Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-09-13
No BottIeneck at This End


close to the government Washington Of national de-
Tense production.
Congressional and other sefappointed critics have
charged there botteneck slowing up the needed flow
of materials. They imply that it exists at the manu-
featuring end of the defense program
Now you can't appreciate national defense prepare
tons until you them This week the Ford Motor Com
pany and General Motors showed them to America by
proxy through several hundred newspaper editors and
publishers from every section of the country.
THESE two companies and earlier, the Chryser Cor
poraton and Briggs and Hudson and the Packard
Company kept trumps up their sleeves They resorted
to no alibs
They explained verbally and by visual demonstration
that they labong just hard and aerty and enhu
sastcally produce the machines of they
did to produce the machines of peace.
They said in effect:
Here is what we're doing for defense. This is
why can't do it overnight. What is your verdict"
THE unanimous verdict that bottleneck obtains
in the automotive industry.
The only reasonable conclusion therefore, is that the
botteneck if any must be place else-say perhaps
Washington. The motor manufacturers did suggest
this directly by inference They merely spoke facts
and figures and showed the results of their
efforts to date.
But you'd need only ordinary power of perception to
realizefrst that the industry doing every
thing in its power speed production andsecond that
the only other possible place for serious boeneck is
in the national government which issues defense orders
You learned for instance, that it takes about two
years to retoo factory merely to prepare for new
model automobile. That means in normal times the in
dusry would be preparing right now for the 1914 model
This preparation, remember is necessary for
established product which the industry has been making
for decades with relatively few changes from year to year
You learned how changing from their standard
output the automobile makers arc starting virtually
from scratch
[ low, because peace-mnded people normal
production of arms and munitions comes from small
highly specialized plants and practically custom built
by veteran skilled workers and how transferring this
output to the mammoth production lines of Detroit fac
tories is not great deal less complicated than would be
transferring the manufacture of Swiss watches to the
same production lines
How because of priorites in essential materials
the motor makers had substitutes and synthetic
materials good the originals TO put into their
mobiles suffer grave injury to the whole automotve
business
And you learned proudly that the automobile manu-
facturers meeting these and similar staggering prob
lens only without whining but actually their stride
They are building automobiles high in quality
always. And they moving swiftly certainly, toward
production Of equipment which will be the most
formidable ever built by any nation.
You felt finally it might be good idea for congress
sonal and kindred snipers look around before they
start sharpshootng They should at least know what
they're talking about before climbing the house tops
yell "Botteneck."
AS matter of fact, Congress would do well to
slider must assignment sending picked bipartisan
committee from both Houses to Detroit to and hear
what the editors and publishers and heard this week
1t would further their education in the complexities of
tional defense production.
The manufacturers unquestonaby would be glad to
show them the works.
n m.