Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-02-25
Knudsen
And HiIIman
But II Sc e ms Forme
Does the Deciding
BY PAUL MALLON

n
w last ii may be disclosed TO
a painting world exactly what
Mr.. Roosevelt meant when he
said the industrial Mr.. -Knudsen
and the laboring Mr.. Hillman
were two hearts that would
beat as one. He meant they
would do il even if they had to
skip a couple of beats, or even
four, five or 50-or else, re-
CARELESS.
Let me tell it: The office of
production management asked
Henry Ford TO build a new
plant for production of four
engine bomber parts. The ques-
ton arose where the new plant
was TO be located. Mr.. Knud-
sen personally picked out a site
at Ypsilanti. Mich, near De-
troit. He knows that area well.
Dissent came first from Ghes-
ter Davis. the farm leader now
a member of the federal reserve
board. who believes new plants
should be put into rural areas
certainly away from industrial
areas where labor shortages in
certain lines already are evil
dent.
But Mr.. Davis is only an adj
wiser in the dwindling defense
commission. He was not even
transferred to o. p. M. Some
one who was took up his argu-
ment-Mr. Sidney Hillman,
whose cardiac sympathies were
irretrievably aligned to Mr..
knudsen in the romantic con-
ception of the new setup offered
by the President. This was APP
parently to be their first skip.
A FTER much discussion. Mr..
"A Knudsen finally concluded
by saying the factory would go
to Ypsilanti anyway. The adj
verse beat, which was Mr..
Hillman's. serving also for Mr..
Davis, fell in tune at first, but
then bounced back with the
suggestion that instead the fac
tory be built at Toledo. Hill
mans contention was that the
entire population of YpSilanti
would not be sufficient to man
the Ford factory.
Mr.. Knudsen pondered, said
no again.
Mr.. Hillman thought it over,
finally coined a new and per-
haps historic response. He
gave his consent without his
approval"
The two hearts are beating
okey again.
THE whole defense regime
l. here bent back a couple of
notches upon receiving the adj
vice from another government
Observation-Disclosures not yet Of
ficially confirmed - h a t the
British would produce CONNER
cial airplanes for Brazil, with
our money. 1t sounds fantastic,
and convincing confirmation is
lacking, but il was good enough
to be discussed as true, in de-
Tense council of government Of
ficials, so it is good enough to
pass along to you.
The United States loaned
S100,000,000 to Brazil for the
overall purpose of promoting
American business. The Brazil
ians, however, want to buy some
things we cannot spare. They
came to officials of the defense
commission with a request to
be allowed TO purchase q
planes. commercial ships, not
fighters.
Defense officials did not
spend much time figuring that
one. Their major purpose is to
build planes for Britain to save
democracy. They ruled the
order could not be filled.
THAT sounded fair enough
L until they recently received
information from the other gov
eminent department. as ] have
said. claiming that Brazil had
gone to',the British thereafter
and had succeeded in placing the
same order. The. planes are to
be produced by the British at
Coventry in England. accord
ing to this information.
This would mean that Brazil
is using our money to buy planes
from Britain. and at a time
when we are breaking our necks
producing planes for Britain TO
save the world. al our own ex-
penSe.
1t makes more sense than you
might think, if. yoH consider
that Britain must sell some
thing TO South America in pay
ment for the food she is buying.
livery plane may he vital to her
success. but so is canned meat
and coffee. A few planes would
be worth a lot of coffee, even
with our money
Odd. and probably true. even
though very loud and outraged
denials may have to be made.
THE billmaking if legal for any
Il government department TO
tap your telephone on suspicion,
Justified or not. is being widely
ignored even by its sponsors.
A witness before the House
judiciary subcommittee COM
planned sharply because only one
congressman appeared TO hear