The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1941-08-25

m Q o. eS Will
mean, In various metals, much
needed for military, naval and avi-
atorial purposes!
For that matter, why can't vege-
tables be utilized as raw material
in the construction Of planes and
a good many kinds Of army and
navy supplies? Henry hasn't got
ten that far yet. though.
Besides Production Boss Knud-
sen, Agriculture Secretary Claude
r. Wickard and Vice President
Henry A. Wallace, as agriculture's
ex-secretary, got big kick out Of
the Detroit fiivver wizards new
vegetable concept. Hank FORD
himself has thought Of his schemt
from that angle. He predicts that
we won't have any slump follow
ing our emergency boom, because
farmers will be so prosperous, by
reason Of the enormously increased
automotive demand for their crops
(for farmers are the boys who
raise vegetables) that everybodyll
feel the effect Of the ruralites'
well-being. It'll radiate in all d.
rections, in Ford's opinion.
Henry, the papers report, al
ready has one Of his vegetable
jallopies on exhibition. Bill Knud-
sen, Secretary Wickard. Vice Pres
ident Wallace and probably many
others studied descriptions Of it
infinitely.
What's In It
1t isn't absolutely all non-metal-
lie. It's frame, motor and wheels
have metal In 'em, but otherwise
it consists of corn, cotton, wheat
and soybeans. These are skwushed
up into what's referred to as plas-
tic. That Is, it's gooey sort of
stuff that can be nodded. It's
pressed out fat, in panels, dried
and then mounted onto the frame
and around the steering wheel and
motor.
Henry, as previously remarked,
evolved the notion initially. Robert
Allen Boyer, his chief research
worker. cooked up the chemistry
Of it.
The plastic will stand harder
bumps than steel, Boyer alleges.
It's suggested that typewriters
might, largely, be made out of 1t.
They're mentioned as machines
that there may be a shortage Of, II
we continue to be so hungry for
metal as we are now, In connection
with our defensive and lease-lend-
ing activities.
I'd imagine that a vegetable
typewriter would bounce around
good deal when its keys are tapped
vigorously. Still, there's a way of
counteracting that difficulty.
Years ago, when I was starting
on news-gathering trip to China,
I wanted a machine I could con-
veniently carry with me, and pres
ent-day portables weren't then
available. However, I happened to
run across a little affair known as
a Blickinsderfer. l don't believe
it's any longer manufactured. 1t
could be proved. by all the laws of
mechanics, that 1t wouldn't work,
but it did, somehow. And 1t had
an aluminium frame. You could
pick 1t up on two fingers. So
took one. The trouble with 1t was
that 1t would jump foot high the
minute you hit the keyboard. But
L fastened 1t down to desk with
staples, and got away with it
OF course, aluminium Is the
scarcest thing in creation at pres
ent, but a vegetable frame might
be alright.
Metal spittoons are being elm
mated. So are metal wastebaskets.
So are metal garbage cans. Metal
tableware is becoming taboo.
How about vegetable subsu-
Itutes?
And Typewriter Ribbons
And, speaking Of typewriters,
Bill Knudsen's OPM Is tinkering
with a new species Of typewriter
ribbons, Of lower thread count than
hitherto, because the army and
navy need all the thread they can