Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-06-19
Government
To Blame for
Shortages
Strikes, Defense Waste
Due to BIunderine
BY HUGH :. JOHNSON

IT is pretty early to be hunt
l. ing alibis and ScapegoatS. for
the losing" of war in which
rve are not engaged, in which
Ne have no business and in
which most of our people do
not wish 10 be engaged
But Oil Duce Ickes is already
doing il.
"When the story OF this war
comes to be written. IL II has
10 be written that il was lost"
he says, at may be because of
the recalcitrance OF the Alumni
mum Company OF America"
He even supported a sugges-
ton that the government take
over that industry.
The ire of Ickes seems 10 he
his assertion that the Aluminium
Company had overstated its pro-
ductive capacity and that when
the great defense orders came
created threatening
shortage in aluminium.
The truth as everybody who
has watched the development
Of the defense program knows.
is that this government, up To
as late as six months ago. had
underStated its requirements for
aluminium by as much as 80 per
cent.
THIS column holds no brief
L Nor the Mellon-controlled
AluUinum Company. but in
stating facts, little bit of barn
yard truth Of the sort for which
he is called Honest Harold"
wouldn't do Mr.. IckeS much
harm in his new responsibility.
If, When the story of this
war is written" there is going
10 be a chapter on its loss
through shortage items such
As tin, rubber and aluminium.
there will be only one real Gull
prit-- guilty of lack of prudence
and foreSight-and that will be
the administration OF which Mr.
lckeS is so vocal part.
over and over again by many
voices, including this column and
long before these questions be-
came acute, the necessity for
laying in vast reserve stocks and
for conservation and Substitu-
tlon was urged 10 no avail
Now the only official intelli-
Gence. imagination and invention
that seems 10 be available Is 10
cut down on supply of civilian
necessities 49, tin. rubber. wool,
automobiles. petroleum and even
milk and cheese GasleSs Sun
days and heatleSs homes
OUR people arc willing 10
" make any necessary sacri-
flee. but the outstanding lesson
Of industrial mobilization Of the
World War seems 10 nave been
forgotten.
II is that civilian morale is a
important as military morale.
Nobody i'm the swollen and rap
idly expanding Washington bu-
rcaucracy seems TO be charged
with watching that angle.
In the meantime, civilian sup
plies and facilities are dwlndllng
prices are soaring.
Consider ttrfS example mr.
lid is goipg down on automobile
and tin consumption We are
told that the Robin Moor care
ried no contraband.
This is what the mate of the
Robin Moor said about his cargo
10 the German submarine COM
mander.
II told the commander we
had for South African ports
nothing but such mer-
chandise as pleasure cars (auto-
mObiles) Automobile parts
we cannot carry In the hold
The only motors were automo-
bile pleasure car motors.
What il the rest OF your
cargo he asked Nothing
but tin plate"
NOTHING hut TIN plate. So,
~ for war purposes. America IS
going on zero rations for tin,
30 per cent ratIonS for automo-
bileS. and for the Atlantic coast,
on reduced rations for petro-
loum. of which we have a
vast surplus and our outbound
freighterS are carrying TO South
Africa, automobiles. automobile
parts and notwithstanding
but Tin plate"
For our ineXcusable lack of
earlier preparation, for our
laundering. wastef"l and made
quate preparation now. for on
couraging influences which have
created Communist-insplred
strikes and labor stoppages, in
duStry is not TO blame Govern
ment is 10 blame.
We could all forget that. hut,
now when we should have good
will, unity and intelligent guild
anCe, all that government has 10
suggest is that industry should
be blamed, taken over and
kicked around.
Distributed nv King Features synd, In
Reproduction IN whole or IN part
strictly prohibited.
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