Show NATIONAL AFFAIRS AFF IRS Reviewer Reviewed by CARTER FIELD No Ao Relaxing Bans Baits on Civilian Supplies Due Duc For ore More Profits On Far Material O. O OK K Bell Syndicate Syndicate Service WASHINGTON Experts Experts on strategic strategic stra stra- I materials simply shake their heads when asked whether they willbe will willbe willbe be able to get their hands on enough steel copper lead zinc rubber etc to provide for the latest stepping step ping up of national defense needs I The whole picture is best illustrated ed cd by a high official of into I whose office the writer walked within half an hour after President j I Roosevelt finished his outline of planes tanks etc which MUST bo made in 1912 and 19 1943 1913 3 I Can we do It I asked Why its it's ridiculous he shouted Its not a question of ot money But Dut where are we going to stuff Its It's Impossible I lie He had pounded his desk in anger at the first vord word Then he relapsed I into gloom There was n a moment of j silence Then a sheepish grin overspread overspread over over- I spread his face I the You know he said when President t said said we must make j planes a year I said THAT was absurd that absurd that it couldn't be done Well along about July we WILL be making planes at the rate of a year There was another pause I So I guess we will do what he asks even if it is impossible he concluded Now what in the world are arc you ou bothering me today for ee Demands to Be Met The point of all this now is that the Presidents President's specifications as to the number of planes tanks ships guns etc WILL be met in all human human hUeman hu hUe man probability BUT dont BUT don't dont look for any relaxing of present bans on II civilian supply Things are going to toI get tougher not easier and it would I be wise to face that prospect with our eyes open Down at the offices the chief complaint is that everybody thinks an nn exception should be made in fn IllS HIS case The company that has spent a fortune convincing customers custom ers that coffee is better in vacuum tins the vegetable and fruit and meat canners who incidentally have been backed strongly by the department of agriculture Worst offender of at all is Civilian Defense The idea of a million air raid air raid raidi i wardens being told to get two shove shoe shovels els and two pails palls and every householder householder house house- holder being told to get two flashlights flash lights snorted one official worried about strategic materials It would be much better to let a alot alot alot lot of houses be burned by incendiary ary bombs than to use so much metal in taking precaution against raids that we would not have enough fighter planes to drive the bombers away he said Why these Civilian Civilian Civil Civil- ian Defense people have gone crazy Then there were the people who thought the tremendous inventories of the big motor companies would mean production of cars until those inventories are cleaned up I The best copper mine we are going to discover said one of the strategic material experts is in the I inventories of ot a lot of manufacturers I ers especially the forehanded boys who saw the trouble coming and stocked up beyond all reason so they 5 would be able to carry carryon onIt on It is perfectly true that some of I the materials we want already have been fabricated and that it will be uneconomic to reclaim them But nut war is a mighty uneconomic business busi buss ness and expense is no object when we are arc worrying about getting planes and gU guns s. s It Official Tells Tell Plan for War Goods Good The aluminum drive was a case where the public operated co-operated with totally unexpected enthusiasm Aluminum Aluminum Alu Alu- minum poured in And so did a lot lotof lotof lotof of stuff folks thought was nas aluminum aluminum num but wasn't This would not have made any difference if the stuff had been cleared through ordinary I junk dealers who would have sorted out the material packed it in an orderly way for shipping and delivered I II I ered it where it was needed I But Dut there was a passion for eliminating all aU profit so the people who I know how to handle bandle junk were bypassed by bypassed I passed and a terrific waste resulted What we want to do now said I one of the men meD worrying about strategic materials to a little I group is to get this collection oi of materials for reclamation on a profit I basis We want somebody to handle i it in each community who knows how to handle it and we are perfectly per I Ife fe willing for him bun to make a I profit on it As far as we are concerned we weare weare I Iare are willing for him not only to make all aU expenses but a good profit beI besides be be- I sides It is not the cost of strategic strate strate- i gic materials that is ts important this year or next year or maybe the year I I after that it that it is getting them j |