Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-08-09
SPEED IS AIM
OF FACTORIES
Rush Order For Shells Exc
cuted Within Few
Days. :.

Manchester, England, July IT,
Correspondence of the Associated
Press).-Two days after the British
began their big drive on the Somme a
rush order for 5000 shells was given
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 counter
attack.
This shows how closely the NUM-
ton plants are related to the front
and gives an idea of the remarkable
degree 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 NUM-
tions, illustrated by the actual opera
tions, was unfolded recently to a party
of Allied newspaper men, including a
representative of the Associated Press,
which inspected the factories under
the guidance of officials of the minis
try of munitions.
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-
verified 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 mu-
n%itions. visited Manchester and told
the manufacturers and businessmen
that the country needed a huge sup
ply of munitions and needed them at
once. At that moment the great de-
mand was for shells. They must be
had, not six months hence, but imme-
diately.
The Manchester District Engineer
|ing Trades Employers association
called a meeting at once, at which
non-federated firms also were repre-
sented. The chief question consider
ed was whether it was wiser to estab-
lish special national plants for the
manufacture of shells, or to utilize
the resources for the work available.
1t was decided to follow the second
plan as it assured quicker results.
. Textile manufacture is the principal
industry Of the Manchester district,
and at first it appeared that the ma
chinery used in the textile factories
was entirely unsuited to munitions
production. But by perseverance and
Ingenuity LAG kCASAAC AAo~AAAAAAoNo
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 extend
ed until now it covers, besides shells,
%airplanes, motor transport vehicles,
guns, trench mortars and projectiles,
hand grenades n bombs, mines.
submarine engines, steam engines and
turbines, scientific instruments and
gauges, and a variety of other NUM-
tons, 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 en-.
ergy is devoted to the manufacture OF
war munitions.