The New York herald., 1922-12-24
Will Have Plants of Nation
Ready at Need to Turn
Out Munitions.
MEN OF AFFAIRS AIDING
Staff of Leaders in Business
Will Mobilize Country to
Back Army.

WASHINCTON, Dec z5.-A clVlIlan gen
eral staff to control wartime industrial
mobilization is being created under the
War Departments plan of Industrial
preparedness as outlined by Secretary
Weeks In the January number of the
Nations Business. The one certainty Of
success in war. Mr.. Weeks argues, lies
in civilian control of Industrial as well
as of man power mobilization. as in the
last war.
To promote Industrial preparedness
plan being formulated by the War De-
partment provides for placing from time
to time small educational orders with
manufacturing plants which could be
called upon to turn out supplies in case
of an emergency.
There are being established between
the War Department and American in
dustrial life everywhere points of con-.
tact that should bring the American
people into this business of making
ready in peace for the task that the
American people alone can accomplish in
war; Mr.. Weeks says. I'VE are reach
ing out over the country to gauge and
measure the existing manufacturing
capacity and to appraise the war load
each section is able to bear. Ordnance
districts have been demarked, and In
each a civilian leader, a man high in the
business life of his community. In touch
with the instant situation of industry
around him day by day. has volunteered
his services as district chief.
Nation Divided Into Districts.
II have spoken first of our ordnance
problem because it is here we have been
able to make the most headway thus
far. The ordnance districts, marked out
in relation I, the peace time Industrial
establishments available in each district
for ordnance production, are thirteen In
number. To each civilian district chief
has been assigned a Regular Army ord
nance officer as executive assistant, and
| in addition there are some thousands or
| Reserve ordance officers scattered
| through the districts and through whom
we hope to maintain close contact with
| individual manufacturers and their
work.
"The district chiefs so far appointed
are as follows the military titles where
| used indicating a Reserve commission !:
| Co. C. II. Tenney. at Boston; Col. B. A.
Franklin, at Bridgeport; E. A. Russell.
at Chicago: C. l.. Harrison, at Cincin-
natl Col. Bascom Little, at Cleveland !;
Fred J. Robinson, at Detr oft; Col. John
Ross Delafield, at New York; ]. G.
Jones, at Philadelphia II. NJ. Dravo. at
Pittsburgh. and NJ. T.. Singleton. at st.
Louis"
Assistant Secretary of War VAIN
wright is in direct charge of this pro-
gram.
| New Form of Contract.
studies Of our aviation needs are
being made from every angle. There
| is no peace time production in any way
l IA.x at tnv0
war needs
with aircraft there can be no
| thought Of placing in storage even that
| proportionate amount of necessary re-
| serves as we bave been able to do with
| guns of all sizes and with tanks and
| motor trucks and ammunition and a
thousand other things the army would
need in war. The cost of aviation re-
serves In any way adequate would be
staggering. And even If we had the
planes to-day tomorrow might see
| them useless for war purposes by rea-
son of over night developments in the
science of flying.
''The logical solution, of course. is to
| foster commercial development; ia
| create the demand for a peace time in
| dustry. Some project for subsidizine
| commercial aviation development may
come.
| "One tn1ng OF importance to TIC puSi-
ness world we have set in motion. That
is the preparation of a uniform fixed
price contract for use in future wa
orders. Such a document has been
| drafted in tentative form. Outstanding
features of this contract are that nc
bend Is required : that liquidated damag'
clauses have been drawn: that fixed
interval payments upon estimated per-
centage of completion would be made
only 10 per cent. of the estimated amount
due to be withheld until final accept
snce that end of the war termination
of contract provision Is made calculated
to protect the contractor in financial
outlay. and In relation with labor by
disposition of raw materials and partly
fabricated articles and amortization o.
new plants over the period Of reversior
to peace activities and by compensation
of employees for a period permitting
their return to peace time work"