The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1941-06-13
WOE Is ME" TO REPORT
WHAT 1 SEE
BY j. e. Jones

BY j. e. Jones
Washington, d. C.-June 9--The
difficulty about writing news letters
from Washington these days Is that
what may look like hot-stuff today
becomes outmoded tomorrow. For
example: When Hess dropped out OF
the skies in Scotland our own Ma
tional Capital buzzed with excite
ment and hundreds of what for"
debates continued for almost two
days. Then the little island of Crete,
which Is almost the same size of our
Porto Rico, monopolized the news
with horned devils, tanks, men and
guns coming down in parachutes
and gliders. 1t rocked American
nerves and neutrality. But there
came another day, and when the
Hood was blown up by the Germans
gloom settled down on our National
Capital. Came still another day when
The fog lifted as news came hot
from press and radio that the Bis
marck had gone to the bottom of the
sea. That actually was the happiest
day in the month";. up to dark on
May 81. The came the night of the
same day. At $3.50 e. s. time the
President of the United States de-
livered his Fireside Chat--and if
you were the Washington cores
pondent for the Journal what would
you write about that? The World
heard it over the radio, and the
Commentators began interpreting
The message about the time the Pres
ident finished. 1 can say it was an
'undeclared declaration of war,
which you have known for several
days. The situation in Washington
shows definitely that President
Roosevelt can do whatever he pleas
es and that Congress will not stop
him.
'Tis said that three or four bic
stories break every day in Washing
ton. That's something else--and I'll
see you later! Signing off, right
now!
Many Contribute To Defense
In the first stages of defense, to
get the program under way, it was
essential that large initial orders be
placed with organizations in posi-
zion to take complete responsibility
for them. The Government thus
could start jobs off quickly and gain
the advantage of centralized man
agement skilled in large scale pro-
duction in speeding the program to
full bloom. The concerns themselves
undertook the difficult tasks rep
resented by these big defense con-
tracts i'm full recognition of public
responsibility.
The second stage, which we have
already entered upon, permits of a
multitude of supplementary con-
tracts of great variety calling for
the facilities of thousands of small
er shops and plants throughout the
country. But even "a big defense con-
tract given for execution to a big
company such as General Motors
does not mean that the big organiza-
ton is hogging the work.
Whatever benefits of increased
employment there may be in de-
Tense job they are scattered far and
wide in the sub-contracting process.
For example, the Allison airplane
engine is not made in Indianapolis
alone. Its materials, parts and sup
plies are drawn from 65 different
communities extending from Iawo
to Connecticut. All kinds of things
from carbueretors to cotter pins are
made by men who never saw an
Allison engine. But each of these
men plays in his community just as
important a role i'm defense as the
men who man the machines in the
great Allison plant itself.
Similarly, The Cleveland Diesel
engines that drive the new navy
boats are not as people suppose SOL
ely the product of Ohio. From 1T
different communities spread over
26 states from California to Yer
mont come parts, materials and sup
plies for those marine engines in
volving the work of many men in
many places.
In like manner, an order for a
tank or truck or machine gun gets
reflected in jobs and materials and
services that reach into a thousand
communities.
Defense Subj Contracts
"A New City Comes to Virginia
and it will omnl0y forno IF A En0