Evening star., 1941-12-07
Defense Results
Create Growing
Confidence
Confusion Is Fading,
Observers Discover
At n. A. M. Meeting
BY FRANK MacMILLEN and
CHARLES f, HARNER.


NEW YORK. Dec. 6 wide
World "A new phase of the defense
effort appears to have arrived,
marked by kind of quiet underlv-
ing confidence in the ability of Gov
ernment, industry and labor to get
the job done, and done right
This sort of important psychologi-
cal turning point is hard to measure,
but we have spent week where we
have heard. seen, talked ton and
off the record-Some scores of the
key figures in American Government
and industry who are making and
executing the plans Of our Govern
ment to assure the ultimate de1eat
of the totalitarian powers.
Since Wednesday We have watched
the Congress of American Industry,
which is the annual meeting of the
National Association Of Manufacture
ers. Several thousand Of the top eX-
ecutiveS of Americas s corporations,
large and small. many with shops
and factories back home crammed
with defense orders, have talked
among themselves, listened 10
speeches by most of Washlngtons
defense agency heads, and by their
own leaders.
Earlier in the week We spent two
davs talking with delegates 10 the
convention of the National Industrial
Council, composed Of regional. stare
and local manufacturing ASSOCIATION
officials Their meetings were prl-
yate. but most Of the men were WILL
ing To tell us what went on in their
committee rooms.
Feel Changed Tone.
And. having done this same Joo
lust a year ago, We were struck WITH
the changed tone. perhaps we should
call it the changed feel" OF these
men.
A wear ago they seemed to be con-
fused. doing their best TO unoer-
stand what was required OF them
and to do it but mentally milling
around in sort Of Government
and managerial fog.
Now We think that fog is blowing
aside.
These men. both of Government
and industry, are by no means nap
nv about all that has gone on IN
! the last year, nor about all plans
and trends they see ahead IN coming
months.
Problems of strikes. taxes, OF
/ scarce materials, of the little manu-
facturer who as yet has no defense
work, or cannot handle it if he gets
it. the mechanics of priorlueS, allo-
cations. subcontracting, even OF the
ultimate fate of private enterprise,
all drew cries of woe from the manu-
facturers, and sometime from the
Government men.
But in virtually every field on
which speeches and informal dis
cussions centered, there were men
who were able to point TO substan-
tial progress in licking these and
other problems TO get the production
essential to eventual victory for the
democracies.
Like Bottle of Olives.
A leading defense official from
Washington dropped into the press
room at the convention hotel, agreed
to talk to newsmen for their own
information.
You look more cheerful now than
you did a year ago, Mr., So-and-so," )"
a reporter said.
Sure" he agreed, we've got q
year of this thing behind us now.
In all these production problems
it's the first stage that's difficult.
Its like a bottle of olives. The first
one is hard to get out but after that
it's easy.
Conversations with manufacturer
after manufacturer showed that, in
their own plants, this observation
held good.
Some of them privately, and some
publicly, told of the difficulties they
had experienced in the initial stages
of changing their production en-
phaSis from civilian to war goods
and many indicated that. especially
as regards labor and some kinds of
materials, they were still having
their troubles.
But, even in the labor field, where
William S. Knudsen, co-director of
the Office of Production Manage
ment, joined with several represent
atives of industry in calling for legal
remedies for defense strikes, Gov
eminent men and businessmen did
not appear as far apart funda-
mentally as on the surface.
William H. Davis. chairman of
the National Defense Mediation
Board. suggested that the strike
problem was something which labor
and management must work out be-
tween themselves, perhaps with the
final recourse of a central Govern
ment agency which they both agreed
to obey.
PAYS Tribute to Labor.
And William P Witherow, incorn-
ing president of the Manufacturers
Association. took occasion to pay
tribute to the patriotism of Amer
lean working men in report of the
lSee DEFENSE, Page C-1l)