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Show THIS WEEK IN DEFENSE terial shortages and other "almost "al-most insurmountable difficulties" the camps were ready before the time set for troop arrival and the American Army "is now the best housed Army in the world." ECONOMIC DEFENSE The Economic Defense Board, composed of Vice-President Wallace Wal-lace and ranking Cabinet officers, offi-cers, met for the first time and: outlined two undisclosed prospects to coordinate and strengthen the nation's economic defense. The National Resources Planning Board issued a booklet, "After Defense What?" calling upon public and private agencies to start immediate immed-iate planning to prevent chaos after the emergency. The Board stated that it's adequate post-defense employment plans were not ready and. another depression allowed al-lowed to set in, the nation could lose eerything it is now striving to defend. LABOR A WPA survey showed unemployment unem-ployment declined 300,000 in July to 5,600,000 nearly 4,000,000 less than last July. The Bureau of Employment Security reported job placements of persons under 21 years increased 78 percent in the past year. The Bureau also reported re-ported placements of Negroes are 47 percent higher than six months ago. The Committee on Fan- Employment Em-ployment Practice announced Army, Ar-my, Navy and Maritime commission commis-sion contracts now contain clauses prohibiting hiring discrimination because of race, creed, color or national na-tional origin. The War Department announced defense strikes increased from 24 involving 14,000 workers last week, to 28 strikes involving 21,700 men as of August 15. The U. S. Conciliation Con-ciliation Serice settled 26 disputes. Acting Navy Secretarw Bard said the strike at the Federal Shipbuilding Ship-building company, Kearney, N. J., causes a daily loss of more than 200,000 man-hours of work on vitally needed combat ships. The President suspended the eight-hour day for mechanics and laborers of the War Department President Roosevelt and Britain's Brit-ain's Prime Minister Churchill held a series of secret conferences at sea and jointly issued a declaration dec-laration of national policies calling cal-ling for: No territorial "aggrandizement," no territorial changes not in accord ac-cord withi the will of the people concerned,' right of all peoples to choose their form of government equal access to the raw materials of the world needed for prosperity, prosper-ity, international cooperation for . improved living standards, ' safety safe-ty to all nations within their own borders from fear and want, freedom free-dom of the seas, disarmament and other measures to lighten "the crushing burden" of armaments. Assistant Secretary of State Berle speaking in Washington, said "It is the plan of this Government, when the tides of barbarity shall be rolled back, to turn the full measure of its economic strength to bringing help, relief and sustenance sus-tenance to the . . . many countries. coun-tries. . . . now cold (and) hungry. hun-gry. PRODUCTION OPM Director Knudsen, speaking speak-ing in New York, said that by next July defense production will be at its peak and "after that America can write its own ticket on war material and it oan be twice anybody else's ticket." To do this, however, small communities communi-ties and manufacturers must be willing to band together to seek defense work, he said. William Batt, deputy production director, speakiiig in New York, said the Government and . large corporations are - more anxious to give work to small contractors now than a few months ago because of the great pressure of work today. AGRICULTURE Agriculture Secretary Wickard announced there is no prospect of food rationing "in the foreseeable future" although the nation may have to depend more on some foods than others. He said there are 17 Percent more cattle on feed for. market in the 11 cornbelt states than a year ago and the corn crop will exceed last year's by nearly 150,000,000 bushels. In a letter to Mr. Wickard, the President said "increases in the production of vital foods and feeds Is reassuring (because) food is a weapon against Hitlerlsm just as much as munitions . . ." The CCC agreed to furlough en-rollees en-rollees so they might help harvest har-vest where labor shortages exist. The work would be voluntary and the enrollees would receive the prevailing wage. Congress passed a measure forbidding the Government Govern-ment to dispose o"f any cotton or wheat now in its bins except for domestic and foreign relief, export ex-port or lease-lend aid. The bill also permits farmers to use excess ex-cess wheat for feed or food without with-out penalty and extends 85 per cent parity loans to peanut growers. grow-ers. AIR The OPM announced 1,460 military mil-itary planes were produced in July. Ju-ly. War Under Secretary Patterson, Patter-son, dedicating a new plane factory, fac-tory, said the monthly output of combat planes increased 114 per cent in the last nine months and production of other military planes increased 105 percent. Speaking at the same ceremonies, Chief of Army Air Corps Brett said that American planes abroad have had "great success." ARMY ' Congress approved an 18-month 'extension of service for selectees, reserve officers and National Guardsmen and voted to increase by $10 the monthly basic pay of all except officers after the first year of service. The Senate committee investigating investi-gating the defense program issued a report stating that costs of the I Army's $1,000,000,000 camp construction con-struction program were "unduly and necessarily high" because of lack of planning. War Under Secretary Sec-retary Patterson replied that des-pite des-pite cold weather, labor and ma- i llllilll " HlMl.ywf would cause inflation by increasing the demand for goods at a time the supply is growing less. The Governors Gov-ernors announced regulations regarding re-garding down-payments, length of loans and types of credit would restrict installment buying of au-tos, au-tos, refrigerators, washing machines, ma-chines, vacuum cleaners and other durable goods but would not affect af-fect charge accounts at grocery and department stores. OIL Defense Petroleum Coordinator lckes said the first full week of the 7-to-7 "curfew" for 100,000 East coast gas stations showed virtually vir-tually 100 percent cooperation with little employment loss but sales In the Eastern States were 13 per cent higher than this time last year. He said "rigid steps" will have to be taken to restrict gasoline gas-oline sales. LICENSE PLATE METAL The OPACS requested State motor mo-tor vehicle officials to require motorists mo-torists to hand in this 1941 license li-cense plates when they get 1942 tags. The OPACS arranged for metal for the new tags because time was too short to seek substitutes substi-tutes but stated no sheet metal will be available for 1943 tags. working on airfields, troop nousing and similar projects in order to rush completion. PRICES AND PRIORITIES The OPACS set ceiling prices three and one-half cents a pound on raw sugar, duty paid at New York, three-tenths of a cent under August 11 prices, and advised consumers con-sumers not to pay more than present retail prices under any circumstances. Ceiling prices on rayon will be set shortly, the agency agen-cy said. OPM placed steel under full priority pri-ority control, asked all pig-iron producers to set aside awo percent of September output, and prohibited prohibi-ted further manufacture of white auto tires to conserve rubber and zinc. INFLATION CONTROL The President gave the Governors Gover-nors of the Federal Reserve System Sys-tem control over installment buying buy-ing to prevent a volume of easy credit to consumers so large it |