The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1917-08-07
BRITAIN IS JUST
BEGINNING TO FIGHT
Correspondent Payne Amaz'
ed by the Industrial Or
ganization He Saw.
By KENNETH w. PAYNE.

l1Y hENNEl We n Me-
GLASGOW, Aug. 7.-After three
years of war, Britain is just getting
ready to fight!
That is the outstanding lesson Of
a tour Of Britain's great war work
shops which l have just made.
The best test Of the future trend Of
the war lies not at the front but in
the organization Of colossal indus
tries behind the front. By that test,
the third birthday of the war finds
Great Britaln's military might only
now approaching It's maximum.
have climbed around one huge
northern drydoCk, larger than any
thing we have in the United States,
which did not even exist when war
broke out. Now over 5000 men are
kept busy there, refitting warships,
and 1000 more will soon be employ
ed. An that is one tiny corner Of the
vast, bewildering stage Of the British
war industries.
Our party was taken down the
Clyde, to see the shipbuilding yards
speeding up to beat the U-boats. We
found the shipbuilders, whilS turning
out an incredible number Of various
kinds of ships. actually we're making
guns and shells and tanks and air
ships as well, in vast quantities.
Another day we went to one OF the
yicker's plants to see big guns being
made, and it turned out they were
making submarines and cruisers and
.(reighters and gas shells also.
The third days trip however, took
us to a factory whore they were stick
ing close to the one job they were
built for-cOrdite making, and haz-
ardous enough it is for any one COM
munity to handle.
This cordite factory, near the Scot
fish border, extends over nine miles
Of land which was open pasture and
ploughed land three years ago. Today
it is model mushroom town. Though
still uncompeted, a full days sight
seeing fails to uncover all 1t contains
of thrills and interest.
More than $4,000 workers are now
engaged here. The great factory
buildings seem erected for eternity,
and the industry is just beginning to
boom, as though it had only got start
ed on the job of Cordite making. And
this is not a slapped-together boom
town, ugly and dirty, like the mush-
room powder towns l have seen in
the States. 1t is smodel village,
where visitors would be quite delight
ed to settle down for vacation-if
it weren't for the proximity OF nitro
glyCerine.
Trousered munitionettes, bewitch-
ing in their khaki colored garments,
with red hair ribbons poking out
from under tight little caps, are car
rying on the greater part Of the cor
dite making
They are quartered in dainty dor
mitories when off duty. A charming
clubhouse has been erected for them,
with library, dance hall ,theater and
sewing rooms. A central kitchen sup
plies the entire community. 1t feeds
5000 Of the girls three times day.
An idea of he size Of this model vii
lage is given by the bakery figures.
over $4,000 pounds Of bread are
made daily. The newspaper tourists
we're allowed to sample some Of the
cakes and cookies and vowed they
were better than any London teashop
serves.
Down the Clyde we steamed all one
morning, through an astounding ave-
nue. of half-built ships. Mystery ships
hidden by canvass, screened subma-
rines, huge freighters, passenger lire
giants nearing completion, warships OF
all kinds including a battleship Of
amazing proportions-probably the
biggest that will ever be built-hos-
pital ships strange river steamers for
Mesopotamia, tiny speed boats, de-
stroyers, and airships and tanks
these were just few Of the objects
gllmpsed in endless vistas as our boat
Chugged downstream,
Men and women workers swarmed
among the half-built ships, There are
10000 to $4,000 employees in every
yard, and the shipyards are strung
along the banks for 20 miles. Here
we were in the heart of the battle
against the U-boats. And the deaf
ening din Of myriad pneumatic
hammers seemed to raise the war cry
Of construction against the kaiser's
policy of ruthless destruction. One
particularly useful and complex type
Of craft is actually sliding off the
ways here and joining the feet at the
rate OF four per month, Uncle Sans
total feet isn't increased in five
months by a. many Rhins Of EhiA txna