Evening star., 1939-04-16
BY Richard L. Stokes.

defense, industry is playing leading and
vital role. am conscious of its loyalty.
appreciate its cooperative efforts. It's
patriotic services commend as an
example of good and useful citizenship"
Regional Offices Set Up.
AS first step toward industrial mobili-
cation, the War Department has set up
49 procurement regional Offices. of which
three, representing the Quartermaster
Corps and the ordnance and medical
divisions, are in st. Louis. Surveys of
10000 civilian plants all over the coun-
try were made, with the result that
10000 firms have been allocated for prob
able conversion to wartime production.
Missouri has DAB of these selected plants,
including l56 in st. Louis, 36 in Kansas
City and nine in st. Joseph. From the
Chicago headquarters will be admin
istered 1,546 factories, embracing 78O in
Illinois, 279 in Wisconsin, PIG in Michigan
and IS in Indiana.
But what Col. johnson calls "the life
line OF America lies in the district east
of Pittsburgh, between Boston and Will
mington. There are to be found 1000
Of the allocated plants, which are ex-
pected to produce so per cent of the
country's military supplies. Pennsylvania
has l,431, New York, 110l; Massachu-
sets, I'll: Connecticut, 349; Rhode Is
land, 14S; New Jersey, AZ, and Della
ware, %.
The army alone has shopping list
OF 1900 items or processes of production.
Among these the overwhelming majority
or 7,245, are normally produced or used
in peace-time by private industry and
are regarded as capable of expansion
without technical assistance from the
Government Typical commodities of the
sort are hard and soft woods, petroleum,
asbestos wool, cement, lead, cropper, zinc,
silver, hides and leather, mica, clay prod
ucts, hemp, linseed, iron ore, Steel fire.
brick, gypsum, glass, wire, rope, turpen-
tine, canvas, bituminous and anthracite
coal, veneers, porcelain, cotton products,
emery, wood and metal furniture, alcohol,
pulp and paper, valves and pipes, coke,
paints, electrical goods, hardware, an
chors and chains, tools and machinery.
pumps, turbines, winches and windlasses
cork and telephones.
"Shadow Plant" System Rejected,
There are however, 55 critical and in
dispensable items SO alien to peace time
needs and so difficult of production as
to require an individual program. The
military authorities would have pre-
ferred the English system of shadow
plants" which are factories built,
equipped, tested and manned in skeleton
fashion, and then shut down to await
emergencies. Probably all of them are
in operation today. AS this scheme is
highly expensive, it was found i'm
practicable in the United States.
AS next best thing, the War Depart
ment Is years ago devised a plan which
is as originally American as mass pro-
duction, also an American invention.
The idea is that selected factory, under
Government contract should be enabled
to set up an organization line for the
manufacture of some specified item.
equip it with the necessary gauges, dies,
jigs, tools and fixtures, staff it with a
skeleton OF foremen and expert artisans
and test it thoroughly. 1t was calculated
that, with such single purpose model
in existence, its indefinite multiplica-
ton for mass production would prove
feasible and rapid possibility. This
scheme is known as the educational Or
ders system.
Not until June, 1888, did Congress
enact and the President approve the first
educational orders bill. It authorized
the Secretary of War to place non-com-
mercial orders, known as special unu-
nitions," with chosen private establish
ments for the purpose of familiarizing
them with the manufacture of such
products, their accessories and parts.
Title to all facilities that result remains
In the Government, and no contracts
may be signed without the Presidents
approval. An appropriation was au-
thorized for the next five years, at s2,-
100000 annually.
An amendment to this act was ap-
proved on April 3, raising the appropria-
ton to total of $42,5O0,00O, including
100000 for the fiscal year 1898 8-39.
This Is to be spent at the rate Of $32,-
100000 during the fiscal years 1899 II,
plus $2,0OO,000 annually for the four
years thereafter. The amendment, how
ever, merely authorized the increased
amount, and the actual appropriation,