Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-09-07
H0WAmeriCa
Every Year

| in a shooting war one of these days whether
~ he does not he is up to his in the most
expensive defense program undertaken the history
of the world The cost of this program into figures
that stagger the satstcans who used to Juggling
dollars by the millions and the billions
During this tremendous spending spree many sacr-
fees and economies will have TO be made by every
the countrys t300oo006 citizens Guns planes tanks
and battleships do not grow They cost lot
of money And money doesn't grow trees either.
Uncle Sam is looking for places TO reduce expenses
his eye naturally turns to the countrys alarming yearly
bill losses
The National Board of Fire Underwriters non.
profit organization maintained by 200 of the counts
biggest insurance companies recently celebrated its 18th
anniversary by offering the services of its technical
perts to the Government and by informing the public Of
the shocking unnecessary toll OF the Red Menace
In normal times" said spokesman for the under
fire terrific toll in industry and In
the home Every day the fire caused million
dollar loss in property throughout America And now,
when every factory In the nation is virtually needed in
defense program can Ill afford to suffer even
dollars loss Of property time in industry home"
bring the unpleasant picture of the country yearly
bill for fire down TO specific which the average
citizen understand the National Board Of Fire Under
writers pointed out that the yearly toll of onehird OF
billion dollars would go long way toward supplying
us with up-to-date twooceAn navy-which could
certainly at the moment.
Three hundred million dollars would just about build
five crack batueshps, couple Of batteshps and
whole flock OF cruisers This sum of money would 1t 10
said almost pay the expenditures of the entire Navy
Department a year under normal conditions Another
way showing how much wealth burns up in America
every year is 10 say that one-thrd Of billion dollars
The Tragedy of the situation is that most fires
caused by careessness easily prevented
citizens their heads about cigars cigarettes,
matches campfrcs bonfres and other little things that
grow into big confagrations
loss Of at least S35,o0o0Oo year be traced
to careless smokers Forest fires alone cost Uncle sam
SS3000 day and the timber destroyed in this country
in year would cover area large the whole
state of Utah At time when w need to conserve
the taxpayers Of this country spending
almost $4,000 day fires that start because hot
put wooden barrels instead Of metal
The unntelligent of gas the country
$4,000 every "a hours.
The experts at the National Board of Fire Under
plead with people they have year
after year to observe few simple rules Of hardhcaded
horse sense
These men are stin warning people to keep their
cellars and attcs clear of Junk which flare into
only from passing spark but from spontaneous
combustion They still trying TO convince Americans
that dangerous keep furnaces and chimneys
clean and not to install proper electric wiring
There still, this country. thousands of public
and private buildings which be cassed fire traps
of the way they constructed and because they
are not properly equipped with firefghting tools
During first World War the National Board
Fire Underwriters provided the Government with
Of fire prevention experts Some of them worked with
the Army with the Navy and others in the nations
big industrial plants.
when the present European war broke out in the
Fan of1939 this offer of expert help was renewed and
accepted countrys best fire prevention experts
work with the War Department and the Navy
Department and doing everything they keep
the Red Menace from hampering Uncle cams costly
defense program.
At the moment a battleship costs about s7oOOOoOo
destroyer costs in the neghborhood OF $0000O00 and
cruiser sets the Government back amount of money
somewhere between these ample 1t is easy to
that alert population could make tremendous
tribution striking power at by the simple
process of being careful about fire.
II only thousands of people who build campfires in
the would their heads-and exercise their
patriotism-they could present their Uncle with the
nucleus of navy in two or three years
The National Board of Fire Underwriters is doing
everything to tell the public through every available
outlet of information what to do and what not TO do
cut down the counrys shameful loss of life. valuable