Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-06-12
BETHLEHEM GETS
ORDER OF BRTTISR
FOR SIEGE GIjN
Work Begun on "Busv s..
tina" Duplicates of isss <
Inch Calibre
INDICATES NEW DRrw
Allies Planning to Shell Germ.
Forts When Line Ia
Driven Back

BETHLEHEM. Pa, June 10 ~.
tlons are in progress at the Bethlehss' 4 =
Works for the manufacture ~ ~ y ~
siege cannon which will he ,ss ,sonss
duplicates of the big BerthasS ~ ,ssIatl| ,sl
man army: In military parlance thsv W Y
known as howitzers. u'sI n
The order for these guns was s,4.
the British War Office to Jarnss 1rtea r.. p
thews. chief Of ordnance OF the pse.,.. wv
Steel Company, who has been in s'.s1.1 W..
for several months. From what /. IaAH
of the specifications, IL ia said thav w. y.
be 42.centimetre guns, the same ~ ~
German terrors. and their callbre e ~
inches, or just a trine more fSss Wy t
inches. w
The inference Is that the guns -.
sired by the ALLIES to be used in NJ
ing German fortresses, IL the propos.s y.
long -talked-of drive by the Fs' Francs ~
English armies into German TERRITORY i, g. .-
successful. Nv
THE ALLIES DRIVE
II Is said the Allies feel sure ~ ~.
able not only to hold the lines thsy n.
have, but to force the Germans bacy ~
of the places they would like In rss,..s y
Metz, "a miles from Verdun. iuat ~ ~.
the frontier of Germany. The ranss !.
these guns will be almost II ,ot "ss s., v
that distance, and at any rate from y W. N
% miles. Bethlehem also has tha =,
to make shells for these giant howit,,,0s ~
The number ordered is indaAn,,s A.
there are to be considerable lot of ~ ~
depending on how successful thev ~
and also on what success the Allies hss. :
getting near enough to German fort,s-
tions to use them. It is implied fron, N.
order that there is no intention aa ", :,
the part of the Allies to agree to psas,
FOR SPEEDY WORK.
Bethlehem expects to be able TO turn 4,
the first of these 40 centimetre guns n a.
months, and make them rapidly thereai,7
1t Is said 1t takes the Krupp Works sor. (
what longer to make them, but IL has ~. \
to pass that Bethlehem Is now bigger y,
better equipped than the great plant /.
Essen.
Only n few years ago II would have a..
a year Oh more to forge, bore and M,
such a gun, but such has been the prorf,r
in the invention of tools and the driIh,
of steel that four months will now suffice
In many respects this order Is the hirk.
recognition that the Bethlehem Steel Wo,,
or any American plant has ever receive 4
An interesting feature connected with n 4
manufacture of these guns is the fact aa
the United States War Department
greatly interested IN the outcome n
NOR that this country has also placed 4
order for some of these cannon could u .
he verified. but it is said that the hs,a E
of the United States army knew about N Is
matter and that negotiations are in PIE
ress TO obtain some for this Governhtr
BUSY BERTHA" DUPLICATE =
The guns are immense, heavy, eiun1 q
things and the recoil cylinders are mead
as big as the gun tube itself, The mtekis
ism for the training of the gun reagat
machining of the most precise accursef
There is said to be considerable rla1
among the mechanics TO show their 80 d
the manufacture of these duphcatesesY# q
big Berthas."
How the British War Office got thsse
clfications is not dlvulged, but II is hal
that. contrary to German report that g
had ever been captured, the Allies have -
successful in sezlng several Of them
The guns are so heavy that thsy p
have to be made in parts, each OF VA
can be loaded on huge high'power HaR
truck for transportation. The trucks -
will be made in this country.
The utmost secrecy will be ohserSa
to the detail of the plans, the process
and the shipping.