The Daily Alaska empire., 1939-02-23
Nationalize Munitions
Philadelphia Record)

Now when we are beginning a gigantic arms program the time to renew discussion of the issue hat will not die-n standardization of the munitions industry.
 This is discussion that has way of being in errupted mysteriously whenever it approaches the stage of action.
 Usually rabbit is pulled out of the hat to stop he distressing natonaization munitions talk, two years ago great take-th -the-profits- ofwar move vas aided by munitions interests themselves to shift the ground of the debate and confuse the issue.
 With a $552 10000 arms bill about to be offered for debate on top of normal military naval expendi- ures of a billion year, we want to see the natona- ation discussed by Congress again.
 What are munitions? That's the first question to be answered If we are going to natonaze the arms industry in order to control it. to prevent sales of arms to potential enemies to break up the lobby, to make neutrality easier to maintain, have to decide what munitions are.
 Munitions in wartime not the muni- tions in peace In wartime not only bombs and guns but many innocent commodities become munitions. Motor trucks are munitions in war; is gasoline. Binoculars munitions in wartime; are heavy shoes for infantry Any of these items may be important powder when war actually starts.
 No advocate of naturalization of munitions would include these items in his list. Mainly, think, the list should conne itself products which clearly made for war Such list would include ordnance of all kinds military rifles ammunition aerial bombs, ant-arcraft apparatus precision instruments of the
 
 der; submarines themselves; military explosives
 If these goods were made only by the Government, there would be such periodic fareups as the dis pute this week the private sale of antarcraft apparatus to England.
 There would be such abomnations recnt private sales of bombs to Japan to hasten the murder of Chinese civilians.
 In Gallup poll on the question, three years ago, S2 percent of the people voted for naturalization We think that percentage would be higher today But so far that majority has never found its voice.
 Planes are vexatious problem. To nationalize the manufacture of military planes doesn't solve it. We have Secretary Hulls word for it that commer- cial aircraft be speedily adapted for military use Germany has been buying commercial aircraft here and adapting it.
 Hitlers airfleet terror of Europe rides Ameri- motors.
 Yet to natonaze all plane factories is dangerous. We planning to build 3,032 new military planes to add to current 232O in the armys possess sion. As important the new planes themselves is the development of plant capacity for producing planes in hurry. The Government is as interested in de- veloping that plant capacity and increasing the ex- perience of the pane-bulders it is in having the new planes.
 What need when war comes, says General Hugh S. Johnson is not planes much the ability to build planes a mass production basis. Huge stocks of planes impracticabe; they become obso lete almost fast they come off the line; planes year old military antiques.
 We need plane-factores than planes. The Administration wants to develop them by giving the private companies educational orders in the full fillment of which they learn their business Their capacity for building commercial planes also becomes wartime We can't nationalize military plane construction without nationalizing commercial plane construction: the army wants neither
 But do think the army could begin to build its types of planes in it's own factories, part of the huge program; giving itself an education and increasing total plant while educating the private manufacturers. That would be start toward ultimate Government control of every weapon of offenSe.