duced. Mild carbon steel is needed for
gun barrels Well-seasoned ash or ma
pie. straight grained, is required for the
stocks, Brass. iron and antimony enter
largely into production. Benzol. phenol.
sulphuric acid, nitric acid, caustlc soda
and other chemicals are absolutely inn
perative for the manufacture of picric
acid
To-day It Is almost impossible to pro-
cure phenol certainly in large quantities.
Germany has been the source Of supply
for picric acid. 1t has advanced from
S5 cents to So a pound.
"Antimony has become so scarce that
some other hardening material is being
named In many instances in some of the
newer contracts by manufacturers of
shell bullets.
BRASS is an alloy of copper and zinc.
spelter. a product OF zinc ore. is nearly
1t is being quoted at $3.50
4 ton. In 1918 the worlds production ex-
reeded the consumption by only 2.2 per
cent Germany has control of at least
one-half of the spelter in the world. The
United States produced about SO per cent
of the worlds supply In 1918, the latest
hgures available, 34e.67s short tons.
> PRODUCTIVE CAPACITY AMPLE.
1T is true that at the close OF the
European war the United States will be in
The most advantageous position in her
history. In no way will this be more true
Than In the fact that we shall have. In
good condition and prepared for produe-
lion. as complete shops for the manufac-
lure Of munitions as any nation. The out
put from these shops would more than
meet the demands which would be made
upon them II the United States were TO
enter war on a large scale, The ca
oaetty for manufacturing arms and am
nunition IN the United States has in
'feased approximately 1000 per cent dur
ng the last year. There does not seem
20 be any doubt that We can easily man
lfaeture sufficient reserve munitions to
meet any emergency that may arise in the
future The point Is that this fact must
oe impressed strongly ON our peopls.
War munitions must be manufactured
ma stored by the United States. They
must be prepared In such large quantities
hat an army trained to resist invasion
,ould be deploged along the coasts OF the
country fully armed and thoroughly
'auipped % meet any emergency. This
s the pathway 10 national safety. II Is
ne same ounce Of prevention. Let as
earn the lesson well