Evening star., 1940-11-10
Lag in Production
Poses Question Of
Effect Of British Aid
Axis Great Industrial
Empire Forces English
To Seek Help
BY BLAIR BOLLES.

lem of keeping their fighters
equipped for fighting These are
the principal facts behind Presi-
dent Roosevelt's announcement of a
$3.50 division of new war goods
between the United States and
Britain, The price of the raids,
bomb-hits and fights is war ma
terial that must be replaced.
The British are seeking all the
goods possible in the United States
because they are pitted against not
only the most remarkable military
machine ever assembled in the
worlds history, but also the great
est industrial empire ever con-
trolled from one central European
point-Berlin. They say that in
time they can carry the military
offensive. But they look to the
United States to tip the industrial
balance their way against the Ger
mans and the Italians.
How far the $3.50 division will
go toward solving the British in
dustrial needs now is a question,
because this country, although it
has set a record in quick letting of
billions of dollars worth of con-
tracts, is only slowly getting under
way the serious business of pro-
ducing the goods contracted for.
Half loaf is better than none; but
small loaf has small half And
the President said the $3.50 rule
would be subject to exceptions.
Campaign Reflected Desire to Aid
1t was just year and a week ago
today that Congress adjourned It's
special session after amending the
Neutrality Act in a manner that
would make possible British war
buying here. The position taken by
both the Democrats and the Re-
publicans in the presidential cam
paign reflected a general American
desire to help England materially.
But the fact remains that despite
the Governments intentions, Eng
land has benefited little in COM
parison with its needs.
The British need cargo ships, but
they have found American ship
yards so clogged with work for the
American ship-building program
that they have been unable to place
construction contracts. They need
Uarplanes, and in October they
could obtain only 1876 planes in
this country. Between contracts
let and finished goods received is
almost as wide gap as lies between
the desire to help England and the
actual helping of England.
This situation suggests that the
administration shortly will take
some major public step toward
speeding the help-Britain aspect of
the American defense program. The
Government has vast powers which
remain untapped but which may be
called upon. The British in their
public statements have indicated
complete satisfaction with the way
the assistance program is going.
But the facts on deliveries con-
tradict them.
Question of Wisdom.
The administration, even In its
most intense pleas for preparedness,
has sought to give the impression
that a business ss-as-usual" arming
program would bring results. But
already behind the scenes the
wonder is growing whether bus
ness-as-usual' is the wise policy
in times of stress.
We've just begun to arm" Sec
retary of the Treasury Morgenthau
said two days after the election
In announcing the administration
would seek to raise the ceiling on
the ,000,000000 public debt.
From the British standpoint, the
principal question is whether this
arming is done quickly or slowly.
The belief that the axis war on
England and her empire is a threat
to the United States is incentive
enough to hasten the industrial for
ward march, but many persons con-
cerned with the arms program have
found that many American manu-
facturers do not embrace the
thought often iterated by President
Roosevelt, that America is in acute
danger from the aXis-at least not
on the Atlantic front.
Since the LuftWaffe started, Brit
aims output of munitions has con-
tinued to rise by 25 per cent, ac-
cording to latest figures here. One
reason for this fact is that the
German airmen during the first
six weeks of the air war against
Britain concentrated their attacks
on London. Recently they have
been scattering their bombs farther
afield.
Far Behind Axis Capacity.
This high industrial output
nevertheless, leaves England far be-
hind the capacity of the plants un-
der German and italian control.
The British estimate of the ratio
of land armament at the moment is
four or five for the axis to one for
Britain. This situation leaves Ger
many free to concentrate her fac
tories on the production of aircraft
because she has a huge reserve of
guns and ammunition.
Even if Germany wished to in
crease her guns and tanks, she has
not only her own armament works
the tremendous factories of Krupp
but also the great plants of Skoda
in Czecho- -Slovakia, Creusot in
France and many others. The
axis military successes have given
Hitler and Mussolini the spoils of
vast and rich industrial areas per-
feet for manufacturing the tools Of
war.
England had only one arms works
before the war-Vickers. Her in
dustrial attention has been concen-
trated not, as here, on the construc-
ton of additional plants for arms,
but on the conversion of existing
factories set up to make the inno-
cent goods of peace into the eco
romic capitals of battle. A factory
for bakery equipment, for instance,
is making today an important part
of a necessary field gun. The baker