Evening star., 1922-12-31
PREPARING TO TURN OUT
WAR MUNITIONS QUICKLY
Program for National Industrial Pre-
paredness Worked Out and Adopted
by War Department.

of arms and ammunition. SO that they
might be on hand in case OF war. The
War Department did not get Tilson's
point, however, for the million dollars
was never spent and. when the United
States entered the world war in April.
1917. not single one Of the tools Rep
resentative Tilson, out Of his own prac-
ment would be needed had been pre-
pared. The results were exactly as pre-
dicted Every one knows that it was
fully year before the United States
began to produce arms and ammunition
in sufficient quantities to be OF any use.
and during that time this country had
to rely principally on its allies to fur
nish munitions for it's fighting forces.
The plan of Industrial preps redness
which has for SO long been advocated
finally been adopted by the War De-
partment is very simple one. The
fundamental principle involved is that
the machinery in q factory making
clocks or belt buckles or whatnot Is
practically tho same as that used in a
cutting attachments and the gauges
with which to test the work. Therefore
II these special attachments and gauges
are on hand 1t is simple matter to
the country into munition plants within
a brief space Of time. Without them it
will take a year or more before produc-
tion can be started In large quantities.
for there are only a few plants in the
country that are fitted to manufacture
such attachments and tools and only a
limited number Of workmen who are
capable Of doing the work.
Loss of q Year Result.
In the world war the United States
necessarily lost year in getting ready
to manufacture munitions Of war, which
could have been saved il the Tilson
plan had then been the War Depart
ment's policy. as now.
AS a result Of conference arranged
here recently by Representative Tilson
between the Secretary Of War and rep
resentatives from the only four large
gauge and tool factories in this country.
the Tilson plan was finally adopted offl-
cially by the War Department. and II
another war should come along after
the program has been fully developed
it will undoubtedly save many millions
of dollars and at least year of time in
bringing the nation to its maximum
military effort.
This new industrial preparedness pol
general approval in Congress because
during his fourteen years fight for an
adequate military program Represent
ative Tiison has won q reputation as
military expert. For example. during
the war. in order that his colleagues
might have a definite knowledge Of
what they were voting for, Repre-
sentative Tilson gave a series Of lee
lures in the House as part Of the exer-
cises of Congress on the manufacture
and use Of various kinds Of ordnance,
bringing into the House torpedoes,
bombs. machine guns and weapons Of
all kinds to educate his colleagues.
These lectures were based on more than
twenty five years study and experience
in the factories.
Aims at Standardization.
Having educated tho House to the ex-
tent of getting $1,0o0.ooo appropriation.
he found 1t necessary to educate the
War Department, a task which he seems
now to have accomplished.
As part Of his work along the lines Of
military preparedness, Representative
Tilson has devoted some Of his efforts
toward the standardization Of screws,
bolts and nuts, for the purpose OF se-
curing interchangeability, which is Of
the highest importance In the mass pro-
duction Of arms and ammunition and all
other war munitions. He fathered bill
in Congress which has resulted in the
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