Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1918-06-02
Lire Issues of the Day.
Tho sIncms Of War.

London Daily Dispatch.
The public talks easily of the Min
istry OF Munitions, There is paro-
chinl criticism verywhcre on its
mistakes and It's shortcomings One
might Imagine 1t was fit subject
for ridicule, and that IL had now
qualified as a pantomime gag, For
that reason Mr. Churchills narrative
or It's work and it's duties is useful,
10 Is that sort of thing that should
be widely spread and well read. IL
our publicity ministers are not busy
resignlng in sympathy with the air
minister, they might see that Mr..
Churchills statement amended and
brought up to date, is circulated in
Great Britain and Ireland especi-
ally "and Ireland".just TO show
what war means from one point Of
view, or rather, from the scores OF
points OF view in the munition SER
vice.
The tremendous demand on our
resources OF small arms and afnmu-
milton, of machine-guns, and Of big
guns and shells, seems to have been
well met II was an extraordinary
demand, for there were losses by
capture as we'll as abnormal eXpen-
diture to meet. 1t would appear we
were already speeding up to meet
the great demand the great often
sive was sure to make on us, and
! X liz probable that offensive made
greater demand on our munitlon
output than anticipated. Luckily IL
began later than was expected, and
| that helped us to add to our re-
sources
We arc not 30 sure that Mr.
| Churchill makes MS quite cOmfor-
table lbout the output OF arms and
ammunition generally II we were to
have TO meet continued circum-
stances like those OF the great
Somme offensive OF March II and
the subsequent offensive on the Lys,
and IL offensives Of that character
and intensity should be maintained
for much longer period than they
have been, and the losses" be still
heavierl
1t appears to us that the more
successful the allied defence. the
| longer will the war be waged in
| tensively by the Germans, and when
| the Americans are In and all allies
blazing away continuously, our min
istry OF munitions will have to face
a call on il that will be much heavier
than anything II has experienced. II
the navy began serious work, n big
| battle or two would add to the de-
mand immensely. We have had as
suranccs that all was well Before,
| and have had our Illusions dispelled,
| The day Is past for official optimism
or for the personal inclination Of
a minister TO laud his own depart
ment.
The increase in tho output OF air
| planes Is put in terms OF compari-
son with previous years II is not
n satisfactory way. Suppose we are
| turning out more In one quarter
| than in the whole of 1915. If the
! turnout of 1916 was ridiculously in
adequate and imperfect, four times
! failure may stll be comparative
| failure' II Is no use building ma
| chimes II there are not men for them,
/ but We do not think that in view
/ OF the losses and destruction the out
put is choking up our hangers.
As TO guns and shells. it Is evi-
/ dent thst we must maintain the out
| put and pcrhaps develop it. Here.
as Mr. Churchill shows we are up
against the tonnage difficulty We
/ could have made 80 per cent more
/ but for the lack OF tonnage TO bring
the 9matcriaL In this war IL is the
I duty Of munitions ministry TO
bank on the most "im possibly
possible" demands, and not 70 be
, too generous In releasing us more
skilled operatives