The Evening Missourian. [volume] (Columbia, Mo.) 1917-1920, 1918-08-08
ENGLAND SPEEDS UP
MUNITION PLANTS
Shells Ordered During At
tack Delivered in a
Hurry.
GREAT REGION USED
Industrial District Turned
Into One Extensive
Factory.
GREAT REGION USED
BY Associated Press.

BY AsSOc1dIeu IEtSS.
MANCHESTER, England, July 81
(By maiD.-Two days after the Brit
ish began their big drive on the Somme
a rush order for 5000 shells was Civ
en- one of the projectile factories in
this district. So promptly was the
order executed that the shells reached
the British gunners in time to be used
for smashing the enemy's first count
er-attack
This shows how closely the munition
plants are related to the front and
gives an idea of the remarkable de-
gree of cooperation that exists be-
tween the shell-maker at home and the
soldier in the field.
The story of this districts achieve
ments in the manufacture Of muni
tions, illustrated by the actual opera
tions, was unfOlded recently toa par
ty of Allied newspaper men, including
the representative of the Associated
Press, which inspected the factories
under the guidance of officials OF he
Ministry of Munitions.
Whole District Used.
The party saw a great industrial
district, comprising the counties of
Westmorland, Cumberland. LanCa-
shire, the whole of North Wales, and
the Isle of Man, which had been con-
verted into a vast co-ordinated plant
for the turning out of war material.
Everywhere was evidence of how the
factories, abruptly terminating their
peacetime work, had cleared deck for
wartime action.
1t was in June, 1915, that David
Lloyd George, then Minister of NUM-
tions, visited Manchester and told the
manufacturers and business men that
the country needed a huge supply of
munitions and needed them at once
At that moment the great demand was
for shells. They must be had, not six
months hence, but Immediately.
The Manchester District Engineer
ing Trades Employees Association call
ed a meeting at once, at which nom
federated firms also were represented
The chief question considered was
whether it was wiser to establish spec
ial national plants for the manufac-
ture of shells, or to utilize the re
sources for the work available. 1t
was decided to follow the second plan
as it assured quicker results.
All Munitions Made.
Textile manufacture is the princi- |
pal industry of the Manchester dis |
trict, and at first it appeared that the |
machinery used in the textile factories |
was entirely unsuited to munitions
production. But by perseverance and
ingenuity the textile machinists have |
contrived to adapt their machinery so |
well to the work that they are now |
the largest shell producers in the re-
gion.
At the beginning virtually only !
shells were turned out, but gradually |
the field of manufacture was extended |
until now it covers, besides shells, .
airplanes, motor transport vehicles, |
guns, trench mOrtars and projectiles, |
hand grenades and bombs, mines, sub
marine engines, steam engines and .
turbines, scientific instruments and
guages, and a variety of other NUM-
tiOns, machinery and appliances used
for warfare.
As an example of the concentrated
energy now being employed in the
Manchester district, it is pointed out
that within a ten-mile radius of the
Manchester City Hall the 2,500,000
population employs 100000 horse
power. Eighty per cent of this ener-
gy is devoted to the manufacture of
war munitions.