Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-09-18
Passenger Car Makers
Must Convert Plants
War Industries Board Advises
Manufacturers to Do All
War Work.
No Materials to Be Allotted
Pleasure Auto Builders.
Government Says.
Try the Assnciated Press


Washington, Aug. 10.-Manufactur-
crs of passenger automobiles were adj
vised by the war industries board to-
day to convert their plants to 100 per
cent war work as rapidly as possible
and to place them on that basis not
later than January l. 1919. in letter
addressed to the National Automobile
Chamber of Commerce. In no other
way. the letter stated could they be
assured of the continuance of their In
dusty or the preservation OF their or
CARNATIONS.
The letter was In response to pro-
posal made yesterday by Hugh Chal-
mers on the part of the manufactur-
ers, voluntarily to curtail the passen-
ger car industry so per cent. The waT
industries board declared the present
situation regarding steel and other ma
terials needed for war work gave little
assurance Of material required for the
manufacture of passenger automobiles
even after providing for war require
ments.
Inventories Demanded.
Pending receipt by the board OF
sworn inventories Of materials on hand
requested last July &c. no materials will
be permitted passenger car manufact-
urers, the letter states.
The letter in part follows:
I'VE are in receipt Of and have CIV
en- very careful consideration to your
communication of August 8, embody-
ing the resolutions passed at your
meeting at Detroit Tuesday. August 6.
I'VE note that the manufacturers
have voluntarily agreed among them
selves to curtail the production Of pas
senger cars 50 per cent. While this Is
clearly a step in the right direction and
furnishes a basis for each and all OF
the manufacturers without further de-
lay to make appropriate reductions in
selling general and overhead expenses.
it L. only q step, and further curtail-
ment Is inevitable.
No material available.
Fairness to your industry impels us
to frankly state that the situation as 1t
is presented to us today indicates very
clearly that there will be little, II any,
of the principal materials required in
the construction Of passenger cars
available for non-war industries after
the war requirements shall have been
provided for, and the war industries
board can not at this time make any
promise whatsoever regarding the sup
ply to your industry Of steel, rubber or
other materials for any definite period
in advance.
I'VE strongly believe 1t is to the best
interests Of your members and all other
manufacturers Of passenger automo-
biles to undertake to get on 100 per
cent war work as rapidly az possible
and not later than January 1. 1919. for
in no other way can you be sure OF the
continuance Of your industry and the
preservation Of your organization"
Although the communication states
further action will be taken when the
inventories are returned. little prom
Use Is held out by the members OF the
war industries board to the automobile
industry unless it entire manufacturing
capacity is devoted to war work. On
the contrary, 1t was stated by one
member. ALLEGATION of steel to the In
dustry has been stopped and those who
were far-sighted enough to obtain
stocks of steel prior to the restrictions
on delivery will in all probability have
their supply taken by the government
to be turned over to war industries
short of it.
Steel to Be Divided.
Many Of the manufacturers who have
SO far returned sworn inventories It
was stated, have on hand sufficient
steel and other material to operate at
100 per cent capacity from four to six
months. When the inventories are all
in q dwelling will occur, placing oil
manufacturers Of passenger cars on the
same basis. This basis, 1t was said.
would be the amount Of steel the gov
eminent may be able to supply after
war requirements are met.
The steel requirements Of the gov
eminent and the allies for the last six
months Of this year have now reached
22.5O0, 900 tons which was taken to
mean that the levelltng process will
likely be Communicated Of steel stocks
which the "far-sghted" passenger
automobile manufacturers obtained.