Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1915-08-12
LOCAL MILLS HAVE
ENORMOUS CAPACITY
LContinued From First Page.1

tContinued From First Page,1
stroyers and colliers, can be turned out
by the company and that government
orders for these articles have beer
nlled within the past few years. Su'
perlntendent Irons said that the com.
pany could produce about 10000 ton.
OF the product in q month.
AT the Pennsylvania Steel Company
CHARLES r. Holton, secretary to the
Vice-president, said that the Steeltor
plant has been turning out steel bars
Tor government shells, but that he was
not positive of the capacity of the
plant. He said, however, that should
a government letter of inquiry be re-
celNed that he would determine the
amount that could be supplied.
commenting upon this inquiry the
washington correspondent of the Iron
Age conservative journal of the
iron and steel trades, to-day says:
The government has always rec
ognized that its own arsenals would
be entirely inadequate for the supply
OIL war material which would be re-
quired to meet an emergency of war,
and II has been its usual practice, in
time of peace as we'll as in time OF
war, to call upon the private indus
tries of the country for the supply of
a good deal of material of this class.
To this end the Ordnance Depart
ment endeavors to keep itself informed
as to the establishments in the country
which are able to produce war mate
rial or various classes. and their ca
pacity for such production. The de-
mand for war material by European
belligerents has caused such kaleido-
scopic changes and such an uneXpect-
ed expansion of the facilities of Amer
lean manufacturing companies, par
ticularly for the production of certain
classes of ammunition, that CORE
spending increase of activity on the
part of the Ordnance Department is
entailed in order that its information
may keep reasonable pace with this
expansion. While this expansion has
probably not yet ceased, it has reached
such stage as to warrant something
like a general inquiry on the part OF
the government as to the manufacture
ing facilities which have already been
called into existence, and to this end
letters of inquiry are being sent out
to manufacturers, accompanied by
certain illustrative sketches and forms
for the purpose of making replies
easier.
1t will be understood, of course,
that the War Department is not now
in the market for such material, hav-
ing no special funds which are appli-
cable for it's purchase, and the limit
ed funds which are at it's disposal from
current appropriations rot requiring
any special inquiry for their eXpendi-
ture.
Text of the Letter of Inquiry
The letter of the Ordnance Bureau
to manufacturers is as fol-
lows:
Gentlemen: /. Prior to the out
break of the present European war the
Ordnance Department compiled from
the best data then available the prob
able output of ordnance material from
adjustments in this country that
might be expected, in the event of an
emergency. The enormous expendi-
ture of such material in the present
conflict abroad, however, indicates that
the estimates of the department for a
reserve supply and for an increased
output in case of war have been too
low, and a larger production must be
provided for.
"'2. While it is generally under
stood that the increased demand for
war material has resulted in a marked
expansion in many of the commercial
plants of this country Tor the produc-
ton of this class of material, 1t is
believed that there are a number of
plants not now so engaged, which
with their present equipment or rela-
lively minor additions thereto, could
und ertake the manufacture of certain
which in the event of an
would be required in large
quantities. Among the articles large
quantities of which would be needed.
are shrapnel cases, shrapnel heads,
common steel shell, parts of fuses, and
brass cartridge cases. These articles
with their principal dimensions and
general specifications are shown on the
inclosed print and this department
would appreciate any information you
may care to give concerning the pres
ent or prospective capacity of your
own plant for their production.
"'3. A blank for this purpose is in
closed and you will note that provision
has been made for entering the capac-
ity of your plant for the forgings with
out the machine work, for the machine
work only, and for furnishing the
article. OF course, it is to
be understood that the department is
not now in the market for this mate
rial and that no promise of an order
is involved in this inquiry.
"a. Where more than a month is
required after receipt of order to reach
the maximum production, kindly state
the output for each month until the
shall have been reached.
IS. Any reply which you may
make to this inquiry will be considered
as confidential ~ Won On daeira