Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-10-16
INCREASE IN AUTO
/. SALES IS EXPECTED.
Manufacturers Are Confident
New Models viii Attract
Big Sales Demand.
BY DAVID ]. WILKIE,
Associated Press Stan Writer.

BY DAVID J. WILKIE,
Associated Press Stan Writer.
DETROIT, October 16.-American
automobile manufacturers whose bust
ness acumen and ingenuity saw them
safely through financial and industrial
crises Of other years apparently are
not to be undone by the depression OF
1880. Looking forward to a resump-
ton of normal activities, every automo-
bile executive has kept his plants in
shape to quickly adjust production to
any increase in demand; skeleton or
CARNATIONS have been maintained and
finances have been conserved, with the
result that, although harder hit than
in any earlier business depression, the
industry finds itself today in better
shape than at the end OF any OF its
previous lean years.
Lean years are nothing new to the
automobile industry. Always they have
been followed by record production
years and better business than ever be-
fore. Although not inclined to depend
very much upon precedent, leaders OF
the industry are looking forward to
production and demand very nearly ap-
proximating normal in 1881. Aside
from the fact that the normal replace
ment demand for 1881 will be supple.
mented by large volume of delayed
DuylnE-OT overdue IcpldI6IlOAlG- 1uVO-
mobile executives profess to see in the
constantly improved models brought
out an irresistible attraction to the po-
tential consumer. They point, too, to
the fact that manufacturing economies
have resulted in greater dollar value
than ever before in the history OF the
industry.
Obstacles in Industry.
ind
try is the story of one battle after an
other to overcome seemingly insur-
mountable obstacles. First there were
mechanical obstacles, then early preju-
dices and skepticisms, followed by the
criticism that the motor car never
could be brought within the reach OF
the wage Garner, and scores OF other
difficulties. All these obstacles were
overcome, and to the pioneer automo-
bile builder, looking backward, they
were problems Of great magnitude
greater by far than the business de-
preston of 1880, for the reason that
the very existence of the industry was
at stake.
Z So it is that the automobile manu-
facturers, although avoiding the iSsu-
ance of statements intended to create
artificial confidence, are looking for
ward with assurance to the future.
The tariff wall created by European
countries as a protection for their home
industries continues the subject OF
much discussion among automobile
makers. Build inside the wall, SEEM
ingly is the solution decided upon by
many of the leading companies. Here
again the ingenuity of the American
manufacturer comes to the fore; but
lust how building inside the tariff
wall" will reflect benefit to his Ameri-
can plants is q matter Of no little
conjecture Henry Ford's plans in coun-
tries where the tariff impostS are pro-
hibitive, and extend to motor-car parts
as we'll as to the finished product, con-
template the use of raw material and
labor of native origin. Up until re-
Gently parts were shipped in large vol
ume for assembly abroad, but in nu-
merous European countries the tariff
restrictions have been extended to
parts, with the result that the export
phase of the automobile industry has
been seriously threatened.
This threat probably more than the
Paris and London automobile shows
took q number Of American manufac-
turers or their representatives abroad at
this time While Department OF Com
merce figures show that rs per cent OF
all the automobiles in the world are
registered in the United States, 1t Is in
teresting to note that mechanically Eu-
ropean producers are keeping pretty
well abreast of their American COM
petitors. Some of the most recent fig
ures show that in France eight manu-
facturers are producing eight-cylinder
models, in England six companies are
making Fights, while four German, four
italian, one Belgian and one Austrian
manufacturer are making cars with the
eight-cylinder engine. One French and
two German companies are turning out
16-cylinder cars.
SaIvaging Operations.
Since the Ford Motor Co. began the
salvaging of old automobiles last Feb
ruary more than 10000 cars accepted
by dealers as part payment on new ma
chimes have gone through the dis
mantling process at the company's
River Rouge plant. Everything on the
car is reclaimed, even to the floor
boards, which serve as crate tops