_M. Millerand, French Minister of War, after the Senate had approved,
on June 29, the bill appropriating $1,200,000,000 for war expenses of
the third quarter of the year, reported as quoted by the Associated
Press:_
From August 1 to April 1 France has increased her military production
sixfold. The curve for munitions has never ceased to mount, nor that
representing the manufacture of our 75s. I can give satisfying
assurances also regarding the heavy artillery and small arms. From the
1st of January to the 15th of May the other essentials of the war have
been equally encouraging. We are determined to pursue our enemies,
whatever arms they may employ.
_Yves Guyot, the economist and late Minister of Public Works in
France, said to_ THE NEW YORK TIMES _correspondent on July 3:_
France can hold her own against Germany. She herself makes all the
shells that play such havoc in the enemy's ranks, and she will keep on
making all she needs.
The munitions problem in France is not so acute as in England. In
France as soon as the war started we began turning out the shells as
fast as our factories could work. So, in a short time, they were going
full blast. We have been able to supply our army with ample ammunition
and to have shells enough to shake up the enemy whenever we put on
spurts.
It is vitally important that England has come to the realization of
the need of equipping her own army with adequate ammunition. Up to now
the English Army has been sadly handicapped, but with the energetic
Lloyd George in command the munitions output in the near future is
certain to bring a sudden change in the status of England in the war.
We in France being in such immediate contact with the horrors of war
had a stern sense of the necessity of fully equipping our army forced
upon us at the very beginning of the conflict. The only thing we have
lacked has been steel, and we have been getting some of that from our
old friend, the United States. France has steel plants, and they do a
tremendous amount of work, but altogether they do not turn out enough
for our ammunition works. So we had to turn elsewhere for some of this
product, and it was America that came to our aid.
We have got the steel with which to make shells. Our workmen are well
organized and the whole spirit prevailing among them is to help France
to win the bloodiest war of her history.
_The London Daily Chronicle in an interview with Albert Thomas, French
Minister of Munitions, quoted him as follows on July 8:_
It is our duty to organize victory. To this we are bending all our
energies. The war may be long; difficulties may reach us of which we
had no prevision at the start; but we shall keep on until the end.
We know how great are the resources of Britain. We know what immense
efforts she has put forth, which have been a surprise not only to us
but to the enemy as well, and we have every reason for believing and
knowing that these immense resources will continue to be used in the
service of the Allies.
Understand me, I do not say that our common task is an easy one, nor
do I say that we are on the eve of a speedy victory; but what I do say
is that be the struggle long or short, we are both ready to double, to
treble, to quadruple, and, if necessary, to increase tenfold the
output of munitions of war.
We have pooled our resources, and I, for one, have no doubt, that
these resources are great enough to stand any strain which we may be
called upon to put upon them; nor have I any fear of an ultimate
triumph. All the great moral forces of the world are on our side. The
Allies are fighting for the freeing of Europe from the domination of
militarism; and that is fighting into which every democrat can throw
himself heart and soul. Defeat in such a cause is unthinkable.