| Show I I BusineSS Business Today Today Today- Report On Output Cheers Many PAUL GESNER and F By JOHN JOlIN BECKLEY I NEW YORK Feb 25 Wide i World President rori j President Roosevelt's re report report re- re re-I re i port on the progress of the war wart t effort containing plenty of good goodnews news about defense production has given riven a noticeable lift to the spirits spir spir- of many Industrialists its I I The president disclosed that production production pro pro- figures showed the country country country coun coun- try was well on the way to achieving ing jeg th the fantastic production goals necessary for victory It was the hand first evidence that American industry was doing its part and doing it well Business executives have asserted asserted as as- time and again Tell us what you want and well we'll deliver it it The presidents president's report seemed to indicate that they were making mak mak- f ing jog good on their pledge Business leaders as a whole have bitterly resented the criticism heaped on the the- head of industry for previous lags in arms tion Many lany feel that business has been made the scapegoat for blame that really lies elsewhere They do not deny that industrial executives generally failed to realIze realize realize real real- ize the scope of the arms job They admit that most industrial leaders lead lead- ers did not grasp the gigantic task facing the country The size of the job doubled every time they turned around On the other hand as William p. p Witherow president of the National Na Na- Association of Manufacturers ers recently pointed out Industry industry industry indus indus- try has consistently delivered the goods which were asked of it by production authorities When it has been told what was wanted I industry has broken many records I in speedy delivery Is business to blame its leaders leaders leaders lead lead- ers ask if it has failed to produce produce produce pro pro- duce arms which were not ordered merely b bee because e c a u use 5 e later events showed they were needed The automobile industry has been severely criticized for not converting its plants to armaments a a. year earlier Many observers feel the auto makers would have been a lot wiser to have paid more heed to the Reuther plan for converting converting con con- erting at least its idle capacity to defense But complete conversion is another another another an an- other matter Few have stopped to realize just what it would have meant if any individual automobile automobile automobile automo automo- bile company such as General Motors Motors Motors Mo Mo- tors had decided in December 1940 to convert all of its plants to defense work At that that- time would its workers work work- ers have stood for the enforced r r idleness l What would have happened to toG toGi Gi GJ Ms M.'s dealer organization and andI its competitive position I What would the stockholders have said if the war had not taken the adverse turns which it has i ir since then and the conversion had r proven unnecessary In the opinion of many industrialists industrialists industrialists indus- indus conversion is being hanI han- han 1 I died today in the only way it could i I be adequately handled handled on on a mandatory mandatory mandatory man- man basis supervised by the government Fortunately many of these difficulties difficulties dif dif- dif dif- and misunderstandings misunderstanding have been cleared away Today industry has a clear idea of what is is' needed Conversion is being di directed directed directed di- di from Washington and the results are beginning to show on the production score board Today's profile Robert R. R Shannon Shannon Shannon Shan Shan- non recently elected president of oft t I It RCA ReA C A Manufacturing Co can be bet f t k added to the list of boys who stepped on Americas America's shores with little in their pockets and rose to key positions in industry Shannon got off a boat from Ireland in 1911 with 55 cents in Ws lis jeans Amazed to see more lights on Broadway in one block than he had seen before in his entire life Shannon decided lamp waking making was the business for him Friends say he got his first job in a lamp factory pushing a broom and brought himself to the attention attention atten- atten tio tion of the supervisor by turning in ln a pay envelope which he had found He studied management by the simple process of making it his business to know why some supe supervisors su su- su- su pe sors had the respect of their men en while others He learned his lesson well enough to become top man today for nore more than wan an workers |
