The Waterbury Democrat., 1940-06-29
N. E. Factories Ready
For Defense Program
Hundreds OF Small Plants Placed in Readiness to Meet
Governments Demands Cooperation Assured

Portsmouth, N. H., June 20. -
The immediate cooperation OF every
New Egland manufacturer In maxi
Ing oil facilities available to the gov
eminent for national defense pur.
poses, especially In relation to air
craft production, was urged here this
morning by Archibald Johnston,
staff member OF the Associated In
dustries OF Massachusetts, as 1.-THE
only way TO keep this country out
OF war"
Discussing New England's place In
the aircraft armament program
before New England business and
industrial leaders gathered at the
Hotel Wentworth In the 59th Quart
erly Meeting OF the New England
Council Johnston who was a mem
Der OF the Lafayette Escadrille and O
captain In the United States Army
Air Corps during the last war, de-
clared that existing machinery must
be utilized 10 the fullest TO assure
1.-THE tremendous volume OF aircraft
production needed almost immedi-
ately."
Small Plants Essential
Just returned from conferences
with government procurement agen-
cies In New York, Washington and
Dayton Johnston added that, there
Is no question as TO the need for
New tagland manufacturers 10 co.
operate with oil procurement agen.
cies. AS ] was told several times,
they will need the small plant as
we'll aS the million dollar corpora
ton. In New England we have
hundreds OF small firms accustomed
10 turning out very fine precision
workmanship. These firms, employ
Ing between 30 TO 90 workers, are In
the aggregate extremely important
TO the aircraft production program"
The Associated Industries OF Mass
achusetts, he said, has Just com.
pleted n survey which revealed that
1871 factories In the state are now
producing tools, parts, materials and
accessories for the airplane industry
and that $50 other Arms are cap
able and willing TO 90 into aviation
production work.
I'VE do not know the real dlmen-
sions OF the aviation armament pro.
gram, Agreat many contradictory
statements have been made. Certain
well-informed persons In the air.
craft industry consider that the
President himsel fspoke rather
loosely when he mentioned $4,000
airplanes. Our present actual de-
liyerics OF military aircraft are only
about 800 O month. TO increase this
to even $4,000 yearly would mean o
plant expansion OF $50 per cent. Ac-
cording TO q statement by Brigadier
Geenral Brett, chief OF material d.
vision OF teh dir corps, TO arrive at
production capacity OF $4,000 air.
planes yearly would require a solid
year OF factory and plant construc-
ton and an additional year 10 swing
into full operation.
1T must be remembered In this
connection that over O period OF 30
years, we have not produced o total
OF 10000 aircraft. or course, $4,000
very poor aircraft were manufact-
ured during the World War and 49,
900 quite good ones during the past
10 years.
"As q matter Of fact, the Army
Air Corps ~ now primarily interest
ed In the immediate procurement
OF 2,400 planes. OF these 200 are
Boeing four. motored bombers, to
cost 100000 each, or o total OF $780,
100000. There are 800 primary
training planes at about $4,000 each
10 q total OF about $6,b00,00o; o like
number OF basic trainers TO total OF
$i6, 600 900, and 600 advanced train
ers 10 q like total. This means an
immediate expenditure for aircraft
OF Sii8,b00,000. Additional to aircraft
production will be the manufacture
OF 5000 engines averaging $4,000
each.
Barring unprecedented and per-
haps impossible expansion, these Or
ders would have TO be delivered be-
fore the country's facilities could be
utilized for further orders--or else
vast order of parts must be sub