Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-11-13
Bomber Procurement
May Be Left 10
Auto Industry
Program for Assemblies
At Plane Factories
Reported SheIved
Special Dispatch to The Star.

Reported SheIved
Special Dispatch to The Star.
DETROIT, Nov. 13.-Evidence ex-
lists that the projected bomber pro-
curement programs of the United
States and British governments
will be completely fabricated and
assembled in the Midwest instead
of the previously announced plan
whereby the auto industry would
make the parts for final assembly
at West and East Coast plane plants,
reports Rupert LIE Grand, Detroit
editor of American Machinist.
There are several reasons for this
declaration, according to Mr.. LIE
Grand. He cites: % Washington
sources report that the Government
has under consideration the erec-
ton of as many as IS plants, to be
privately managed, for production
of major subassemblies and for
final assembly purposes; (2) Detroit
executives close to the National De-
Tense Commission say that there is
talk of putting up two huge final
assembly plants somewhere conven-
lent to the automobile industry; 90
Mr.. Knudsen has stated that plane
plants should be frozen at present
or contracted dimensions to expe-
dite production of orders now in
their hands; "a the huge size of
the projected programs assigned to
the automotive industry NOW re-
ported anywhere from $4,000 to
80 900 ships involves too many en-
cheering, manufacturing, inspec-
ton and possibly insuperable ship
ping problems for proper co-ordi-
nation between auto plants and far
distant aviation assembly plants:
90 the method of placing contracts
with auto plants for bomber parts
will undoubtedly be upon a basis
foreign to the business methods OF
the aviation industry; 60 response
bility divided between two indus
tries, each accustomed to its own
production methods, can hardly be
looked upon as the best method of
getting results, and 90 the avia-
ton industry is naturally jealous OF
intruders in a field which it nur-
tured through many lean years,
while on the other hand the auto
mobile industry is not one to take
dictation when cutting corners on
mass production.
Change Anticipated.
For these reasons well-informed
local sources expect Mr.. Knudsen
to place sole responsibility for the
complete new bomber procurement
program upon the shoulders of
those operating the auto, body, parts
and related equipment industries.
This line of reasoning appears
correct, it is pointed out, to judge
from the rapidly expanding activi-
ties of the Auto Committee for Air
Defense This is the new short
ened name for the committee set
up in Detroit on october Is. One
of the committees first acts was to
lease the Graham-Paige admins
tration building and part of the
plant itself. This space will serve
several purposes: Cd To house a
large staff to be maintained by the
committee, ~ to provide accom-
modations for Air Corps officers
with Maj. James A. Doolittle ex-
pected to be liason officer between
and the National Defense Commits
sion; 80 representatives of the Ma
tional Defense Commission and the
British Government may eventually
be located there. "a complete
display of bomber parts is now be-
ing set up in the former factory
salesroom of the Graham-Paige Or
ganization and 90 complete bomb
ers with all of their subassemblies
and major parts will be arranged
in the plant space so that pfospec-
tive manufacturers of parts or sub
assemblies can study them in detail
and then obtain the proper per-
spective of their function in the
completed product.
Work Just Started.
The activities of the Auto Com
mittee for Air Defense are still in
the embryonic stage despite ground
work already laid. 1t will be a
month or more before a complete
staff can be assembled. Meanwhile
industry concerns are being en-
couraged to look over the parts on
exhibit with a view to fitting their
production into the existing scheme
or using idle facilities.
The actual size of the Govern
ment's bomber program is not Sc
important to the auto industry right
now as determining the means to
make the pieces Once the set
up is made it is confident that mass
production methods will take care
of the situation. So far it has been
given to understand that 10000
bombers are wanted exclusively for
the United States Army. Two
types have been selected-a Martin
two-engine. 12-ton Job. which actu-
ally has been designed for mass
production by subassemblies, and a
Douglas bomber.