Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-08-06
BRITISH INDUSTRIES
ARE REVOLuT|ON|ZED
syVhole Country Is Turned Into Vast
Factory for Manufacture
Of Munitions.
MANY MILLIONS ARE EMPLOYED
Stan of 5000 Required to Supervise
Work, Which Enables Allies TO
Smother German Lives With Ava
lanche Of Steel and Lead.

NoTht which FnaDlcS tlliCS &c
Smother German Lives With Ava
lanche Of Steel and Lead.
LONDON. August 5.-When the Rrit.
ish forces in France began their grea,
offensive por,bardment on June -. ant
for days hurled into the German lines
such an avalanche OF steel and lead rs
tho world never has known before
even the people OF England wonder
that It should have been possible to
assemble so vast a store of munitions
The story OF how these supplies were
created constitutes one Of the mos, i'm
portant chapters in the history OF Brit
ish achievement during tho war.
AT the outbreak of hostilitics. TWO
years ago. there were only three i'm
portant government munition factories
in the British Isles. To-day some
900 sovernment-controlled firms. en-
ploying more than c.O0o.o 0O workers.
are turning ON, virtually all Of tho
tremendous amount OF war materials
which have gone TO equip the 5000. 600
British soldiers in the field.
The organization Of this rrca, in
dustry has been accomplished in a
little more than one year by the Min
istry Of Munitions. which was es,ah-
lished in May, 1915. under the leader
ship of David Lloyd George. In that
time every available resource Of the
country has been bull, for the rro-
1tt1tior " ,.,J -
the scale upon which this orcaniza,ion
has been carried out may hc gathered
from the statement that the largcs,
of the new plants covers an area nine
miles long and from three 20 four miles
wide.
STAFF OF 5000 PEOPLE
REQUIRED For SUPERVISION
A staff Of 5000 people has been re-
CURED to supervise the work. At the
head OF this staff. and responsible only
to the Minister OF Munitions. mas been
a man whose organizing ability has
been accorded widespread rccosnition.
He is DR.. Christopher Addison. inter
nationally known for his medical re-
search work. For some wears no has
deroted his attention to politics. and
IA Y II lsf t'ouSE oil
had been parliamentary Soc
Fe'arE TO the board Of education. be-
foTe entering on his present duties as
arhamenta secretary To the Minis
Ter OF Munitions. Every detail ce tho
'nunit'on production is known to Or.
Addison, and during an Interview with
representative of the Associated
Press. he told as much of the story
OIL the creation OF this industry MS
could be made public at this time.
AT the outset he disposed az
statement which has been made IN
america to the effect that If i, wore
not FOR the munitions furnished b. IN,
Inited states. Great Britain would
nave to quit the war.
nave heard that statement made"
said Dr.. Addison. and i, is p,cnos.er-
Gus, of course. Tho United states Ia,
and is furnishing. many "a "
which we are anxious IN 20,
Tor the manufacture OF munitions nm,
far as the aetna production Of sh oils
goes, America has provided us with only
a very small percentage of those which
we have used"
Turning TO the manufacture OF m,,-
niti"ns IN this country. he continued:
AZ N" beginning Of tho war there
were only three important munition
factories in the United KINGDOM In
there were a number Of large
private munition and armamcn, firms.
Al the star, reliance was. placed mainly
in these national facI6t,cS ara cXp"ri-
enced firms. ana ~ ,ha,. lime they
Were fun OF orders.
In the early .'lrcs az 49,. .,y,j,c,