The Wilmington morning star., 1941-02-23
American People Unready
For Wartime Economies
Opinion Prevails Nation
Can Still Have Both
Butter And Guns

drive has mol KepL paw
ns1 forecasts for several reasons,
hut the all embracing one Is Una
we are not at war and the Alile4l - =
can neople are not ready yer 70
suffer q war economy.
Rightly or wrongly, the OPINION
nrevails that we are still IN a
period where we can afford 70 en-
iov both butter and guns. Ihere
has been no effort TO curtal the
rights and privileges Of labor and
normal business practices have
been little disturbed. Prioritles
have been exercised, and TO speed
production Of essential materials
TO control prices and Intensity e1-
fort the government has relied
mainly upon consultation and CO.
operation.
The purchase Of the vast quantity
of implements and supplies re-
ouired by the defense program Is
being carried on with great care
to avoid the wastes that attended
the World war scramble to arm.
The objective is TO avoid needless
ly overwhelming demands upon
industry that might set-of an un.
wanted series Of price jumps ano
block the flow Of normal business
Distur Dances Avoided
With the guidance Of the Nation
al Advisory Defense commission S
coordinator of purchases, Donald
Nelson, the government has con-
tracted for gigantic quantity OF
material with amazingly little IN
reference with normal price and
trade trends. Perhaps this careful
procedure has tended to obtain
greater speed and efficiency; GER
talnly this is true in many lines.
It has not, however, produced the
immediate results that frenzied,
hang-the-cost attack might have
done.
Another point is the probability
that last springs predictions were
based more on hopes than genuine
potentialities. American industry
was not set UP to produce war
materials and much Of the rnachin-
cry Of durable goods production
had grown exceedingly rusty dur
ing decade Of restricted demand.
There was, and is, shortage
of competent engineers, technicians
and skilled workers in many lines.
While many older men are being
called back TO jobs for which there
have been a hundred applicants
for every opening in recent years,
an intensive program to train new
men has been launched by govern.
rnent, industry and labor unions
But this process takes time-anc
creates the paradox Of a labor
shortage that troubles us sirnul
taneously with an unemployment
problem.
Tool Production Doubled
Mass production means ma
chimes, too; machines for making
the things we actually need. Once
the machines are ready and the
operatives are there to contro
them, goods can flow out at E
miraculous speed. But it takes time
to build the first machines.
The machine tool industry 1.
working hard to meet the unique
problems which the defense pro
gram has posed. The 1910 outpu
was an all-time high, twice a.
great as the 1899 total. New equip
ment promises one-third increast
over the 1910 gross production dur
ing the coming year. And it i,
needed. Nearly 95 percent Of tn.
industry's huge backlog of untitled
orders is for our defense require
ments and the war needs Of Brit
ain and Canada.
Airplane Problem
Aircraft manufacture is anothe,
well publicized bottleneck, O
course. In comparison with Ger
man methods. the aircraft industr,
has never attained the mass pro
ductlon class. The industry ha
been able to make American com
ynercial planes the best in tn,
world and In the past two year
mas been making military plane
In great numbers. Models hav,
been highly diversified, however
and not particularly well adapte,
to aerial warfare as recent ex
perience has demonstrated it
needs. Only now is the industr,
generally getting on to a true mas
production basis. Floor space fo
aircraft manufacture has double,
In the past twelve months and tn
number OF employees in the indus
try has more than trebled.
These additional facilities fc
production are needed. Where III
backlog of untitled orders wa
$675, ,432,475 worth last year-end.
is over $780, 100000 today. Thi.
though 1910 production is place
at $625, 100000 in comparison wit
$225, 100000 in 1899.
Guns or Bridges
1t is unlikely in the extrem