The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1915-07-28
AS SEEN IN ENGLAND.
By Ed 1. Keen, United Press Staff
CQFreRoondent
Third Story

correspondent
Third Story
LONDON. July 2s-It took JohI
Bull ten months to discover tina,
what he needed most was genera
business manager.
OF course he has learned several
other lessons, among them: that /,
doesn't pay to conceal the truth
that the British people resent befne
treated like children; that they can
stand hearing bad news. and that
when the situation is put before them
with frankness. they can actually be
as patriotic as Frenchmen-or Ger
mans.
But the one big lesson-which the
Germans have taught him-is that
war nowadays is quite as much of a
business as it is science He has
seen all the old theories of warfare
upset. He wasn't prepared for the
change in styles. He had no idea the
system of trench warfare would be-
come SO highly developed; that such
an amount OF high explosive shells
would become necessary; that pre-
ponderating supply of machine guns
might spell all the difference between
success and failure; that the Germans
would introduce the use OF asphyxiat-
Ing gas, liquid fire and other like
agencies hitherto unrecognized in the
conduct OF civilized warfare--but
above all. that the German SUPERIOR
ity In the new style Of fighting was
due to the mobilization of the entire
industrial resources of the empire in
ctdentally with the mobilization Of
soldiers.
Take the matter OF macl,ine-guns
alone. The Germans concentrated
upon their manufacture. Result:
these weapons have practically rem
dered the rifle useless. and caused
the slaughter of British troops, when
on the offensive. in numbers entirely
disproportionate to that OF Germans
in similar circumstances Machine
guns cannot be improvised The ma
chtnery for making them requires
some nine months to build
1t was this question Of munitions
that finally brought home to the Brit
ish government appreciation of the
absolute necessity OF mobilizing the
industry OF the nation IL the war was
to be brought to a successful concfu-
sion. France did It early in the war,
but her industrial resources, even in
peace times, were exceedingly limited
as compared with those OF the British
empire, and today her most important
industrial provinces, including seven
ty per cent OF her steel production.
are in the hands of the emmy.
1t is up to Great Britain to help not
only France, but Russia, as well as
herself. The driving Of the Russian
armies out of Galicia was due solely
to their lack OF ammunition.
Hitherto Britain has been concen.
trating upon soldiers. Now she rs
concentrating On munitions. Get into
the factory line and supply the firing
line" has replaced on the posters
the old familiar Your king and coun.
try need you at the front" They are
even bringing back from the trenches
skilled workmen whose enlistment, 1t
Is now agreed. should never have. been
permitted. The enrolment Of volun-
teers for the kings army-the use OF
the term "Kitchener's army" has re.
Gently been abandoned in the posters
of course continues, but the enlist
ment OF men at all qualified to work
in munition shops is discouraged.
With the realization that organ!za-
ton OF the country's industries for
the manufacture OF munitions had be-
come imperative. came appreciation
OF tho fact that the machinery of the
government was inadequate Lord
Kitchener had not only been over
loaded personally. but the antiauated |
system OF the war office had proved
Itself incapable OF handling the prob. |
lem. So the government-mostly |,
Prime Minister Asquith-decided to
appoint general business manager.
Lloyd George, the little Welsh So |
fcitor, who SO successfully had been
the nations finances, afte. |
/ record of constructive reform legis-
alton without parallel in history, was
chosen. He was given the title of |
Minister of Munitions. The first thing
he did was to tell his fellow country
men the truth-the grave danger con- I
'rontfng the empire through the de-
,lorable slackness hitherto prevailing
n the manufacture of the instruments |
IF warfare. Next he brought both |
a hnr nd ~ irA r.