The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1941-02-13

defensive preparations ana our
shipments of war supplies TO Brit
ain, Greece and China, we may
however, soon have to begin ra-
tioning ourselves on lot Of things
other than edibles.
1t was a prospect which was
strongly limited at a few days ago
in connection with the appeal OF
Director Edward r. Stettinius, Jr,
of the Priorities division of the
governments Office Of Production
Management to the machine-tool
industry TO ship nothing after
March ! except to customers with
official priority ratings. 1t was
only a request that Director Stet-
tinius made, but as the pinch tight
ems, unless the machine-tool indus
try proves amenable, compulsion is
likely to be added to 1t.
Here's the idea:
When a would-be machine-tool
user decides to order some machine
tools from a manufacturer of EN-
he's supposed to apply to Ed Stet-
tinius for a priority rating. II he
convinces Ed that he needs those
tools to turn out war stuff for us
or one Of the democrscies we're ia
vorable to, Ed grants him the de-
sired rating. He doesn't grant it,
though, to an applicant who re-
quires the tools only TO produce
merchandise for ordinary peace
time usage. And, unless a pros
pective buyer has a priority rating,
Ed wants machine-tool makers to
turn down his order.
Their Importance
Well machine-tools aren't direct
~ Of any consequence in the home;
that's true.
But the point is that machine
tools are necessary to manufacture
the secondary tools to manufacture
nearly everything that is needed
in the home except food. And even
that has to have utensils to cook
it in, and, in the last analysis, they,
too, bark back to machine-tools.
So, although the home won't
realize that maehine-tools are what
it's short Of. it presently will feel
shortages that the military mo-
nopoly Of machine-tools will be re-
sponsible for.
ThereIl be more direct short
ages also. Almost every kind of a
factory can. be adapted, perhaps
with a few alterations in its equip
ment, to the production Of military
supplies. Those whose capacities
are thus Communicated Of course
won't have much capacities left to
90 on making civilians goods.
AS civilians things get scarce
there's bound to be more and more
competition for 'em. Civilian will
bid against civilian, meaning sky
hooting prices.
That's what Leon Henderson, the
Production Management Ofnce's
economic specialist is afraid Of. He
proposes governmental price con-
troll. Yet telling a salesman that,
under penalty, he mustn't charge
as much as he can get, is pretty
drastic procedure. Besides, so re-
stricted, he can say that he won't
sell at all. Then nothing would be
left for the government to do but
to take his goods forcibly-and
what a holler that would raise!
Enlargement of manufacturing
plants suggests itself, and a good
deal Of It's being done, but it
takes time, and look at the situa-
TONS terrible urgency. as VIII
liam s. Knudsen Of the Production
Management Office expresses it.
It Takes Manpower
Not only is enlargement slow
work; 1t calls for men, taking them
off from immediate armament
making.
A quicker way is to concentrate
every existing plant upon military
production in disregard of civilian
demands; let the civilian worry
along on what he's got now. To
heck with the new things he'd like
to buy!
Economist Henderson sees an ad-
ditional objection to plant enlarge
ment except as conservatively as
possible.
BY the time we've enlarged ade-
austely for the present emergency