The Washington times., 1918-05-25
PRODUCTION
OF WAR'SWEAPONS
ISDETROIT METHOD
By DAVID LAWRENCE.
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best expressed by a cablegram sent
by Henry Ford to a British news
syndicate the other day which he
permits me to reproduce in this
country. Mr.. Ford cabled as follows
'T am a pacifist so earnest for
peace that I am fighting for It to the
| limit OF mental, physical and financial
capacity. All America is inspired
with the same spirit. American in
dustries are ahame with efficient
activity, the earnest work OF our
great Industrial leaders is seen every
where and all the resources, wealth,
genius and manufacturing forces OF
our nation are united for the largest
possible production Of war strength.
%wIH Fight to the Last
I'VE stand with our heroic allies
confident OF victory. Hold the fort
for we are coming America will
fight to the last cent and the last
man that every sort OF militarism
may be swept from the world and a
permanent peace established by in
ternational law that can be enforced,
for the equitable arrangement OF the
three great arts OF peace-agricul-
ture, manufacturing and transporta-
tion-that the glorious privilege Of
work and opportunity shall be open
throughout the world to every man
that he may live on his own land and
own his own home"
talked at length with Mr.. Ford
and found him deeply interested in
reconstruction after the war, inter-
ested. indeed. that the world shall be
made a better place in which to live
and that freedom OF opportunity for
the Industrial shall be realized
throughout this land. But he places
most Importance on getting the sin
ews Of war so that America may be-
come dominant not only in moral
force but in physical power, and then
he thinks Germany will be compelled
to enter a league OF nations on the
terms already laid down by President
Wilson.
But the sinews of war-it would
worry representatives of the German
government and people a great deal
II they saw the Ford plant alone.
Here are the unrivaled mechanical
resources of a conspicuous pacifst
at the disposal of his country. Here
can be made engines OF war In un-
limited quantities and more rapidly
than anywhere in the world. And
that process has begun already.
Take the construction OF Ford boats
alone as an example. Who would
believe the IandIubbers OF the Middle
West, accustomed to making automo-
biles, could turn out warships? But
Henry Ford. in ninety days. built a
wonder plant nearly a third of a
mile long and several city blocks
wide, and what was a meadow along
the Detroit river last February is
presses to perforate ship plate. foun-
dries, and rivet machines in countless
numbers.
They told the Government that a
ship and an automobile could be
built by. the same methods. You
could start at one end of a plant,
said the Ford engineers, and bring
the materials along on carriers and
turn out finished product no matter
what the vehicle. And they have
proved right. for next month they
will launch the first boat.
Using Ford Methods.
Instead OF ways, they have built
on a series Of fiat freight cars, big
forms that inclose the new ships. I
saw the keels laid on these movable
cars, and ship plates and ribs being
fastened to the ship. Four Of these
forms were in place. and the famous
Ford system was in operation. In
stead OF building one vessel at time
they pile all the parts for one par
ticular operation at a single spot
AS the uncompleted ship Is moved
alongside the pile OF material on one
track, It receives at each successive
spot the parts that are accumulated
along the track. There are three such
tracks and room enough for twenty |
boats at time. When quantity pro-
duction IL reached they will finish one |
OF these boats every day, and the fiat |
cars Will carry them to a movable |
dock at the tail-end Of the big plant |
and launch them In the Detroit river. |
Here already the navy has sailors |
In great camp ready to man the |
ships, and they probably will pass out |
the lakes to the ocean be- |
fore the ice closes navigation. Many /
Will be built before winter, but the /
great majority will be assembled in |
the parts being shipped there |
during the winter in such fashion that 1
the Ford boats Will be available in /
great numbers when the submarines
start raiding again in the spring.
That is a sample. and before the
war Is over there are going to be
0ther unique weapons OF war manu-
here. Those baby tanks" I |
saw look particularly good. With Mr..
Ford and his staff. saw the first
movie OF a little tank in operation.
Il climbed over trenches and steep
at a rate OF speed which
he larger tanks could never attain.
The Germans have copied the big
Anks of the allies, but Mr.. Ford isn't
worrying about copies OF the baby
Cnk." He claims that they couldn't
20 produced by Germany as fast as
america can make them, for they can
,e turned out here by the hundreds
very day-Just as fast as the Ford
'unabouts are made.
at doesn't matter" said Mr.. Ford.
what the Germans copy or how
much they know about such things.
We ought to produce ten and fifteen
lines the number they do. That's the
way to win"
Mr.. Ford feels the same way about
lirplanes and Liberty motors.
by Weight of Numbers.
"The Liberty motor is great
hing because ii Is a standardized
motor. and we can produce II rapid
y. We can turn out thousands OF
hem. and even IL a German plane
5 here and there a little better than
,urs. we can overwheIm the enemy
~ sheerd force OF numbers with our
present type II we build enough OF
hem and have enough men to oper-