4-20-39
 
      LONDON --PRIME MINISTER CHAMBERLAINANNOUNCED IN COMMONS BRITAIN'S 
      LATEST IMPORTANT STEP TOWARDS WAR
 
      
 
 
PREPARATION--CREATION OF A MINISTRY OF SUPPLY.
 
      THE MINISTRY WOULD TAKE OVER WAS STORES AND WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE 
      FOR PURCHASE AND MAINTANANCE OF RESERVES OF ESSENTIAL METALS 
      AND OTHER RAW MATERIALS FOR DEFENSE.
 
      
 
 
THE NEW MINISTER WILL BE LESLIE BURGIN, LIBERAL NATIONAL, 
      WHO WILL HAVE FULL CABINET RANK. HE WAS FORMERLY PARLIAMENTARY 
      SECRETARY OF THE BOARD OF TRADE AND NOW IS MINISTER OF TRANSPORT 
      WITHIN THE CABINET.
 
      
 
 
THE MINISTRY OF SUPPLY, CHAMBERLAIN SAID, WILL DEAL WITH PROBLEMS 
      OF SUPPLYING THE ARMY, WHICH HAVE BECOME MORE PRESSING BY THE 
      RECENT DECISION TO INCREASE THE ARMY'S STRENGHT, NOTABLY AN INCREASE 
      OF THE TERRITORIAL ARMY (HOME GUARD) TO 340,000 MEN.
 
      
 
 
HE ADDED THAT THE MINISTRY WOULD ASSUME RESPONSIBILITY FOR 
      CERTAIN WAR STORES WHICH THE WAR OFFICE NOW SUPPLIES TO THE NAVY 
      AND AIR FORCE AS WELL AS THE ARMY.
 
      
 
 
CHAMBERLAIN INDICATED THAT THE MINISTRY IN TIME OF EMERGENCY 
      WOULD BE TRANSFORMED INTO A MINISTRY OF MUNITIONS, HAVING THE 
      POWER TO ENFORCE PRIORITY FOR GOVERNMENT ARMS ORDERS.
 
      
 
 
THE NEW MINISTRY WILL TAKE OVER FROM THE WAR OFFICE THE BRANCHES 
      RESPONSIBLE FOR RESEARCH IN DESIGNING EXPERIMENT, PRODUCTION, 
      INSPECTION AND ROYAL ORDINANCE FACTORIES.
 
      
 
 
CHAMBERLAIN'S ANOUNCEMENT WAS EVIDENT THAT A BIRTHDAY MESSAGE 
      OF CONGRATULATION WHICH KING GEORGE SENT TODAY TO ADOLF HITLER 
      WAS NOT AN IDICATION OF A WEAKENING OF BRITAIN'S EFFORTS FOR 
      AN ANTI-AGGRESSION FRONT OR ITS URGENT RE-ARMAMENT.
 
      
 
 
CHAMBERLAIN DISCLOSED THAT A NEW MINISTER OF TRANSPORT WOULD 
      BE APPOINTED WHEN HE TOLD A QUESTIONER IN COMMONS, "OBVIOSLY 
      THE MINISTER OF SUPPLY COULD NOT ALSO CARRY ON THE DUTIES OF 
      MINISTER OF TRANSPORT."
 
      
 
 
4/20--R1228P