New-York tribune., 1918-01-06

are provided for all kinds Of work in
wood and in cloth.
1t is now practically certain that the
war work Of the motor car industry
will be chiefly along the line Of its
accustomed product, but each motor car
plant constitutes an enormous reserve
that will gladly and enthusiastically
so to the front should an emergency
demand it.
Much Already Done
Munition production that reaches
astounding proportions and is much
greater than is usually understood, has
already been digested, so to speak, by
the motor car industry. Enormous
quantities of war materials are now
produced steadily In motor car fac
tories as part Of their regular out
put. This business has been growing
gradually during the last three years,
SO that now, barring an unexpected call
for multiplied supplies, the motor car
industry can do its share and some
over in the great undertaking, without
upheava1.
What the motor car industry has
been overlooked in the recent discus
sion Of what influence Americas en-
trance into the war would have on
automobile production. In some fac
tories, shells and various machined
parts for guns are being turned out,
but the production Of airplane engines,
motor trucks and passenger cars for
military use, naturally is the most d.
rect line for the motor car maker to
follow, and the one in which he can
reach the highest efficiency because of
his experience and highly specialized
knowledge.
1t is surprising TO most people when
/ tell them that the Peerless factories,
in &C far as the machine room output
is concerned, arc now and for many
months have been on a rs per cent
munition basis. In these departments
machine efficiency undreamcd of half
ward of ten thousand Peerless heavy
duty trucks are now carrying supplies
to meet tho hunger of cannon and man
at the various battle fronts in France
and in the cast, while hundreds arc at
work every day with the American
armies.
Munition production in the Peerless
plant is accomplished without che
slightest confusion in the turning out
justment and reorganization was nee
essary to handle the work, but it was
brought about very quickly
1t is true that the greatly increased
production Of tho Peerless eight-cylin-
der passenger car called for the build
ing of an entire new group Of facto.
ries, affording 100000 square feet OF
working space, but these new factories
are used for body building, upholster-
ing, painting and chassis assembly
processes which require much greater
space than the machine work. The
space would have been needed by the
extended passenger car output, the re-
suit of a natural demand, even if The
at hand.
What has been done in our plant sc
completely has to large extent beer
carried out In other plants, and indi
Gates what can be accomplished i,
many many more. The motor car in
dustry is correctly adjusted to NEE
the present emergency. Motor ca
makers, from chief executives to sho,
u foremen, are accustomed to huge op
crations; quantities do not frighte,
them, and the necessity for care, accu
racy and speed has developed in thou
sands of men exactly the type of min,
needed to, direct and accomplish tn
almost unbellevably enormous task O
supplying a number of armies in tn
field
No other industry is so alert. N
other has such varied cquipmen,
When we consider what the motor ca
factories collectively are already turn
ing out without greatly dimnishe
output OF the regular product, it i
hard to conceive of an emergency tina
the motor car makers could not NEE
with their thousands Of wonderful ma
chimes and hundreds of thousands q
skilled and mentally alert workers.