| Show S Merr Merry Go R. Go GoRd d I IBy i iBy By DREW PEARSON and ROBERT S. S ALLEN WASHINGTON WASHINGTON The The most important report ever made on the Am American rican war effort has just been placed d in the hands of the president president and it is not very encouraging Briefly it shows th that t between July 1 of of this year and December 31 31 1942 the the- production of the United States will only equal the combined production of Canada and the United Kingdom I This is despite the fact that the United Kingdom King King- Kingdom dom all last year was subjected to a constant rain ram of bombs and despite the fact that we have two and one-half one times the population of Canada Canada Canada Can Can- ada and the United Kingdom plus six times their resources The report was prepared at the instigation of Secretary of War Stimson who wanted to see just where the armed forces of the United States stood The man who drafted the report is Bob Nathan who does a lot of confidential work vork for Stimson On this job he worked under Stacey May crack economist of the 0 O P M who took a special trip to London where he studied production figures and also German production results results results-as as far as the British were able to supply sup sup- ply them S Stimson Shocked by Findings Stimsons Stimson's friends say he was shocked at the findings of the report which show lamentable lack of lo range long grange planning by the army Other ups high in the administration take a somewhat more opt optimistic mitic view though all feel that the country has not yet taken its coat off The study covered the eighteen months from this summer up to the beginning of 1943 and here are some of the the- highlights of important findings findings findings find find- ings S 5 By the end of 1942 the United States although although al although al- al though playing the role of the arsenal of democracy de de- de- de will be supplying only 50 per cent of democracy's war material By the end pf U. U S Sc production of heavy bombing bombing- be only 35 5 per cent of Brit- Brit British ish avy bomber production n. n S D ring the sarrie peri our During d total bomber pr production pro pro- heavy heavy light and medium bombers will bombers will be only 70 per cent of the British This despite the fact that bombers are considered the chief means of taking the aggressive and winning the war By the end of 1942 the United States will only equal the British output of fighter planes Most discouraging part of the report however however however how how- ever is the production of artillery The manu manu- manufacture facture of big guns is lagging far behind the Brit Brit- ish Another discouraging factor is that the U. U S. S army is still continuing the purchase of medium bombers though the British have just discarded this type of plane plan They are concentrating concentrating concen concen- only on oit heavy bombers for range long-range offensives of of- of to Berlin and Italy plus light craft for dive On the encouraging side of the picture is U. U S. S production of tanks which is forging well ahead of the British Furthermore a study of nazi production leads to the conclusion that adding adding add add- ing the airplane production of Canada the United States and Great Britain together this grand total to to- tal tai i is ia now equal to if not somewhat ahead of the G Germans Rea Reasons ons for lor U. U S. S Delay Also on the more optimistic side 0 O P PM M experts experts ex ex- experts ex- ex point out that American industry has three valid excuses for its slow start One is is that we have shipped large quantities of parts to the British which they have assem assem- bled This has speeded their production but slowed down ours Second all during last year the United States was sending machine tools to England which of course also slowed U. U S S. S production Finally the British have had a more definite schedule of what they wanted while the U. U S. S army's schedule was slow in being set up On the other hand 0 O P PM M experts point to certain inexcusable errors for which industry the army and the Roosevelt administration must take take- the blame One was delay and quibbling over taxes Several business firms delayed weeks to see what their taxes would be before they would sign gov government contracts In the summer of 1940 Two ws was the failure of ordnance to plan and provide for a large enough army The army's famous M-day M for the beginning of war did not call for congressional appropriations incidentally incidentally incidentally incident incident- ally until after war was declared following which two years was to be required to build up an army Fortunately the appropriations have now come before a declaration of war but all the army's plans were based upon a slow get get- away Three industry insisted on on off building new factories factories fac fac- fac- fac tories instead of revamping the machinery of its existing plants Thus although Detroit motor factories could have ha been converted to the production production pro pro- of or airplane engines new plants were built instead and now the auto plants will have to slow down for lack of material If industry had been willing to curtail auto production at the Very ery start months of defense effort would haver have been saved Four no effort was made during the early days of defense to expand epand facilities for raw ma- ma steel steel aluminum copper zinc etc So now Industry finds itself desperately short This was due to the inexcusably bad planning of certain tain Lain year dollar But those who have studied this Important all-Important report say there is no use trying to go back for th purpose of fixing the blame that it is far better instead to draw certain vital conclusions Chief conclusion they draw is that at the present rate the United States can drag along for about ten years and there still may be war In Europe Therefore they ur urge e prodigious effort ImmedIately Immediately imme Imme- even an expeditionary force orce if necessary so the war war will ill not drag on interminably Copyright 1911 United Feature Syndicate S I S SS S S 3 S SS t S i 4 S 5 5 |
