Evening star., 1940-12-27

worrying about in Berlin, especially
when the Nazis feel they can force
a decision in the war long before
1912 the earliest the British expect
substantial aid from this country.
The latest estimates of planes
supplied Great Britain by the United
States for the year 1910, taken from
the export figures, shows about
800. An extra $50 which is figured
in Canada's 500 may have gone to
England, but the total will not
exceed 1850 planes. Through No
vember only 1,146 planes had been
exported to the United Kingdom
according to the Department OF
Commerce. December deliveries are
expected to be somewhat better so
the total of 1,750 is about right.
Germany is believed to have a
productive capacity of $4,000 planes
year. President Roosevelt told
Congress in a formal address last
May that airplane building capacity
had been doubled and would soon
reach $4,000 a year. All through
the presidential campaign, the
figures were carefully guarded, but
now it is disclosed by William S.
Knudsen. production director for
the Defense Commission, that the
estimates are 80 per cent behind
schedule.
Standard Design Necessary.
Just what is causing this delay:
One reads in the press on a certain
day that the C. 1. o. has plan to
turn out 500 planes day. One reads
also about billions of dollars OF
contracts awarded. But the unhappy
truth is that big numbers of air.
planes cannot be attained unless
there is standardization. Any in
dustry engaged in mechanical pro-
duction can sooner or later turn
out planes in mass, but it takes
time to make the machine tools for
q design. and it evidently takes a
longer time than anybody dreamed
to get agreement in Washington on
a standard design.
It would seem that there might
be Standardization on single de-
d
there hasn't been. Nor has there
been any other Standardization
either. The industrial executives OF
America are being blamed for what
they cannot control-the Washing
ton decision as to designs actually
wanted.
There is a lot of loose talk going
around about "priorities" and the
need for abandonment of work by
the automobile industry on 1912
cars. The industry works a year
ahead of time on new automobile
designs. Yet If this were dropped
now, thousands of workers would be
thrown out of employment and not
single wheel could be turned
toward added production.
Industry Blames Government.
America can step up her produc-
ton of airplanes when agreement
has been reached on standard de-
sign. Then mass production can
be expected. Germany does not
have the latest type planes because
she believed it was first essential
to get more planes than Britain into
her hangers. America could well
concentrate on a standard design
and begin separate research and
engineering work on designs for
later years. This sort of planning
has not been done and it is diff
cult to locate the responsibility eK-
eept that industrialists all over the
country are saying they can get
production of anything if Washing
ton will only say what is wanted.
Seven months have gone by since
total war began. Not all this time
has been lost, but there has been
inexcusable procrastination. Much
of it must be placed on the doorstep
of the White House because the
President has had all the power and
has not delegated it or found the
right individuals to whom it should
be delegated.
Americans have been lulling them
selves to sleep believing the British
could hold out indefinitely, and the
British people doubtless have been
led to believe that America was
coming with thousands of airplanes
Berlin alone knows the truth and
can exult over it, because America
with all her boasting, has fallen
down on a mass production job. And
America has fallen down not be-
cause she doesn't have the machine
tools or the plants, but because no
body has cut red tape and ordered
mass production on single stand
ard design.
Perhaps Congress Will Act.
Is it the fault of the Army or the
Navy? Is it the fault of the Ma
tional Advisory Commission for De-