Charlevoix county herald. (East Jordan, Mich.) 189?-1953, 1920-05-07

eTn war 1ao developed.
Two complete battleships, half a
dozen submarines. Handley-Page and
DE Haviland airplanes, 50,0OOOO0
rounds Of ball cartridges, guns. aerial
bombs, pistols, q paddle steamer. a
train ferry capable of carrying 80
ten-ton wagons. a road bridge COM
plete and locomotives are but a few
or the many varied articles offered
by the British ministry Of munitions
In what Is without doubt the biggest
sale In history.
The catalogue Of goods Is q romance
In Itself. Brought out as a bi-month-
ly magazine, ii Is issued officially by
the ministry under the title Of the
Surplus, at g cents a copy, each num-
Der taking up something over 100
pages of closely printed matter.
Only cursory glance Is necessary
to realize, apart from the usual sup
ply Of equipment. ammunition and
fOodstuffs. what q tremendous COM
mercial undertaking modern war has
developed.
During the war the ministry Of
munitions acted as q sort Of general
stores to supply millions Of fighting
troops on all fronts, from France to
India, the North sea to the Suez canal.
No item. however small, was too in
consequent, no item on too tremen-
d0us q scale to be included In these
wonderful stores.
One Whole Camp for Sale.
The ministry was solely responsible
FOR the supply Of army huts. building
material and factories machinery, ma
chine tools and engineering stores |;
army boots, water craft, textiles.
chemicals and metals. fOodstuffs and
motor vehicles, and so on ad infinitum.
In the fifteenth issue of Surplus,
published on the first day Of the new
year and announced as 1.-The official
organ Of the surplus government prop
erty disposal board" there are no
fewer than nineteen sections Of diff
ferent classes Of material to be dis
posed of.
The admiralty are offering floating
docks, yachts, trawlers, drifters,
steam whalers, salvage steamers. mo-
tor launches, coastal motor boats and
old naval steam, sailing and pulling
boats.
One "item" offered for sale is the
entire Milford military camp This
lot includes regimental institutes and
dining rooms, medical inspection and
hospital huts, a timber-built motor ga
rage; altogether about 400 huts, build
ings and stable erections. In this
case, purchase can be made either by
private offer or public tender. Anoth-
er item Is the Biggin Hill airdrome
complete with builders plant and ma
terials, including so carbis flares, 90
hurricane lamps, II stone forks dia-
phragm pumps, etc.
At the other end of the scale, there
are all kinds of furniture from q
galvanized washbowl to an oak ward
robe. and a portable cast-iron copper
with removable pan to an egg cup,
chairs, touches and butter dishes. Even
20 humble an article as brown paper
Is included In this wonderful cata-
iogue.
Humble household commodities are
equally plentiful. About 1885 tins of
chicken broth are for sale, together
with pork and beans, maplemeat and
half pound packets Of fruitarian cake.
Still Useful a. Fighters.
The obsolete warships for sale are
battleships Jupiter and Exmouth, both
Of which craft played their part in
the antisubmarine patrol In the great
war. AS the ministry of munitions
tactfully suggests, failing purchase for
some private little war or other, they
might prove very useful for scrapping
or conversion.
With the battleships are offered the
British submarines Alone Of the
earlier class-A-6, ALP and CO, Ave
torpedo boats. the destroyer Dove and
the old war vessels Pembroke and
Firebrand, now lying at Chatham.
Purchasing a battleship or two is
net so complicated matter as most
people would imagine. After filling
up a form and supplying the neces-
sary check, the ship Is the buyers
to do what he likes with.
Again, II the purchaser requires a
factory complete with railway sidings
Il can be supplied, for there are no
fewer than nineteen for sale In vari-
GUS parts Of the country. The min
istry have round dozen Of airdromes
on their hands.
A coast guard station In Dorset.
overlooking Weymouth Bay. Is on Of
fer. Then there are huts and build
ings In forty-seven districts.
There are bridges, hydraulic press
es, all kinds Of plants and machinery.
steam engines, petrol tractors, about
100 different kinds Of tradesmen's
tools, textile goods, civilian overcoats
and suits, leather goods. medicn
goods. furniture, etc., for sale.