South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-05-18
j. 8. AMMUNITION
SUPPLY OF TODAY
BIGGER THAN EVER
Public and Private Works Are
Capable of 80 Million Rounds
Per Week and Million Rifles
a Year.
BY Frederick NJ. Kerby.

WASHINGTON, May $50 far as
munitions of war are concerned, the
united States is probably in better
position TO face a possible emergency
than ever before. The enormous in
crease in capacity Of plants turning
out rifles, powder. ammunition and
Dlg guns since the beginning of the
European war has made the output of
such articles the greatest in the his
tory of the country.
Before the outbreak of the war
abroad, the capacity of all plants in
the United States-public and pri-
vate-fOr manufacturing small arms
ammunition, did not exceed 5000. 600
rounds per week Today, according
10 the best obtainable information.
the five big plants turning out this
class OF ammunition, are producing
80, 100000 rounds per week The man.
facture of other classes of ammuni-
ton and ornaments has increased
prOpOrtiOnately.
There is a very general lack of in
formation as TO where war materials
are produced and how a great Ameri-
can field force would be supplied with
munitions of war in case of necessity
Some of the necessary war munitions
are manufactured in government
plants; some in private plants.
Where Rifles Are Made.
The present model Springfield infan-
try rife, for example, is made in two
government arsenals. one at Rock
Island, H., the other at Springfield.
Mass. These two plants, working at
full capacity. "a hours a day, can
probably turn out about 1900 such
rifles per day, or something more than
half million year In addition,
since the outbreak of the war pri-
vate plants have been manufacturing
N "a n los hn a~fr
governments The private plants of
the Remington Arms Co, IliOn, n Y.
and the Winchester company at New
Haven, Conn, as we'll as the Stevens
Arms Co. at Chicopee Falls Mass.
could all be used in case of emer-
gency. These three plants together
would turn out about 5000 rifles per
day at full capacity. which, added to
the government plants would produce
more than a million such rifles in a
year. AS there are already on hand
sufficient rifles TO equip an army of at
least 500. 600 men, il is clear that we
are well provided SO far as small arms
90.
AS TO heavy artillery. both for army
and navy use. the government has
two large plants In operation. These
are located at the naval gun fac
tories az Washington. u. c.. and Wa
tervliet y. Y. The private concerns
turning ont heavy guns are the Beth
lehem steel Co. and the MidVale Steel
Co. in Pennsylvania.
Capacity for Shrapnel.
The production OF shrapnel-the
most terrible shells in artillery fight
ing-is somewhat complicated by the
intricate mechanism known as the
time fuse" The steel cases for
shrapnel can be turned out by prac-
tically any machine shop using metal
lathes. The capacity of the United
States in this respect is practically un-
limited. But the production OF ''time
fuses" which causes the shell TO ex-
plode when il reaches its destination.
scattering the small balls contained
in the casing with great force in
every direction. Is confined 10 one
government. and two private plants.
The Scoville Manufacturing Co. and
the Bethlehem company are the pri-
vate concerns; while the government
has an extensive plant at the Frank
ford arsenal. Philadelphia
Field artillery carriages. horse
equipment and other miscellaneous
items OF army equipment are all turn
ed out at the Rock Island. Ill. arsenal:
and there is another government plant
at WatertOwn. Mass. for the manu-
facture of gun carriages for heavy
artillery Artillery ammunition as
we'll as small arms ammunition is
manufactured at the government
plants at Frankford arsenal. There
are also two other small government
arsenals at August. Ca. and Benecia,
Calf