The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1941-06-26

There is an ODD KIND OF censorship
going on which, probably because
of the flow of big news, rarely is
metioned. -
Manufacturers who hold de-
tense contracts, it seems, have to
submit to the Office of Production
Management, army or navy, all
advertising which mentions in any
way that they may not be able to
deliver this or that because their
national defense commitments or
priorities have taken this or that
off the market.
For obvious reasons, can't
name names-but this came di-
rectly from manufacturer about
two months ago, he wanted to ex-
plain in a national advertising
campaign that for a few months
it might be hard to get his parti-
cular patented article but that if
customers would just bear with
him for short time he would be
back in the production groove.
For two months OPM and the
army mulled over this ad-or-
dered dozen changes until it
hardly said anything and final
ly agreed to okay it subject to last
minute revisions. The harassed
manufacturer tried to explain
that national advertising camp
aigns were planned weeks or
months in advance-that maya
zines had to lock their ad forms a
long time ahead-that national
advertising to newspapers can not
be sold and planned on 24-hour
notice. OPM, which had the last
word, was adamant.
"But tell you it can't be hand
led that way" said the manufac-
turer. eff you won't agree to my
proposition, suggest another"
What he got was suggestion
that he just drop the whole thing
altogether and carry on with his
usual advertising.
If you hear about New Jersey
producer jumping into one of his
own acid watts, he said to me, don't
be surprised.
a Reversal Of Form
Acids bring up another choice
priorities yarn that is floating
around the capital.
In the early (before OPM) big
chemical company that turns out
q product which is 95 per cent a
chemical that is important to one
vital defense product sent rep
resentative to Washington to of
fer TO curtail the manufacture of
this nationally advertised item
until it was determined how
much Of It wouio be necessary for
defense.
The representative was given a
run-around and sent home with
the assurance that the govern
ment could do without him and
his company very nicely, thank
you.
That was about a year ago. To-
day, the same company, with a
government contract and under
government orders, is buying back
its products from wholesalers and
retailers--in many cases at a pre-
mium--and going through the ex-
pensive process of taking out OF
Il the 5 per cent extraneous che
micals, trying to avoid a national
SHORTAGE of that vital IS per cent.
Causing The Thunder
Couple big number of such
stories with the testimony before
congressional committees that
some environments have cost us
hundreds of thousands Of dollars
more than original estimates
that a year ago there was ridicul-
GUS waste and shipments, even to
unfriendly nations, Of vital ma
terials tsteel and scrap iron are
exampIes)--and you will see why
a lot of thunder Is rumbling over
the heads of national defense
agencies today.
Something To Remember
One encouraging thing came to
me the other day from one of the
outstanding production chiefs OF
the World War. He said: Il know
that you are going to find grave
errors in judgment and many ex-
ampleS of serious waste--but II
you will just 60 back and search
out the idiocies and criminal graft
and extravagances of 1917 and
rs, I think you viii see that we
have progressed and that public