Evening star., 1941-08-20
Byrd Asks Revampine
Of Defense Setupin
Charging Failure
Nothing Can Be Done
Until Program Hos One
Head, Senator Says

Declaring that not a single Army
camp has an adequate supply OF
military equipment, and calling for
complete reorganization Of the de-
fense production system, Senator
Byrd, Democrat, of Virginia late
Yesterday told the Senate that lin
that job for the past two years, we
have failed and miSerably failed,
and the sooner we as nation real
t5e it, the better we can remedy
our mistakes and go forward
Speaking at length, the Vlr-
einian enumerated the deficiencies
in the present program and blamed
this condition on lack of organiza-
tion and co-ordinated planning. AS
the first move in reform, he con-
tinued, there must be one head
of our defense program and THIS
head should have the power and
authority TO give orders and en-
force decisions. This is the first
step and, in by judgment. nothing
of a constructive character can be
done until this head is appointed,
our defense program unified, ano
the total lack of coordination
which now exists corrected"
He further demanded suspension
of the 40-hour work week, and SAID
social gains" and Everything else
must yield TO the rearmament effort.
Pictures Production Lags.
'In my Judgment" Senator BYRD
emphasized" it would be an act of
utter folly to become voluntary
shooting participant in the Euro
pean conflict in our present state of
unpreparedness."
The Virginian gave this picture
NJ production in various categories
Of armament:
TankS-"after two years. our tank
production up to date is practically
negligible
Anti-aircraft guns-"today, all OF
the anti-aircraft guns of modern
design We have could not protect
effectively single city in the
United States. In this vital weapon
our two-year production has been
negligible"
The Navy-"We need desperately
a two-ocean Navy of at least TOO
major vessels = this we will not
have until 1916, five years hence,
unless extraordinary means are
adopted to speed production"
Merchant ships" production in
le41 is hardly more than the gross
sinkings by the Germans in one of
the heaviest casualty months.
This number 105D is woefully short
of the need, and immediate steps
must be taken 10 speed this produc-
ton up
Planes-E'The state of production
OF combat planes is one of the
most discouraging chapters in our
national defense program.
Plane Output Falls.
'In June, this year. the production
OF military planes declined below the
production established in May. In
the month of July still more seri-
Gus reduction occurred. when the
total production of military planes
fell 200 below the schedule.
In the month of July the total pro-
duction of all military planes. fight
ers and trainers, both for ourselves
and England, was ,460.
I'm long-range bombers so des-
perstely needed, production now
does not exceed so per month. Only
s5 dive bombers were produced in
May.
For the year ending September
!, 1941, the total production of COM
bat planes for ourselves and for
England will be less than 500 per
month, as compared to production
in Germany, estimated by COM
petent authorities to be from two
to three thousand per month"
Other equipment-"The first 105-
nm howitzer was produced on May
7. last, and only about 100 will be
produced this calendar year. Thirty
seven-mm. anti-tank guns will be
produced only at the rate of Is a
month. Only IS of the 80-mm.
mortars will be produced in the i'm
mediate months ahead. Not a single
l55-mm. gun will be produced in
194l.
MAY Be Disastrous"
TN this day, with the possibility
of grave peril ahead, the conse-
quences of failure to meet this re-
sponsibility and this challenge to
our democracy more expeditiously
may be disastrous" the speaker de-
clared. Undoubtedly, it will pro-
long the European war. If fighting
planes could have been sent to Eng
land in recent months in thousands
instead of hundreds the situation
today would be vastly different. So
far not a single anti-aircraft gun
or tank has gone to England, and
very few merchant ships. In the
first 80 days after the passage of the
s7000,000,000 lend-lease bill only
s75,000000 worth of materials was
sent to England"
Widespread strikes have consti-