Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-03-11
nv HAIRY b. Huntl

Washington, March 1l.-What is
Uncle Sans situation with regard
to ammunition?
The ordnance bureau Of the army
has contracted, since April 1. last,
for $500. 900, 600 rounds of small
duction averaged 100000 rounds
daily. or about 1000, 900 rounds
for the month. In February however,
deliveries increased and one plant
alone turned out more than 1e5,00O.-
900 rounds of rifle ammunition. Ten
plants. n government and nine pri-
vately owned. are engaged in cart
ridge manufacture.
Today our production. of ammuni-
ton is greater than that of Great
Britain and much greater than that
of France ever was
In addition to supplies of ammuni-
ton sent to France, we have created
in the United States, for purposes Of
training the troops in camps and
billion rounds of small arms cart
ridges.
Our p%rojectiles for our artillery. we
have, under. order some $4,000 900. in
volving an expenditure of $776.467,-
40. These projectiles. ranging from
3-inch shrapnel shells to great 12-
inch shells filled with high explosives
oIEsOONAAyL 606S0S II OAu GU
in large quantities. Projectile con-
tracts alone number 925. and the
prices at which the shells are deliver
)ed-unloaded (that is. untitled with
shrapnel bullets, high explosives or
gas)-range from about $40 to Sis
per: shell. 1a
To hurl these shells against the
Of explosives are in process Of manu-
f%acture. This includes approximately
25~3,520,00O pounds Of sn1okeless pow
der, S,350.000 pounds of black DOW
der. and 100000. 900 pounds of ct. N.
IT,, tr%initrotoloul. 1000, 900 pounds
of ballistite, $4,000 pounds of tetryl
and 400,0 900 pounds of picric acid.
This involves an expenditure of about
$210,0 900. 900.
In addition to all the that
had been developed in this country
for the production of powder n ex-
plosives on contract for the allies, our
program has necessitated the expan-
sion of existing plants and the build
ing Of new ones Two great smoke
%struction will add 1.25O.000 pounds
capacity daily. Our actual output to-
day is between four and five times as
much as VIC were supplying our allies
in the year before we entered the
war. . .
AS supporting industries for the ex-
plosive. factories, great chemical
$40. 100000 has been spent on each
Of two plants for producing am
monias and n~itrates. the fxation OF
nitrogen from the air has become
a reality in this country. with the re-
suit that we are no longer wholly
dependent upon imports from Chile
This nitrogen producing capacity is to
49, -<A-k .,> -,.s1l Ia t.
dependent Of outside sources, as Ger
many herself is.
In addition to small arms and ar
tillery ammunition. the ordnance bu.
reau also is providing bombs to be
dropped from our aeroplanes In Their
raids over Germany. The number and
types Of these MAJ not he indicated
but it is a matter of record that or
these aeroplane bombs alone we arc
spending more than 5000. 000, 900.
Our program for powder produc.
ton in this country anticipates MOI
only a capacity sufficient for supply.
ing our own needs. but for supplyinf
our allies also. For most part the
raw materials for all powder manu-.
featured in France and ENGLAND have
to be imported. 1t requires about II
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 supplies fol
the allies will be reduced nine-tenths
1t is. expected our production by fal
/ will be sufficient for all allied needs
!, Now a. word as to Uncle Sam.
plans+in the war as regards his use o
, rifles and machine guns. Our pro
gram for production of small arm,
ammunition indicates that WI expec
t to make considerable use of thes'
; weapons. We do. Where the armie'
of Europe have relied largely on tn
hayonet and hand bombs or grenades
= we are still counting on our soldier
to do. most of their work with tn
, rifle. 81 Here's%why.
The soldiers OF European armies
. despite their perfection in drill an,
, tactical maheuvers. are mighty ordi
! nary marksmen. The German army
for instance. though disciplined an
d~'l'ed=to the minute. had little large
a