Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-05-07
BY HUGH S. JOHNSON

BY HUGH ). JOHNSON
THIS country has the best
system of bus and truck
transportation in the world. II
also has the best system of air
transport lines.
1t is now confronted with the
task of working a miracle in
metofizing overnight its land
forces and providing adequate
aerial transport for new vast
army.
The air transport commercial
lines have already been denied
further supplies of passenger
planes except a small fraction of
those already in production. The
automotive plants have already
been curtailed 20 per cent in
operation for civilian production
and we are told that this is just
a beginning.
With all her problems. Ger
many is still providing planes
for overseas commercial trans
port planes. There. are some
stories, hard to confirm, that
some of our transport planes
furnished TO the British are
being used on British CONNER
clal lines.
IT is. the easy way, In motor
L ling our army. to restrict
production for normal civilian
uses. If that is the necessary
way nobody will complain. but
some thought should be given
10 whether il is the necessary
way, or even the best way.
Transport planes of the pas
senger type strictly for the
movement of troops are used
only occasionally. The Same
thing is largely true of motor
trucks and busses for the mere
movement OF troops and supplies.
This does not refer to the ar
mored, motorized. mechanical
and armed motorized equipment
of all sorts for the panzer d.
visions. This is highly specialized
modern military equipment Of
Al priority and indispenSably
exclusive military control.
But what sense is there in du-
plicating a vast civilian equip
fnent for transport only TO i'm
mobilize them hub-to-hub or
wing-to-wing in vast idle parks
for transportation only? The
personnel to organize. operate
and maintain them, il not anna
teur and improved, is certainly
not comparable 10 the highly
trained men and remarkably ef-
flcient organizations of the COM
mercial lines.
In all this supposed general
staff planning and brain work.
what effort has been made 10
organize, experiment with and
prepare TO use as a force in re-
serve at least the vast aerial
and ground motorized transport
of the United States TO the end
that without duplication and
without unnecessary impairment
oil civilian services il can answer
any reasonably expected call for
the transport of armies and mu-
nitlons anywhere any time?
TFfE maintenance OF civilian
L morale is a principal object
of good general staff work in
modern war. There is a posi-
bllity here. too. OF immensely
speeding up of the motorization
If not the mechanization and ar
mament Of our new forces.
The recent highly sensible
step, proved by experience, of
organizing all war-affected in
dustries into war service COM
mittees' of bellwethers in each
industry to help to solve the
governments industrial prob
lens offers way at least 10
approach an informed and ex-
pert study of this highly prom
Using field.
1t probably won't be done
until il is too late to reap maxi
mum benefits. That is the trou-
BILE with panicky action buns
rushed at the last minute with
out sufficient study and regard
less of expense.
1t is so much easier TO crack
down with arbitrary restrictions
on the manufacture of CONNER
cial transport planes and inter
changeable civilian equipment
for motor transport than il is to
try to make the most intelligent
and least disruptive use of the
commercial facilities we have
possibly TO much better advan-
tage to all interests concerned.
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