Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1918-03-19
GUNS AND AMMUNITIoNS.
United States is Providing Immense
Supplies.

The ordnance bureau Of the United
States army has contracted. since
April /, last. for 3,500.O00,0 900 rounds OF
small arms ammunition. In January
production averaged 100000 rounds
daily, or about 2OO.OOO,OO0 rounds for
the month. In February, however
deliveries increased and one plant
alone turned out more than 125,0OO,-
900 rounds of rifle ammunition. Ten
plants, one government and nine pri-
vately owned, are engaged In cart
ridge manufacture.
Today our production Of ammuni-
tion is greater than that Of Great
Britain and much greater thah that
Of France ever was. "
I'm addiiittion ro sdppsies o. allg6dnf--
ton sent to France, we have created
in the United States. for purposes OF
training troops now in camps, and
cantonfients. a reserve OF over one
billion rounds of small arms cart
ridges.
OF projectiles for our artillery. We
have under order some 65.OO0.0O0. in
volving an expenditure of S77G.467.-
10. These projectiles. ranging from
3-inch shrapnel shells to great H.
inch shells filled with high explosives
or deadly gases, are being delivered
in large quantities. Projectile con-
tracts alone number 925, and the prices
at which the shells are delivered
unloaded (that is. untitled with
shrapncl bullets. high explosives OF
gas)-range from about $40 to s115
per shell.
To hurl these shells against the
enemy more than 4OO.O0O.OOO pounds
of explosives are in process of manu-
facturc. This includes approximately
253. SIC, 900 pounds Of smokeless pow
der, S.35O.0OO pounds of black pow
der. and 16O.OOO.OOO pounds of ct
n. IT,. trinitrotoloul, 1000. .00C
pounds of ballistite. $4,000 pounds OF
tetryl and 100000 pounds of picric
acid. This involves an expenditure
of about $210.0O0.000.
In addition to all the resources that
had been developed. in this country
for the production OF powder and ex-
plosives on contract for the allies
our program has necessitated the ex-
pansion of existing plants and the
building Of new ones. Two grea,
smokeless powder plants now under
construction will add 1880. 900 pounds
capacity daily. Our actual output to-
day is between four and five times
as much as we were supplying our
allies in the year before we entered
the war.
AS supporting Industries for the
explosive factories. great chemical
plants have been developed. Abou,
$40, 100000 has been spent on each
of two plants for producing ammonias
and nitrates. The fixation of nitro
gen from the air has become q reality
in this country. with the result that
we are no longer wholly dependent
upon imports from Chile. This nitro.
gen producing capacity is to be so de-
veloped that we will be independent
of outside sources. as Germany her.
self is.
In addition to small arms and ar
tillery ammunition. the ordnance
bureau also is providing bombs to
be dropped from our aeroplanes In
their raids over Germany. The num-
bers and types Of these may not be
indicated, but II is a matter OF record
that on these aeroplane bombs alone
we are spending more than $500. 0.OoO,-
900.
Our program for powder produc-
tion in this country anticipates not
only a capacity sufficient for supply
ing our own needs. but for supplying
our allies also. For most part the
raw materials for all powder manu-
factured In France and England have
to be imported. 1t requires about II
tons OF raw material to produce ont
ton of powder BY manufacturing the
powder supply for all the allies. ir
the United States. where the raw ma.
terials are available, the tonnage re-
auired to handle the supplies for the
allies will be reduced nine-tepths. II
is expected our production by fall will
be sufficient for all allied needs.
Now a word rs to Uncle Sans plan.
in the war as regards his use, Of rifles
and machine guns. Our program fol
production Of small arms ammuni.
ton, indicates that we sxpect te
make considerable use of the4e weap,
ons. We do. Where the a Fmies OF