Mr. Churchill, addressing representatives of employers and work- men last
Saturday, gave a vivid account of the problems to be faced by the Ministry of Munitions, whose stupendous activities were suddenly brought to a dead stop by the armistice. "We had not only reached the greatest recorded output by volume "—to the extent of 47,000 tons of filled shells a week—" but we had also a u-hole series of terrifying novelties, some of the most intricate character, and weapons and devices of the most deadly nature," which were ready for next year's campaign. The enemy's surrender compelled the Ministry to cease from production, and to concentrate on the triple task of liquidating contracts, helping manufacturers to turn from war industry to peace industry, and disposing of surplus stocks to the value of 11,000,000,000. It is clear that so vast an undertaking cannot be wound up very quickly without waste and confusion. Mr. Churchill, however, declared that many of the munition workers already dismissed—nearly a quarter of a million in number—were finding other work, and that the iron and steel trades had such large Government and private orders that there was plenty of employment, except in the case of the special munition factories, which would have to be equipped afresh for peaceful industry.
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