Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1941-10-24
u. s. to Double Tank Production
AS First Step in Defense Effort
Expansion, President Reveals
Number Unspecified;
o. P. M. Also to Bon
Plane Output Figures
Bv JOHN c. HENRY.

Drawing on military lessons
learned in actual fighting of the
last two years. the United States
Government will double its tank
production program in the near
future, President Roosevelt an
nounced to a press conference
today.
Authorization for this step, first
In developing and comprehensive
expansion of the defense effort. will
be asked of Congress very shortly,
the President said. The legislative
branch of the Government will be
given opportunity to decide whether
the necessary funds will be appro-
priated Immediately or will be
Jumped with other phases of the
new program in a gigantic supply
bill this winter.
Mr.. Roosevelt refused to give any
figures on cost, number of tanks or
types of combat machines to be
manufactured. Explaining that
this information which certain other
interested parties would be too glad
to receive. the President likewise
disclosed that the Office of Produc-
ton Management hencetorth will
discontinue all precise information
on military airplane production.
African Experience Used.
The decision to make an imme-
date start on broadening the tank
production program is based prln-
cipally on fighting experiences in
North Africa, Mr.. Roosevelt eX-
planned. He did not elaborate, how
ever. on the exact nature OF these
findings.
The Presidents announcement
today follows quickly disclosure by
the War Department yesterday that
the Army Air Force program like
wise is to be more than doubled.
Another phase of this fast-groWlng
armament effort was recent an
nouncement by o. P. M. Director
William S. Knudsen that medium
tank production was to be stepped
up from a scheduled 1000 to 1000
per month.
Although he did not specify
whether the margin of increase IN
production is to be devoted prlmar-
ilv to aid to the Allies or to our own
defense machinery, the President
began his announcement today by
remarking that completion Of con-
eressional consideration of the lend
lease appropriation bill made it
timely to disclose plans for develop
ment and extension of the entire
production plan.
Studies directed at drafting the
most comprehensive and forward
looking program possible have been
under way for two or three months,
he went on, and evidently are to be
continued throughout the fall.
Start on Tanks First.
Pending any status of completion
of this survey, the President said
that immediate start will be made
on certain items of greatest lmpor-
lance. First of these, he then said,
Is for the building of tanks.
At this point, Mr.. Roosevelt re-
called to his conference that some
10 months ago tank production
program had been drafted on the
basis of the best information avail
able to Army ordnance experts in
this country. The program was I'M
dertaken and is now in full swing,
he continued, with deliveries ap-
preaching their peak as scheduled.
Since then, however, the use and
effectiveness of tanks in certain
combat areas and conditions have
made more evident their great i'm
portance in modern warfare. 1t was
in response to question that he re-
vealed that most of this highly val
ued information had been derived
from the fighting in North Africa.
Remarking then that the War De-
partment will supply actual tank
and money figures. the President
would tell his conference only that
the whole program will be a vastly
greater one, description which he
later measured as being virtually
double. The initial request to Con-
greSs will contain provision not only
for many thousands of tanks, he said,
but for the ordnance essential to
arm and equip them. In other
words, he asserted, the program re-
ouested will be fully realistic in the
light of experiences recorded in to-
days warfare.
Needed Plants to Be Built.
Mr.. Roosevelt said the increased
output would be sought in existing
plants and that new factories would
be built as needed.
Exact extent of the present tank
building program has never been
made public, and Mr.. Roosevelt'S
remarks today indicate that hence
forth there will be an almost COM
plete secrecy as far as production
figures and types are concerned. not
only for tanks. but for all items Of
military material.
During questioning on the pro-
posed o. P. M. ban on airplane
production figures, the Chief Exec
utive said that announcement prob
ably will be made that output is
steadily increasing and that admis-
sion will be made whether delivery
is UP to or ahead of schedule. A
breakdown on this and all other
production aspects is the type of
information which is too much de-
sired by enemies, the President
added.
AS parallel to this policy of
secrecy, Mr.. Roosevelt recounted an
experience of the first World War. |
,,l,nt, i,,fn,rt, o tio,, IF tho nvtc,at Of