Omaha daily bee., 1918-09-08
AUTO TRADE HAS
BETTER OUTLOOK
Than IS THOUGHT
With Fewer or Even No New
Cars Next Year, the
Prospect Is Not
Dismal.

The War Industries Board has
not ordered curtailment of passen-
ger car production. it simply can
not promise materials for non-war
purposes, hence advises automobile
manufacturers to be prepared, if
the material supply fails, by having
munition work sufficient to keep
their plants busy. They can build
cars as long as their stock of mater
ials lasts anyway, therefore COM
plete stopping of passenger car pro-
duction by January /. is not prob
able. Even if that did happen, how
ever. there would still be room for
Encouragement, as shown by the.
following analysis of the situation:
4 would be folly to deny that the
outlook is disqueting since passenger
tar production is to be so gravely af-
fected. Reasonable human beings,
however, will be as optimistic as pos
Nble, and make the best of the stu
alton. What can't be cured, must be
endured" Our problem then is how
10 best endure it. Railing at the gov
I've is not the way.
Win War First.
To begin with we must remember
that winning the war is the primary
consideration, the interests of any
other business or industry notwith-
standing. If necessary the automo-
bile industry must suffer whatever is
needful to that end, for no industry
would be worth the saving if the
war were lost. But total or perma-
nent destruction is not even remote
possibility. The end of victorious
campaign against the Hun inevitably
will bring return of prosperity %
oil lines, transcending the best they
have ever known. Like the warrior
soldier battling for us abroad, we, the
soldiers of business, must marshal our
forces and go through with the battle.
How to do it calls for our present
most urgent effort.
Let us analyze conditions and ferret
out the most encouraging elements,
then lay our plans for procedure. Like
the physician we must first find out
just how bad case confronts US to
know what remedies are in order. 1t
is always true that nothing is so bad
but that it might be worse" So here
is how it looks to we humble editor:
Have Least Worry.
The passenger car builder has per-
haps the least to worry about. His
plant and his facilities will be entire
ly occupied with war work. Many
OF them are somewhat so already
and few of them largely devoted
to government contracts. If he is
not already also builder of COM
mercial cars he, can become one or
take on other essential lines. So his
organization can be. kept intact and
he has four months in which to COM
plete his adjustment to the new con-
ditions. His worst prospective hard
ships are undergoing the transition
and getting back to his old channels
again after the war is over.
The same applies to an extent to
the parts makers, but many of them
will not have to change lines, as will
be shown later.
Accessory manufacturers haven't
even the change of line to worry
them. Their chief concern is getting
their raw materials. The car and
parts makers will not have that to
contend with as their supplies for
munition work will be put on the pri-
critics list. But the accessory people,
providing they can get their raw ma
terials will have in most instances
an even greater demand for their
output, because old cars need them
more than new and there are 5000
900 in operation now, even if no more
are built until the end of the war.
The parts makers if they can get
steel and other supplies will also have
all they can do to keep the old cars
going. "
Garage men, repair men, and deal
ers in used cars are likewise assured
of plenty of business by virtue of the
existing 100000 cars. Unless gaso-
line shortage occurs, which does not
now threaten, or something else
transpires to retire present cars from
use, they are going to be as we'll off
as ever and more likely than not
they will enjoy a better opportunity
than ever before. The chances are in
deed most favorable for them to bene-
fit by the new order of affairs.-Auto-
mobile Trade Journal.