The Washington times., 1917-01-29
ENGLAND'S- EFFORT TO RE.
STORE HER COMMERCE

/
reached a point in the production {
guns and shells. in advance of h
needs, and that she now is ready
turn many of her munition factorit
back TO their normal peace-time on
put has a bearing on the econom
situation that will follow the wa
as well as on the military progress
of, the struggle.
What England has accomplished j
mobilizing her industries to suppl
artillery and ammunition is a stor
of cooperation and efficiency, ID
spite the blunderings early in tn
war, of which the world will tax
more note as time goes on. The mir
istry of munitions has just issued
statement which discloses the follow
ing astounding facts:
The extent to which this gun
and shell output has grown is
shown by the figures given at the
ministry of munitions. The COM
parison is made between June,
1915, when the war had Just got
under way, and the production to-
day. For every heavy howitzer
produced then there are 1913 pro-
duced now. For every field how
itZer produced then there are
forty-six produced now: for every
medium gun then there are sixty
six now. The output of 60-pound-
ers and 0-inch guns went up
eighteenfold, and has now drop
ped back to, twelvefold, as the
supply is too great. AS a whole,
the production of guns of all cali
Der has increased forty-one fold
on Those of medium weight and
twelvefold on the heavier guns.
There is the same remarkable ex-
pension in the output of all the
other various types of ammuni-
ton, machine guns, explosives,
etc
In a single week, recently, from
November 10 to %, the shell out
put was 80 per cent greater than
the entire reserve stock of ammu-
milton held at the outbreak Of the
war.
Hampered in free course through
the seas by the German Submarine.
prowling about her own coast, anC
more recently by the activities Of
raiders in southern waters, Great
Britain still has an unreasonable
advantage in regaining her com,
merce with foreign lands. In this
respect she will be the gamer by
prolongation Of the war, and by the
continued bottling up Of the German
feet. She purposes to start at once
to resume her trade relations with
other nations, and especially with
The United States.
This fact presents a new problem
for commercial interests in this coun-
ny. In our aspirations for broaden
ing our world market it was the
German competition after the war
hat was greatly feared. 1t may
low develop that it is English COM
petition, before the war ends, that
We must meet. And if Great Brit
hin is able to any considerable ex-
,ent to divert her munition making
to their ultimate work of
peaceful production she will have a
yoodly handicap on Germany's fu-
ure aspirations when that nation
gain enters the world market.
Further reports from England in
Iicate that the heavy trade balance
!gainst her is steadily going down.
'he is progressing surely in her eff
ort to recapture the gold that has
zen flowing so freely into this
ountry. Last year, even, it is stated,
he exports showed an increase of 81
'er cent over the previous year. This
Increase, though, was represented
argely in cotton, linen, and other
'oods which do not come to this
ountry.
On articles sent here, the reports
how, the exports dropped off stead
y, due to the continued diversion of
plants to war time
eeds. Now that the maximum pro-
uction of munitions has been
assed, the British hope to turn
gain to the production of those
which she can sell to the
United States. That fact gives rise
, a situation which American COM
lercial interests must face in their
oef xt,ar calculations