ends in America, the great
development which started from the Munitions Act of 1915 was still
only in its earlier stages. Everywhere the Government factories were
rising with what seemed incredible rapidity, and the older works were
doubling and trebling their output. But the output was still far
behind the need. By the date of the Somme Battle, indeed--in the
autumn, that is, of the same year--it had risen enormously. I may
quote my own words in _England's Effort_ (October, 1916): "The total
amount of heavy guns and ammunition manufactured in Great Britain in
the first ten months of the war would not have kept the British
bombardment on the Somme _going for a single day_."

And now?

On that first day of the Somme Battle, July, 1916, says the Despatch,
"13,000 tons of ammunition were fired by us on the Western front. On
the _31st of July_, 1917, in the Third Battle of Ypres, _the British
Armies used_ 23,000 _tons of ammunition_." _Last year_, from August to
November, 700,000 _tons of ammunition_ were expended by the British
Armies on the Western front. On the days of most active fighting
20,000 _tons a day_ was a common ration. The supply never failed. In
the three months' offensive of last autumn all the Army Commanders had
to think of in the matter of artillery and ammunition was transport
and distribution. The amount was unlimited. While in the matter of
guns, the British Army, which on August 4th, 1914, possessed 486
pieces of different calibres, all told, at the tune of the Armistice
was employing 6,437 guns and howitzers of all kinds, including the
heaviest monsters of the battle-field.

And with this vast increase in material had gone perpetual advance in
organisation. Artillery commanders were introduced into all armies and
corps, with staffs acting under them. Hence a greater concentration of
brain and energy on the special artillery problems--very soon
justified by results. Science and experience had full play, and the
continuous artillery battle begun on the Somme ended, as it deserved
to end, "in the defeat of the enemy's guns." To that defeat new
inventions--or the marvellous development of old ones--were
perpetually tending. Take sound-ranging for instance, which, with
flash-spotting and air photography, has enabled the gunner more and
more certainly to locate his enemy's gun while concealing the position
of his own. For "the object of a gun or howitzer is to throw a
projectile to some spot the positi