New-York tribune., 1916-07-14
British Ready to Bom-
bard Foes Line
indefinitely
MUNITIONS MEN
GIVE UP HOLIDAYS
Haig Needs Shells to Con-
tinue Assault, Says
Premier.

London, July 13.-The hour has
come for the great Allied blow. The
assault in Picardy is the forerunner
of greater events and the critical day
for the Ieuton is at hand.
Premier Asquith and David Lloyd
George, Minister of Munitions, de-
clared to-day that the drive along the
Somme was only the first phase of q
larger scheme.
The Premier announced in the
House of Commons to-day that the
government had decided to ask NUM-
tions workers to, dispense with their
August holidays because an incessent
flow of shells was needed for Gen.
eral Haig's troops to insure that "tha
present intensity Of bombardment
and assault will, if necessary, be con-
tinued indefinitely"
Military needs, said Mr.. Asquith,
had required the postponement Of the
June and July holidays, and the
workers had made a full response to
the governments plea. Mr.. Asquith
continued:
But since then a great and very
favorable change in the military stu
alton has been produced by the Allied
offensive now in progress. That Of.
fensive is only in its beginning, and
it necessarily requires for its success
continuous supply of munitions Of
all kinds
Have Crossed the Watershed.
Mr.. Lloyd George, who presided
to-day at an Allied conference on
equipment, declared that the joint Of
fensive on the Somme had wrested
the initiative from the enemy, never,
| trust, TO return
"We have crossed the watershed"
he said, land now victory is begin
ming to flow in our direction. This
change is due to the improvement in
our equipment"
Premier Asquith expressed convic-
tion that the workmen would cooperate
in his plan so as to make it plain TO
Great Britain's foes that the offensive,
in it's present intensity Of lombard
ment and assault, would IL necessary
be CONTINUED Indefinitely" The Pre-
mier also announced that by royal
proclamation the August bank holidays
would be postponed, and he appealed
to all classes for postponement Of all
holidays until further and definite
progress Of the offensive had been as
sured.
From tho success achieved" said
the Premier, I'VE have been able to
gauge the paramount necessity OF
avoiding even the slightes. risk Of re-
striction of the use of munitions in
the field, not merely in the weeks i'm
medately before US, but until our OBJ
jective is achieved.
"In the opinion Of the commander In
chief there must be no siackening In
the output even for a moment I
therefore appeal to the patriotism Of
the workers and the public generally
to again postpone their holidays In
order that the attack, so brilliantly
begun, can be carried through TO .
triumphan: conclusion"
Holidays Only Postponed.
Where health required, continued the
Premier, leave OF absence would be
granted, and the government held itself
responsible for seeing that the holi-
days were merely postponed and ast
abandoned.
Representatives Of the Admiralty and
the Ministry Of Munitions. he added.
would meet representatives Of the
workmen and employers to secure their
cooperation, and he was sure this
would be forthcoming and that the
forces in the field would "be given en-
couragement and the enemv discourage
ment in the certain knowledge that the
present intensity Of bombardment and
assault will. il necessary, be continued
indefinitely"
The equipment conference was held
at the War Office and was participated
in by Mr.. Lloyd George, Albert Thomas.
French Minister OF Munitions; General
Beliaof, Assistant Minister Of War Of
Russia; General A. Dali 'Olio. member
of the Italian Ministry OF War, and
the new British Minister Of Munitions.
Edwin S. Montagu.
Change In Allies Fortunes.
"Since our last munitions confer
ence," said Mr.. Lloyd George, there
has been considerable change in the
fortunes Of the Allies. On that data
the great Champagne offensive in tho
west had just failed to attain its Oh.
jective, and the French and British
armies had sustained heavy losses
without the achievement Of any par.
ticular success. In the east the enemy
had pressed the gallant armies u