World War I 100 Years Ago: March 20-27

From The Indianapolis Star, Sunday, March 21, 1915: The European war is causing the International Machine Tool Co, 1124 W. 21st St., to work its plant twenty-two hours a day to fill orders for a lathe that can be used in the manufacture of shrapnel shells. Thirty lathes have already been sent to machine companies in Canada and ninety have been shipped to machine companies in Newcastle, England. While the International Machine Tool Co is the only Indiana concern making lathes for war purposes, there are other firms in the United States engaged in the same work. The lathe sells for $2,500 (2014:  $57,651.67) and because of sufficient orders through next October the company will continue to work at full capacity.  The manufacture of these lathes has compelled the company to refuse other work.