Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1915-06-24
JUNE "A, 1915.
THE BRITISH MUNITIONS ACT.


With characteristic energy David Lloyd
George is tackling Britain's pressing problem
of munitions and with characteristic frankness
he lays the case before the whole people by the
introduction of bill in the house of commons
This bill, forecasting the most drastic indus
trial step that Great Britain has taken in a
hundred years, would make strikes and lock-
outs illegal, provide for compulsory arbitration,
limit the profits of employers and create a vol
pnteer army of workmen pledged to g9
wherever they are needed.
Not for Lloyd George the secretive methods
of orders-incounciI or other devious routes to
his goal. He is a man from the people and OF
the people and he has their confidence. His
backing for this bill will make possible the
revolutionary steps it proposes. !.
Britain's gun factories and ammunition
plants, arsenals and war-supply establish
ments virtually are to be manned by soldiers
not trained to shoot rifles or to throw hand
grenades, but to make them. Refusal to obey
orders will be as serious for them as for sol
diers. Lloyd Georges plan means regular
hours day after day, week after week in the big
munition- plants and consequent increase in
output 1t means rigid enforcement of tenn
perance rules among the employees, who, ac-
eording to statements of eminent economists,
often lost as much time as one day in six be-
cause of indulgence in drink.
1t means, moreover that the excessive profits
Of some of the manufacturers and supply firms
will be cut TO a reasonable basis. Much of the
dissatisfaction among the workers has come
from their failure to get appreciably larger
wages while their employers we're making for
tunes in few weeks from the sale of munitions
to the government at war-prices. This condi-
ton will be ended
The British munition- problem is admittedly
a pressing one otherwise Lloyd George would
not have been rushed to the rescue from the
CHARACTERISTIC. Germany has shown the Allies
that to win in ench-fghting they must have
guns and stores of ammunition SO nearly mex
haustible that field commanders may be as
prodigal of its consumption as needed Every
trench now lost or won is preceded by terrific
artillery bombardment. An expert has report
ed that during the British attack on Neuve
Chapelle from $4,000 to 10000 shrapnel shells
were exploded inside of 18 hours. From one
Saturday to the following Tuesday night the
British fired million and half rounds OF
shell at Ypres In one day the British feet at
the Dardanelles, in its persistent attempt to
reduce the forts, rained upon the Turks 3OO0
shells.
The Russian defeat in Galicia is ascribed in
large part to a shortage of ammunition. 1t
does not detract from the brilliance of the leu
ton victory to say that the Russians were un-
able to hold up their end in artillery fighting.
for. it shows how much better prepared were
the Germans than the Russians, and after all,
victories are won quite as much in the prepare
ton months and years before the battle as. in
the actual tactics on the field, the steadiness
of defense and the ferocity of attack.
British preparation is now reaching point
that Germany reached long before Europe
famed into war Germany needed no such par
liamentary act as this now proposed, fer the
German people have had ultimate war preached
to them so long, and their organization of in
dustry is so highly developed, that without
special stimulation they have devoted them
selves to military preparation and carried the
growing burden of armament.
NOT SATISFACTORY"