Show washington N S 1 cipp I 1 FROM OUR congressman W K GRANGER president defit obtains new powers by calling unlimited national emergency more than statutes some ot 00 them more than a hundred years old may open the way to jar reaching executive powers by the president some of the statutes give the president power to 1 make service promotions without regard to seniority in various grades 2 suspend tariffs on food clothing and medical supplies 3 suspend all trading in securities for not more than 90 days 4 order preference for government communications on telephone arid and telegraph systems 5 use military forces to compel any foreign vessel either to leave or remain in the united states 6 commandeer radio facilities for government use or close any station and employ the armed forces to prevent any interruption of communications 7 require priorities of transportation systems and in case of war could commandeer and operate the systems 8 waive the eight hour day on government contracts 9 extend national guard enlistments bior for a six months period 10 establish limited censorship by des designating geating places about which information could not be published our defense increasing in leaps and bounds A small idea of the progress this nation has made in preparing tor for defense can be had by the following figures A year ago the arm army y and navy had about planes now there are about on a production rate basis the united states has made more military air planes until now than were made in all of 1940 or about this year planes are expected to be made 23 huge new ordnance plants are built or building more than 24 41 rounds of ammunition are area now on hand and production is now averaging rounds every hour A year ago we had tanks today 1500 tanks 37 millimeter and antiaircraft anti aircraft guns will come out at tho the rate of a month product ion of machine guns in up per cent garand rifles per cent A year ago we had 35 cruisers and 8 under construction today we have 37 in service and 54 being built aircraft has employees empl byees shipbuilding and in I 1 steel |