Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-09-02
OPM Still
Dissatisfied
MaIIon Says
AIMS Production Seen
Behind All Needs
BY PAUL MALLON

WASHINGTON Sept Mr.
W Roosevelt exhibited some
dissatisfaction with the way de-
Tense production Is going, when
he shifted the directing heads of
OPM around. But there is
greater dissatisfaction over de-
Tense production inside OPM
than has yet reached Mr.. Roose-
Welt. more than his shift Will
cure. +
a loyal Roosevelt clan, know
ing the facts as we'll as any one,
is simply convinced the produc-
ton schedule itself does not
measure up TO the size of the
task of arming this army eff
cientl y, and supplying the
British.
New vigorous concepts are
needed. There must be more sub.
contracting, reorganization of
procurement i'm the war depart
ment, perhaps many other
changes This is not an isolated
viewpoint. but a broad inner
conviction Of great number Of
defense Sub-officialS.
The main fault seems 10 be
that our needs were fixed by
the war department, and the
rlar- department Interested
mainly in equipping the army
not in British aid. The two
goals have not been fitted to-
gether. A long term production
schedule has been projected into
the future, but on a warped
basis. which is either going 10
leave our army or the British
short OF what is required at
once.
IT WOULD not be surprising
Il If Mr.. Roosevelt does some
more readjusting of the defense
layout along these lines shortly.
Take tanks. Every time any
one says publicly anything about
the slowness with which our
army and the British are getting
American tanks, the war depart
ment comes up with some efe-
CANT figures. They always say
umpty-umph number Of tanks
have been turned out and
umpity-ump-umph will be turned
out next month.
But these are always light
tanks. They are not the new
heavy fighting models. They have
long been in production. The
French campaign showed the
light tank is not an efficient
fighting weapon with which 10
face the Nazis. The armor is
too thin.
The Balkan campaign abso-
lutely proved it, They are still
good for reconnaissance and
meeting tanks of their own
weight. but they cannot even
stand against a 81 millimeter
gun. Mass production of these
tanks is not going to get any
body anywhere against Nazi OPP
position.
The publicized production
figure on this type OF tank-the
only one we are getting in guam
titles sounds good, but does not
mean anything.
TIIE medium size tank is what
L is needed the 20 tonner.
which will eventually weigh
about 30 tons
British military officials have
said. as a result of the lessons
OF the Russian campaign. that
any invasion of the continent
will require $4,000 tanks -
mostly medium. some large.
Well, we produced about so OF
these mediums last month. the
first month Of mass production.
II will be the end of 1912 before
we produce 900 tanks a month.
How long will il take us TO pro-
duce. say, 10000 me diums
needed? Four years at least on
the present schedule.
First, and right now, the
British need heavy bombers.
Mr.. Roosevelt has tried to throw
all the pressure possible into
bomber production, but it will
be June. 1913. before we are
producing 500 heavy bombers
month under the existing OPM
schedule We will only average
30 10 40 a month for the re-
mainder of the year under ex-
listing OPM schedule. The NazIs
are now producing 200 month
according 10 figures current in
this government.
The British have the men
ready 10 fly these ships. Their
aviation school in Canada is the
talk Of all who have seen il.
They have doubled their flicr-
production schedule twice since
the training fields started.
But with 30 TO 40 bombers a
month mot all of which they
will geD they will only be able
10 annoy the Nazis. not TO pay
back the attacks on London.
EROM what little OF this
Il have been able TO gather
here. the officials who made this
program, are spending most of
their time trying 10 convince
Mr.. Roosevelt they were right
in all they have done. They
are trying 10 Justify themselves
and thcir actions rather than