Evening star., 1940-06-19
Munitions Production
Requires Time 10
GET Under Way
Experience in Lost
War Offers Valuable
Lesson for U. S.
BY ]. G.. DONLEY.

BY j. G. DONLEY.
(Released by Consolidated News Features.)
NEW YORK, June l9.-In the ex-
perience of the United States in
producing munitions after our entry
into the World War there lies both
a warning and a reinsurance. The
warning is that 1t takes consider
able time to get started, while the
reassuring thing is that once under
way production can be expanded
very rapidly
The most important ingredient
in a rearmament program says
Col. Ayres, vice president of the
Cleveland Trust Co., in the mid
June business bulletin of that in
stitution, "and the one which needs
to be used most efficiently and
effectively is time
A charted index of our produc-
ton of aircraft and ordnance is
presented in the bulletin covering
the time from our entry into the
World War until the armistice. The
data of production, it is explained,
is taken from the book on America S
munitions written by Gen. Bene-
dict Crowell, who was Assistant
Secretary of War during our par
ticipation in that conflict. Nine
series of data are combined, cover
ing production of artillery and its
ammunition, pistols, rifles, machine
guns and their ammunition, train
ing planes, fighting planes and Lib
erty motors.
1t is surprising to find from the
course of this production index
that, although we had the great
industrial advantage" as the bank
bulletin puts it, of having been pro-
ducing munitions on a large scale
for the warning nations during more
than two and one-half years, we
were able to begin producing only
small quantities of munitions for
our own war needs after nine
months of intensive efforts.
Rise Very Slow at Start.
The index revealing our produc-
ton OF munitions during the World
War is based on our maximum out
put, reached in October, 1918, as
equal to 100. After nine months OF
effort, starting from practically
zero in April, 1917, the index got
just above 20 at the end of 1917
From that point on, with only two
slight Interruptions, the volume OF
production increased rapidly. the
average rate of advance lifting the
volume of output each month by
about 20 per cent above that of
the preceding month.
Interrupting the advance for the
first time and producing a leveling
off in the index from March to
April, 1918, there came the change
over in our airplane program from
other motors to a policy of concen-
tration on the Liberty motor. The
second interruption took the form
of decline from August to Sep
tember, 1918, caused by widespread
outbreak of the flu.
Except for thos two Interruptions
the rise in the index of our pro-
duction of munitions from just
above the 20 level at the end of
1917 to the peak of 100 in October,
1918, was gratifyingly sharp and
persistent.
1T is, of course, impossible to
| judge from this record" comments
Col. Ayres, "how long it would have
been possible to continue increasing
our production of munitions at any
such rate as that maintained dur
ing the first 10 months of 1918
The record does clearly indicate
that even under exceptionally favor
ing conditions which existed in 1917
it takes a long time, with much
co-ordinated effort, to get we'll un.
der way large-scale program fol-
the production of war materials"
Deficiencies Remained.
We were still deficient in some sorts
of production even when the Worlc
War ended. We did not produce
either light or heavy tanks in time
to use them in the war. When the
armistice came the list of shortage
articles the need of which was fell
by our overseas forces included
such things as passenger cars ane
trucks, railroad cars and locomo.
tives, rifles, cranes, hospital equip.
ment and horse-draWn vehicles.
In explanation of the mighty
power of the German attack durinf
the last month the bank bulletir
points out that Germany has spen
during the last five years in prepara'
ton for war nearly twice as much
money as England and France com.
bined."
On a dollar basis it is estimated
that Germany's armament expendi
lures in the five years 1885 to 1899
inclusive, have aggregated $19, 100,
100000. During that period tn,
United Kingdom spent $6,2OO,O0O,
600 on ornaments; France, $4,90O,,
100000, and the United States, S.,
00,000,000. Russia holds secont
place with total of $13,500 900, ,OOO