Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-03-25
INDUSTRY AND SCIENCE
IN AMERICA is PRAISED
Army 0rdnuncc Chief Puts Credit for
victory to Speed In Manu-
flIcturc.

"<NoiL'->bIoN, March a. (Spc-
cial)--To American industry and en-
sineerins and American science. not to
the ordinance corps OF tho regular
evolved and made possible an ordnance
program FOR the American army that
eral cla Hs Wiiiana Ma 3Sisf Of
Ordinances. declares in letter to tho
officers OF his department retiring to
1T was American industry and
lett The ninety. seven officers Of
the ordnance Department OF the old
regular army and the eleven govern
ment arsenals they administered could
success or caused the failure uia "o OF thu, the
5000 officers from civilian life and the
5000 private industrial plants which
for the period of the war. The enlist
ment in Industry. equally with the
graft or manpowor was n success. And
Tor that thank you, the administra-
tive directors and the engineering adj
xisors OF American industry. who came
partment during the war"
No other part of the American war
program carried its responsibilities
or production into so many channels
the letter says. or projected them upon
so vast u scale.
ton OF 100000 separate components in
more than 5000 different plants" it
from feed bags and. star shells to COM
plete trains Of railway artillery, the
Judge who can competentIy say what
have profound knowledge OF the
General Williams points out that his
tor eight months then back to Keep
the work at home under constant re-
"of such knowledge" he adds. II say
tina; YOU did exceedingly we'll, and that
l am proud to have commanded such
ery w,hou, A, ,ho %sr Of s say p 5es
tribute is not 70 me. It IL not to the he
regular establishment nor TO the ord
nance officers OF the regular army. II
is u.s. TO american industry and engineer
The department. General Williams
says. probably Exercised direction over
a greater physical power than was ever
the history OF the world.
The happy attainment Of our objcc-
i've In the war within nineteen m.'aths
development of that power" nc adds
,iProper strategy required tho projec-
Ion Ion OF the ordnance program upon n
scale designed to secure an ultimate
overwhelming and continuous rate Of
production rather than a lesser rate Of
production Mt an earlier date.
obviously. n housewife could buy an
oven and bake six loaves OF bread in
less time IMAM bakery could be built
and provision made for the needs Of
an entire city. But the rate Of produc-
ton from the housewives oven could
never feed the city.
The ordnance objective was rate
OF production adequate for an army OF
100000 men. We could not sacrifice
production in 1920 to force n quick err
but lesser rate OF production in 1919
We were building 10 make ultimate
victory absolutely certain, and there
never was n moment when the ordnance
program did not absolutely guarantee
the ultimate defeat OF Germany
we stood ready. during the month
the armisiice was signed, TO turn on
the taps al full force that had been
made ready to provide flow OF NUM-
tons such rs no nation had ever at
tempted. The fact that the American
munitions program alone was greater
than that which Germany could at
tempt. after thirty years OF prcpara-
tion for war. is apparently little real
lied In this country. But I have no
doubt that II was realized in Germany,
and that such realization substantially
contributed to n victory by It's reaction
upon the minds Of the military masters
of Germany"
In closing, General Williams urges
the retiring officers to retain n con-
seriousness Of this problem we have
faced together" as they return to civil
life, TO keep in mind thc realization
that as scientists. they control n source
of power vital to their country in time
of war, and to stand ready to return
TO your posts and be an influence to
keep your country prepared for the
transition whenever Il becomes neces-