Evening star., 1940-05-15
Ministry Created
To Quicken Output
Faces Big Problems
Getting Skilled Labor
Is a Question; Hope
Placed Heavily in U. S.
BY HELEN KIRKPATRICK.
Chicago Daily News Foreign Oorrespondef

BY HELEN KIRKPATRICK.
Chicaso Daily News Foreign Correspondent.
LONDON, May 15.-Whether
Adolf Hitler concentrates his entire
effort on winning a decisive military
victory on the western front before
striking at Great Britain, or whether
this country will feel the full force
Of German air strength within the
next week Is impossible to say, but
gigantic efforts are being made here
to speed up air production to q
maximum.
Staggering realization of the
power Of air superiority-though 1t
has come five years too late-has
resulted in the creation of a new
ministry concerned solely with air
production and headed by Lord
Beaverbrook
The former Canadian and owner
of the London Daily Express and
Evening Standard, who was Minis
ter of Propaganda during the last
war, will establish a new ministry
to deal only with aircraft produc-
ton. There is already a substan-
tial branch of the Air Ministry which
is devoted to production, and it is
probable that it will be taken over.
It is even possible that they will be
moved back to London from the
country, where they have been since
last September.
Two Big Problems.
One of the great obstacles to
production so far has been the
reluctance of many manufacturers
to expand their plants beyond the
present capacity. Ernest Bevin,
newly appointed Minister of Labor
and former head of the largest
trade union, announced on his ap-
pointment that he regarded the
complete government control of mu-
nitions and war industries as essen
tial There is unlikely to be any
reason why this should not happen,
and prominently placed labor peo-
pie in this government should guar
antee complete cooperation from
the trade unions.
While the country's automobile
industry can undoubtedly be taken
over and converted into aircraft
production, there are still fairly
grave problems. One is the ques-
ton of skilled labor, especially in
the machine tool industry. Leading
machine tool manufacturers state
that they are unable to complete
essential deliveries because new
firms, and sometimes government
firms, are offering higher wages to
their skilled workmen.
Diamonds and Germany.
The machine tool industry is Ger
tainly key industry without which
it will be impossible to increase pro-
duction One of the imports with
which those in charge of economic
warfare are most concerned is dia-
monds. Holland was the center Of
the worlds diamond industry.
While Britain is able to secure all
the diamonds needed for the ma
chine tool industry, there is not, at
the same time, any assurance that
this vital import can be cut off from
Germany. The contraband control
has exercised the strictest watch
over this product but it is one which
has been sent through the mails
from the United States frequently
Now that Holland is gone, it will be
more essential than ever to try to
stop American diamonds going to
Germany.
Although Britain controls the
largest diamond mines in South At
rica, and, therefore, the Germans
will not be able to import through
Holland, American diamond mer-
chants secure South American dia-
monds. lGermany's diamond sup
plies have been predominantly from
Holland but also from Russia. Amer
lean sales to Russia are increas-
ingly large and American firms are
Russia's main source Of supply.
Hope Placed In U. 8.
If the allied armies can succeed
In stemming the German advance
and forcing the Germans to dig in,
thus spinning the war out for some
months, these questions of dia-
monds, machine tools and aircraft
production will be the ones of the
greatest Importance. 1t would also
be important that allied air forces
could take the heaviest toll of the
German air force without also ex-
pending their entire strength. Nc
one any longer conceals the desper-
ate hope that is being placed in the
American ability to increase Amer
lean aircraft production immedi-
ately to a point where the allies
can obtain the quickest deliveries
of the largest number of planes.
downright. 1910, by Chicago Daily News