Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-09-03
GERMANS MISSED
: CHANCE IN WEST
Might Have Broken Through
British Lines Year Ago, Says
Lloyd George.
ENGLAND LACKED SHELLS
At Present, It Is Stated, Output
of Guns and Ammunition
Is Enormous.
ENGLAND LACKED SHELLS

LONDON, Scctember I'm an inter-
view with a French writer. David LLOYD
George, Minister of Munitions. makes
the amazing statement that the Ger
mans when they were smashing
through the Russian lines In Galicia
last year probably could have done the
same thing against the allies in the
West IL they had tried 1t.
II will tell you one sensational fact"
said the minister. Would you like to
know the actual amount OF ammunition
{ we possessed on June /. 1915?
There were the supplies in the hands
Of the army and stored at its parks
These are. In case of serious fighting.
used up IN about a week.
And what did we have behind those
supplies? Merely reserve supply Of
$4,000 shells. II a great attack had
come. what would have happened 10
us? If the Germans had thrown against
US the hail of shells they then fired
at the Russians, I do not see how we
should ever have got out OF IT."
May quote this statement" the
interviewer asked
Why. certainly" Lloyd George re.
piled. Nothing would give US greater
pleasure than to have the Germans
Imagine that We arc in the same pogi-
tion to-day"
II. the course OF the interview the
British minister also said:
1T should be remembered that until
the spring OF 1915 we did practicable
nothing TO accelerate the manufacture
Of arms and shells, and IL was not until
the summer o. the same year that we
buekled down 10 real hard work in
this line.
AT the present moment our output
VI guns and ammunition of all kinds
is enormous While II IS. Of course
impossible for me 20 give exact figures
which might hc OF great use to the
enemy, ! can say that during the
month OF June this year We manufac-
tured not only as much heavy artillery
as our whole army possessed at the
outbreak OF the war. but even one
third more. Among those guns are
many of the heavy howitzers which
the French gunners have declared alb
solutely perfect.
sSfrIELD GUNS TURNED OUT
lie: BY HUNDREDS EACH MONTH
vnt Ks for ordinary feld artillery, the
Increase Of our output is several times
larger. Hundreds of field guns are
turned out by our factories every
month now and st,ll We are very far
from having reached the limit Of our
capacity. In heavy guns our output is
three times larger than IL WAS two
months ago Our output Of lighter
guns and howitzers has been doubled
during the same time. and. rs for nu-
Eiiions. We now manufacture in
single week twice as many shells for
field guns and three times as many for
heavier guns we used during tn
great offensive IN September last year
What Is more, we still shall be able
To triple our output during the next
six months, At Sheffield we have fac
tories which now are turning out each
10000 shells day. anil which in the
very near future Will turn out 10000
shells oaily.
One OF the most interesting facts
about this latest offensive is that our
aviators have been able to take
marvellous photographs of the effect
caused by shots fred by gunners who
have had only six or seven months
training. General Foch and the French
general staft were greatly surprised at
the progress which our Gunners hav"
made. OF course, they cannot be com
pared to the gunners of the famous
french seFentF-nNeS. bus IN serving
heavy guns. or even field guns against
trenches our gunners have done marvel
ously.
In France alone we have at the
present moment ten times as many SOL
diers as our entire army consisted OF
in August. 1914.
I'm the factories which are working
for the army we employ 10000
workers. not counting the miners who
produce the coal. and we have. besides.
100000 persona working for the Brit
ish navy. That makes 100000 workers
altogether.
what ! want to emphasize most is
not the enormous output of o-day. but
the almost unlimited possibilities for
inc lg this output. 1t is this fact
{. sa.sS proves to every one who knows
1t that we are prepared to fight to n
finish. and that we are absolutely GER
tain that we are going to win"