Evening star., 1941-02-21
Aluminium Pan Sales
Affected but Little
By Defense Needs
Supplies and RetoiI
Prices Are Generally
Unchanged os Yet

It's still pretty much business as
usual" IN the aluminium pots and
pans" trade, despite warnings the
valuable metal must be diverted to
defense needs.
Washington housewives continued
to buy aluminium kitchenware at
the customary price and in much
the customary quantities; some
even found seasonal cutrate sales
in progress.
Stores and distributors had fairly
large stocks on hand, and it was
said that manufacturers, with raw
materials but slightly depleted,
were making most deliveries on
schedule. This picture, however,
may be changed soon.
In view of recent warnings by
Mrs. Roosevelt and William C. Bull
lit that patriotic housewives may
have TO sacrifice aluminium kitchen
ware tC national defense, a Spokes-
man for the trade urged purchasers
not to hoard" the utensils and
not to buy beyond present needs.
Only One Brief Run.
Inquiry at Washington depart
ment stores which sell large amounts
of kitcnenware developed that only
one brief run was made on alum
inum goods. This followed Mrs.
Roosevelt's discussion of the sub
ject. Housewives apparently were
Fastening to lay in stocks they had
neglected. The store said 1t had
been warned an aluminium short
age might develop, and one manu-
facturer had Cancelled orders for
slow-selDng articles. The same
store experienced delay in delivery
of floor lamps with bases OF zinc,
another strategic metal.
The spokesman for aluminium
ware distributors said that priorities
officials in the Office of Production
Management have a clearer view
of the whole picture than We in the
trade" He pointed out, however,
that the aluminium utenSil trade
absorbs a very small per cent of the
total output of the metal
E. r. Stettinius, jr., director of
priorities for the Office of Produc-
ton Management, recently urged all
manufacturers to give immediate
attention" to the development of
plastics as a substitute for articles
made of aluminium. magnesium and
zinc, which are vitality needed for
defense purposes.
Priority for MagneSium,
Later a committee of 10 from the
aluminium industry was appointed to
work for price stabilization. 1t was
agreed that many fabricators of
aluminium products were withhold
ing scrap from the market, building
up inventories and buying the metal
for future requirements. Most deal
ers. however, were playing BALI
with the defense program, it was
said.
A week ago defense orders for
magnesium, a kindred metal to
aluminium, were given complete
preferential status" over monde
fense orders for 90-day period.
Regarding substitutes, Mr.. Stet-
tinius pointed out that the Plastics
Defense Committee of the plastics
industry will meet at the Mayf1ower
Hotel today to discuss with Army
and Navy and Federal representa-
tives suggestions for increasing the
use of plastics for both defense and
non-defense purposes.
The Bureau of Standards main
tains a plastics, section, Mr.. Stet-
tinius said, which is able to advise
manufacturers interested in the pos
sibility of developing new uses, in
cluding aircraft production.
The impact of the rapidly de-
veloping defense program on our
economic system" Mr.. Stettlnlus
said. now makes it imperative that
certain vitally essential metals be
conserved as much as possible for
primary defense purposes, especially
aluminium, magnesium and zinc"
Plastic substitutes already are be-
ing considered by makers OF re-
frigerators, washing machines, vac
uum cleaners and even automobiles.
Both Mrs. Roosevelt and Mr..
Bullitt suggested that the purchase
of new automobiles, or at least new
models, might have to be curtailed
to make way for defense needs.
Asked to comment on the sugges-
tions, a representative of the Auto
mobile Manufacturers Association
here replied:
AT believe the statements speak
for thenoselyes."