Evening star., 1940-08-16
Army Ready 10 Spur
Campaign 10 Enlist
Volunteers
Contract Given ChrysIer
To Build Factory and
Turn Out Tanks

National defense machinery was
geared to a higher pitch today by
developments embracing both man
power and equipment.
War Department officials stood
| ready to accelerate the Army's drive
| for volunteer recruits-already COM
ing in at the record rate of more
than 1000 day.
The Chrysler Corp. was under con-
tract to build a s20,000.00 tank
arsenal" at Detroit and turn out an
initial s33.500, 900 order.
Preservation of the Nations ma
chine tool and other vital defense
materials was visualized when the
House Military Affairs Committee
moved to give the President control
Of this field.
Assurance of civic cooperation in
the defense program came from
Mayor La Guardia of New York.
chairman of the National Confer
ence of Mayors, who reported that
the cities of the Nation are ready to
help in every way possible.
Voiced by Federal Loan Admins
traitor Jesse Jones was the state
ment that the Reconstruction
Finance Corp. has made formal and
informal commitments to date to-
| falling $600,000 900 for defense pur-
poses, and the disclosure that the
r. F. c. is looking into the question
of financing a steel industry in
Brazil.
The War Department made it
clear that the enlistment campaign
will be pushed regardless of the
fate of selective service legislation
now under debate in the Senate.
Officials estimated the Regular
Army already has expanded to $780,
| 900, a figure which was the top
peacetime limit until augmented
methods to reinforce defenses start
| ed last May. Reports to the War
Department listed 1902 enlistments
last week, exclusive of requirements.
A Philadelphia concern, N. w.
Aver & Son. has been put in charge
of a S250,000 advertising campaign
to reinforce recruiting methods al
ready being employed with the aim
of expanding the Regular Army's en-
listed strength to its full authorized
limit of 375000 by January l. The
recruiting campaign is to be aided
| further by 18 motor recruiting sta
tions, three of which already have
been completed. Consisting OF a
truck and large trailer, the mobile
stations were designed for visits to
fairs and other public gatherings.
The contract for grand-scale pro-
duction Of tanks was given to the
Chrysler Corp. yesterday. The tank
plant. designed for ready expansion,
is expected to be completed and in
production in about 13 months. The
first order, it was understood, is for
approximately 1000 medium" tanks
of Is or more tons, a weapon which
figures prominently in the War De-
partment's preparations to arm a
force of 100000 men. Delivery
dates were not announced.
The Chrysler Corp. contracted to
procure the site, build and equip
the plaht on a cost-plus -fixed-fee
basis. The corporation then will
transfer title to the Government,
and then during an undisclosed
period of the contract for a nominal
81 a year.
Legislative action of the House
Military Affairs Committee involved
the approval of a bill which would
give the President authority to take
over machine tools and other vital
defense materials which had been
ordered by foreign customers. The
foreigners would be reimbursed in
reasonable amount" Mr.. Roose-
velt last month placed machine tools
under a system Of export license
control.