Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-08-11
Defense Rise
By Per Cent
Deceptive
Governments Publicity
Called Misleading
By PAUL MiLLON

an nll>lPdullE II hlilN p'i
pctrated upon an unSuSpectlnG
public through government pub
licity. the announcement of IN
crcaSes in defense production
by percentages IS most common
and most deceptive.
They never tell YOU how many
tanks or guns or what was pro-
duced.
That is a military secret "A
convenient secret from the Of
fetal publicity viewpoint.
But they announce. as did
OPN the other day. that pro-
duciion of light tanks is
tonncrsl increased the Stupen-
douS amount Of l.260 pee cent
the second quarter of this year
over the first.
This sounds rcaS>urinC. / is
not II one tank was produced
The FIRST quarter and l3 the sec
ond, the percentage increase
would be 1900 per cent, but the
number of tanks produced would
be a mcasly IA Actually we are
producing about $50 light tanks
a month.
THE advertised increase for
L medium uhc good 27-ton-
ner) was 237 per cent If We
were turning out three a day
the first quarter and eight a
day now we would have about
237 percentage points. but not
that many tanks. considering
what has been given to Britain.
When YOU recall the Germans
claim 1900 Red tanks mot per-
ccntagc points, were destroyed
in 40 days fighting and the
Reds avow 5000 German tanks
- lllncd- IN The same hrleE period.
YOU viii get the idea we arc
considerably behind in both per-
Centage points and tanks.
You also may deducc this
United States Army is not going
anywhere very soon to fight
with percentage points.
ENRST Lord Of the Admiralty
L Alexander has said British
losses IN the battle of the At
lantic were the lowest in July
of any month in the war.
He could nave gone further
and disclosed they have been
running only 5000 to 1000 tons
hardly more than fishing
smack a day and most of this
IN the South Atlantic.
The all-war daily average or
British losses is 10000 tons per
day and for a time the Germans
Wcrc sinking as much as 10000
10 10000 tons day over a
period OF weeks.
The battle of the Atlantic
once regarded as the most cru
clal British front has thus been
clearly won. AZ least until such
time as the NaIiS clean I'D in
Russia and are able 10 release
{ cir bombers for a new at
tempt.
This may explain tho complete
cessation of agitation for CON
voylng by Navy Secretary Knox
and others.
TIlE news dispatches SAID Mr..
Roosevelt won his fich I
against the S32OO0O.0O0 congress
Slonal road building grab and
that Is the way II will 60 down
IN history but it was not that
way W zen the results of the
House vote were first tabulatcd.
The question was whether Inc
House should pass inc bill over
fl)R's veto rs the Senate did
10y n 3 10 i margin Al the end
OF tho House roll call the bill
WAS passed
Tho President he'd lost Eut
cannv Speaker Ravhur, dolaYod
the announcement of tho totals
while leader Mccormack and
the whip. Pat Boland Scmliod
through the Democratic side
pCrSuadinc votes 10 change
What ihcv used as nor,,Iaders
Viii never ho disclosed but A.
must have bccn tcmprnr
Sometimes postmaster an
p0Intnopt. rtdro.7ir,. ,,.l ,.,.,...
patronage matters AFRO settled m
The spur of such mon,cnttD
I'm - rev- arori,inc r,ir,,,ce