Evening star., 1925-09-16
ORDNANCE BUYERS
WILL GATHER HERE
Organization of Wartime
Procurement Force Now
Covers Country.

Chiefs of the ordnance procurement
districts in the United States will as
senble in this city September so and
confer with Maj. Gen. e. c.. Williams.
chief of army ordnance, and the Of
ficers of his staff at the War Depart
ment. Procurement districts We're or
gan1zed under the direction of the AS
sistant Secretary of War. Their ter
ritorial limits follow closely those sue
cessfully operated during the World
War. The object of the district sys-
tenn is to provide industrial prepared
ness for the national defence. 1t was
recognized during the World War that
many difficulties in securing nuni-
tions for the troops were due mainly
to two things-the lack of a program
of the material to be procured and
the lack of industrial organizations
prepared to produce that material.
Wide Organization Needed.
1t was found impossible to conduct
from Washington all the work neces-
sary for the rapid procurement of war
material, and the district system was
adopted as the best solution of the
situation. The work includes the Sc
lection of the firm, negotiation OF the
contract, the furnishing of sufficient
manufacturing information to allow
the firm to produce successfully ma
peace-time output, the active assist
ance which must be given such a firm,
the inspection and acceptance OF the
material produced, and finally the pay
ment of the contract and the postwar
settlement. With hundreds of firms
engaged in the production of this spe-
ctal material, it was found desirable to
divide the country into districts. ap-
proX1mately equal in their industrial
capacity, and to place in charge of
each district a chief of large business
experience who was we'll acquainted
with the existing industrial conditions
Of each district. The district chief was
furnished staff of assistants. many
of whom were business men and in
dustrial leaders Of his own selection,
In addition to officer and civilian in
spector assistants who had been tech
nically trained at Government manu-
featuring arsenals.
Prepare for Emergency.
The War Department is making use
OF the lessons gained in the past war
by keeping these district organiza-
tions in skeleton form during times
of peace. 1t is deemed one of the i'm
portant steps toward securing the
safety of the Nation. Material of such
complicated and highly specialized
manufacture as is furnished to the
troops requires a considerable period
of time for it's production. For ex-
ample, material furnished by the
Ordnance Department involves. for
many items, more than a years time
to convert and expand the existing
facilities to meet the mass production
which will be required by our Armies
II to this is added the delay which
would be occasiOned by the necessity
Of locating suitable firms to do the
work, the time would be greatly
heightened. IT is to obyiate such con-
ditions that the present War Depart
ment district system has been organ
ized.
The ordnance district organization.
to which the district organizations of
other supply. branches are similar,
consists of district chief, a man of
extensive business experience and ac-
uuaintance in his locality, and Reg
ular Army ordnance officer to- serve
with him as executive assistant. These
districts have been furnished with a
definite program of the ordnance ma
terial which they will furnish in event
of a national emergency. both as re-
CARDS the quantity of material and the
rate at which delivery will be required
District offices are actively engaged
in making surveys of the industrial
resources of the various districts and
in the selection of firms capable of
producing ordnance material.
At the War Department it is said
that response on the part of industry
to these efforts has been most graft
flying. A great number of firms have
not only indicated their ability and
willingness to produce the material,
but have gone so far as to prepare
complete plans for the conversion of
their factories and to prepare lists of
machine tools, gauges. and fixtures,
and the amounts and best sources of
the raw materials, which viii be need
ed. The War Department is taking
steps at the present time in the way
to obviate one of the greatest sources
of delay in the World War
The main purpose of the meeting of
the procurement district officers in
this city, September 80. is to discuss
the progress of the work under way,
the difficulties encountered. how they
shall be met and to outline plans for
the .coming year.