The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1918-03-21
nv HARRY II. HUNT
Special staff Dispstrh

WASHINGTON, March 81
What N Uncle Sans situation
with regard Co ammunition
The ordnance bureau Of the
army has contracted. since April
l. last, for $500. Ooo. 000 rounds
IT small arms ammunition. In
January. production averaged
100000 rounds daily. or about
200 100000 rounds for the month.
In February. however. deliveries
Increased. and ono plant alone
turned out more than res zoo. 900
rounds Of rifle ammunition. Ten
plants, one government and nine
privately owned. are engaged In
cartridge manufacture.
To-day our production OF ammuni'
ton h greater than that OF Great
Britain and much greater than that
OF France ever was.
In addition 90 supplies OF ammuni
ton sent TO France, we have created
In the United States. for purposes OF
training tho troops now In camps
and cantonments. a reserve OF over
one billion rounds OF small arms
cartridges
of proiectiies for our artillery. We
have under order some as. 900 900 tn
volying an expenditure Of sTf6.ss7.
ITO. These prolcctilea ranging from
1inch shrapnei shell. 60 great ~,
inch shells filled with high eKpto
Hlvcs or deadly gases. are being de.
livcrr.i In iarg, quantities., Pro
lectlic contracts alone number S2s,
and the prices at which the shells
are Observation-Disclosures tthat II. un
filled with nhrapnei bullets. high az.
$40 60 siib per shell
To hurl these shells against the
enemy more than zoo 600 600 pounds
u explosives are In process OF manu-
facture This includes approximate
b. 7a3.be0 900 pounds Of Hinokcleas
powder. s.sso.oo pounds OF black
powder. and 100 900. 900 pounds Of
T. -. r" trlnitrotoioul. 1000. 900
pounds Of baliisti,e. $4,000 pounds
% tctrvi and 600 900 pound. % plcrie
acid This involves an expenditure
~ about s.ioooo. 900.
Huild Great Plants
In addition TO all the resources
that had been developed In this
country for the production OF pow
Ter and explosives on contract for
lhe allcn. our program has nec-sHi.
lated the expansion OF existing
nlanes and the building Of new ones
Two great smokcle.s powder plants
iow under construction viii add |
$4,000 pounds capacity daily. our
actual output today In between four
md five times AZ much as We were
supplying our allies In the year be |
'or- We entered tho war.
"A supporting industries for the |
Explosive factories. great chemical
'lant- have been developed. Abou,
has been spent on each
n two plants for producing arm.
noniaa and uisras The fixation Of
nitrogen from the air has b~cotn. a
'~ality In this country. with tho re-
'ult that We are no longer wholly |
dependent upon imports from chile
This nitrogen producing capacity IL
% be 70 developed that VIC will De
Independent, % outside nourcca. as
icrmany herself IL.
Providing bombs
In addition to small arms and ar
iiiery ammunition. tho ordnance
bureau also Is providing bombs to
- dropped from our asroplanrr In
heir raids over Germany. The mum.
S~rH and types 81 these may not be
Indicated. bat II II a matter Of rec.
,rd that on these aeropiare bombs
done VIC are spending more than
1900 900. 900
Our program for powder rrosuc
ion In this country anticipates no,
'nly n capacity sufficient for sup.
,iysag our own needs. but for sup.
lying our allies also. For most part
he raw materials for all powder
In France and Eng
and have 10 be imported. IL requires
bout II tons OF raw materials to
'roduc- ono ton Of powder. by
the powder supply
or all the allies. In the United
states. where tho raw materials are
the tonnage required 90
Ianfie the supplies for the allies
viii b. reduced nin~-tenths n f.
our production by fall will
"a sufficient for all allied needs.
Count on Soidier~
Nov a word as 10 Uncle Sans