Evening journal., 1918-03-11
BY HARRY d. HUNT.
Special StaR Dlsnatch.

has contracted, since April 4, last, for
3,500O00000 rounds Of small arms am
munitions. In January, production av-
eraged 100000 rounds daily, or about
20O0O0000 rounds for the month. In
February, however, deliveries increased
and one plant alone turned out more
than i25,O00000 rounds OF rifle ammuni-
tion. Ten plants, one government and
nine privately owned are engaged in
cartridge manufacture
Today our production Of ammunition
IL greater than that Of Great Britain
and much greater than that Of France
ever was.
In addition 10 supplies OF ammuni-
tion sent TO France, we have created
IN the United States, for purposes Of
training the troops now in camps and
cantonments. a reserve OF over one bill
lion rounds OF small arms cartridges.
or proiectiles for our artillery, we
have under order some 65.OO0.0OO. involv-
ing an expenditure OF SITS, 5,467, no These
proiectiles, ranging from 3-lncn sharp
mel shells to great Finch shells
flled with high explosives or deadly
gases, are being delivered In large guam
titles Proiectlle contracts alone num-
Der 925, and the prices at which the
shells are delivered-unloaded that Is,
unified with shrapnel bullets, high ex-
plosives or gas)-range from about $40
to Sis per shell.
To hurl these shells against the enemy
more than 100000 pounds OF explo-
sives are In process Of manufacture.
This includes approximately 253.520.OOO
pounds Of smokeless powder, s,350,O00
pounds Of black powder, and 100000
pounds OF IT n. T." trinitrotaluol. L.
10000 pounds OF balllstite, $4,000
pounds OF tetryl ana 100000 pounds Of
picrio acid. This involves an expendi-
ture Of about S2iO0OOOOO.
In addition TO all the resources that
had been developed IN this country for
the production OF powder ana explo-
sives on contract for the Allies, our
program has necessitated the expansion
o. existing plants and the building OF
new ones. Two great smokeless pow
der plants now under con trucaon will
add i,250000 pounds capacity daily. Our
actual output today Is between four and
five times as much as we were supply
ing our allies In the year before we
entered the war.
As supporting industries for the ex-
plosive factories. great chemical plants
have been developed About s5O,OOOOOO
has been spent on each OF two plants
for producing ammonias and nitrates.
The flxation OF nitrogen from the air
has become a reality In this country,
with the result that we are no longer
wholly dependent upon imports from
Chile. This nitrogen producing capa-
city Is 10 be so developed that we will
be independent Of outside sources, as
Germany herself Is.
in addition TO small arms and artll-
lery ammunition. the ordnance bureau
also Is providing bombs to be dropped
from our airplanez in their raids over
Germany The numbers and types Of
these may not be indicated, but Il is a
matter Of record that on these alrplane
bombs alone we are spending more than
$500, 900,
Our program for powder production
In this country anticipates not only a
capacity sufficient for supplying our
own needs, but for supplying our allies
also For most part the raw materials
for all powder manufactured In France
and England have 10 be imported. Il
requires about eleven tons OF raw ma
terals to produce one ton OF powder
BY manufacturing the powder supply
for all the allies. In the United States
where the raw materials are available
the tonnage required to handle the sup
plies for the allies will be reduced TO
nine-tenths. II Is expected our produc-
ton by fall will be sufficient for all
allied needs.
Now a word as to Uncle Sans plans
IN the war as regards his use Of rifles
and machine guns Our program for
production Of small arms ammunition
indicates that we expect to make consid-
cradle use OF these weapons We do
Where the armies OF Europe have re-
lied largely on the bayonet and hand
bombs or grenades, we are still count
ing on our soldiers TO do most Of their
work with the rifle. Here's why:
Ths soldiers OF European armies, de-
spite their perfection in drill and tao
tical maneuvers. are mighty ordinary
marksmen. The German army, for In
stance, though disciplined and drilled "a
the minute had little target practice in
the years before the war Less than
81 per man per year was spent on am.
munition for small arms practice In the
German army. Proportionately small
sums were spent by France and Eng
land.
The average citizen OF these European
countries has little opportunity to de-
velop skill In the use OF frearm,. ONLY
the favored few are able to pract!c,
craftsmanship, either at target range:
or In hunting.
In the United States. however, a yer!
large part OF our young men are IA
millar with firearms and a high per
centage Of them are good shots. A
boys they practice with air rifles anC
target rifles. AS young men they per
feet their skill in rabbit and quail shoot
ing and In hunting larger game The!
develop a "sen e" OF aim and range
largely lacking with Europeans. Thi.
sense" Is now being perfected on th'
rifle ranges at the training camps wher'
the billion rounds OF reserve ammuni
ton Is being used In target practice.
The result Is expected to be that tn
American forces In France will oe abll
70 do more effective work with thl
rifle than any body Of soldiers now il
Europe. with the possible exception O.
the Canadians. Il was tne Canadians
craftsmanship, incidentally. that mad
possible their successful stand al tn
second battle OF Ypres, against over
whelming odds General Pershing him
self has insisted that this ability 10 us,
the rifle be developed 20 the utmo { il
all American troops sent abroad He ex
poets his soldiers To shoot and 10 shoe
STRAIGHT. Instead OF pausing 10 hurl
m OLD DR.. THEEITS 0FfIGE.TESs1