Show NEWS BEHIND THE NEWS By Ray Tucker Telegrams Telegram's Washington Columnist WASHINGTON The governments government's governments government's governments government's gov gov- economic experts anticipate anticipate anticipate an an- a possible sag in business business business busi busi- ness and industrial activity for forthe forthe forthe the first quarter of 1941 after the steady climb of recent months But it will be unlike previous slumps which produced fresh unemployment a burst of pump priming and denunciations of economic royalists It will be due to Americas America's industrial un- un preparedness Orders awaiting fulfillment amount of hundreds of millions of dollars dollars and and more are in the mail There is plenty of idle money for rent on easy terms by bythe bythe bythe the bankers or Jesse H. H Jones There are no presidential crackdowns crackdowns crackdowns crack crack- downs in sight and those even slightly visible will bear down on labor rather than capital American industry has been given the green light as never before But it may run into traffic fic jams jams better better known as bot bot- By next year the heavy industries may be operating at practical capacity therefore unable unable unable un un- un- un able to furnish more employment for idle men and money Consumer Consumer Consumer Con Con- sumer purchases may fall off because because because be be- cause of the wars war's uncertainties Advanced inventory buying may dwindle for obvious reasons There may be labor strikes and shortages In short capital and labor are not yet geared to maintain maintain maintain main main- tain a fantastic tempo of activity activity activity ity and prosperity Both must expand expand expand ex ex- ex- ex enormously to enjoy the full taste of the rearmament feast Impresses impresses impresses im Im- im- im The range long-range prospect presses insiders as more pleas pleas- ant Unless the war ends soon soona a a phrase frequently on the lips of Washington officials these days days 1941 1941 should be a banner year except for the first ter Unless all signs signs and and the war fail fail national income should hit the record figure of Unemployment should drop until only the incapacitated are out of work And everybody except except except ex ex- ex- ex the authors of this dizzy boom the boom the rulers and peoples of Europe should Europe should be happy Confidential dispatches from Britain minimize the damage which the German blitz raids have inflicted on production and shipping centers essential to successful successful successful suc suc- prosecution of a war of defense Despite newspaper re reports reports reports re- re ports of terrific of Coventry Coventry Coventry Cov Cov- entry Bristol Birmingham and Southampton state navy insist that England's war industry industry industry indus indus- try establishment has been re reduced reduced reduced re- re by only 10 per cent cent 15 15 at atthe attle the tl most Our foreign observers observers and and Itis it itIs itis Is assumed here that they make it their business to learn the facts insist facts insist that conditions are unfavorable to destruction of factories power plants transportation transportation transportation trans trans- lines etc They report that the Germans are dropping their missiles from heights of feet and higher that higher that fog and rain and antiaircraft fire operate against accuracy also the speed at which the raiding planes must fly They splatter homes and shops and theaters in inthe inthe inthe the cities according to these out nut they are not yet knocking out the flung far-flung industrial centers Y Yet nobody dares to estimate how long Britain can hold out against a ceaseless invasion from the air The morale may remain high but eventual destruction of industries would finally prove fatal An honest estimate appears to be that England England England Eng Eng- land can stand the blasting for forno forno forno no longer than six months months May May unless she attains air superiority superior superior- ity in the meantime with the aid of the United States Fresh figures on Britain's to total total total to- to tal assets in the western hemisphere hemisphere hemisphere hemi hemi- sphere reveal why the Roosevelt administration has assumed a fairly hard-boiled hard attitude toward toward toward to to- ward demands for loans and credits despite out all-out aid in other fields It appears that John Bull is not yet in a position where he can plead poverty and get away with it The statistics are all ail against him London had at least in gold securities and other property in the United States at atthe atthe atthe the outbreak of the war Her holdings in Canada are estimated ed at almost In one form or another she has a stake of about in South American countries and Mexico As Henry figures it that amounts to app approximately ap- ap p pro proximately r o x i m mat a t e l 1 y British commitments for war stuff over here are kept secret but those who ought to know place the total at up to November 15 And a large part of that sum will not be paid for months Now Now Now-in in view of our own rearming rearming rearming re re- re- re arming program it is doubtful whether Britain can spend more than over here in any anyone one year On that basis basis if if she mobilizes all her stuff stuff she she can finance her purchases from us for at least three years more The unofficial view here is that London wants to have her cake and eat it too William S. S Knudsen recently confided to national defense commission colleagues his concern concern concern con con- cern over newspaper stories re revealing revealing revealing re- re his humorous and hu hu- hu- hu man-interest man side side his his personality personal personal- ity twists Hitherto a comparatively comparatively comparatively hidden but key cog in an automobile assembly line he is afraid lest the limelight beat upon him comically or Secretly he likes his new and dramatic role but now and then he complains when juicy yarns about him leak out I 1 am just a shop man he tells his asso asso- I 1 am not a genius I want to work here as a a shop man And I dont don't think you fellows fellows fellows fel fel- lows ought to gossip about what I 1 do and say when we are talkIng talking talking talk talk- ing or behaving with our coats off Finally a friend took him aside and said Listen Bill You have nothing nothing nothing noth noth- ing to fe fear r. r You made your name as a shop man you turned out more cheap automobiles than any other man in the United States Nothing can hurt your reputation This stuff humanizes and dramatizes national defense Enjoy it and have a good time time time- be yourself Mr Knudsen rubbed his chin Perhaps you are right But I wish I could get hold of the rascal who told that I 1 bet on Roosevelt against Willkie That raised hell with my friends in Detroit But Buthe Buthe Buthe he does not deny the anecdote Secretary of ot Agriculture Claude is not the worrying worrying worrying wor wor- kind kind kind-he he sleeps has an excellent digestion and really runs a farm farm but but he has one grievance He does not like the handle to his name name- Claude Claude and and he wonders why his parents hung it on to him His great-grandfather great fought with Andrew Jackson and as an anold anold anold old soldier received a grant giant of acres of farm land in In In- diana In gratitude the grandfather grandfather grandfather grand grand- father named his son Andrew Jackson and he in turn handed down the same name to Secretary of ot Agriculture Wick- Wick ards ard's father But for some reason reason reason rea rea- son his dad named his son Claude But Mr still has the farm and has Increased it by acres Also it is paid for and andis is making money Copyright 1940 McClure Syndicate |