Evening star., 1941-11-02
Defense Will Change
American Habits
BIZ OUen L. Scott.

InlS country seems ABOUT 10 ulueIBO
the unique experience of enjoying deep
depression in the midst of an unprec-
edented boom. That Phenomenon will
grow from what now looks like a deci-
sion to become serious in an effort to
produce armament.
The past year was devoted to loud talk
about turning the United States into
an arsenal. Actually, the year was spent
turning out an avalanche Of peacetime
gadgets such as the world never dreamed
of seeing The production of guns was
in trickle so small as to be scarcely
recognized when measured against the
promises made.
Signs, however suddenly are appear
ing that suggest that this Government IS
in earnest III its announced intention to
set worlds records In the production OF
weapons.
One such sign was found In the order
denying priority for materials used In
construction of homes and factories and
public buildings not necessary to defense.
Another was found in the order shutting
of the use of copper by many non
defense industries after January !. A
third such sign may be discovered in
plans to requisition boards OF scarce
metals held by companies not doing
armament work. Still another is seen
in an effort to find ways to give arma-
ment orders to others than the Sc big
companies which now hold about IS per
cent of all the armament business.
II the Government really shows itself
to be serious this time after several
loudly proclaimed false starts. lean pick
ing is going to lie ahead for the Ameri-
can people.
In that case there will be next to no
automobiles produced for civilian use.
Production schedules now approved will
be revised drastically downward. The
few new cars that are made will be ra-
toned carefully. The same will be true
of rsfrigerators, washing machines,
radios, air-conditioning equipment,
houses and all Of those things that use
metal and have become virtual necessi-
ties for Americans.
At the same time industry will be
booming. There will be jobs for every
body able and willing to work. Strikes
will be a luxury. Instead Of an ava
lanche of automobiles and washing ma
chimes, industry will be turning out an
avalanche OF warships, airplanes. tanks.
guns and ammunition. Those are things
that the public cannot enjoy and cannot
add to its living standard.
This means that If President Roose-
welt now is serious about armament,
Hitler is going to have something to
worry about two years from now, or
even one year from now, and the Ameri-
can public is going to sacrifice many of
the gadgets for the ownership of which
it has been striving for so many years
To understand why the President
probably is serious and why the job
ahead is SO big, it is necessary to have
some facts.
One of those facts is that Germany
started to do in 1888 what the United
States is starting to do only today. In
all of the years since 1888 Germany has
been devoting her industry to the one
big job of producing arms. Right now
between 60 and 80 per cent Of the entire
energy of the German nation is directed
to the war effort. Furthermore, the
Germans have conquered vast stores OF
munitions in other nations and have
conquered industries that are working
for them.
Second of the facts to know is that
Japan, with vast American help. has
been preparing for war since 1881. More
than so per cent of her industry is de-
voted to war. She has puny plant,
but the scrap iron, machinery. copper
and other products that she has stored
in quantity come largely from the
United States, where shortages now are
acute. BY using American supplied ma
terials, Japan has Navy that tempo
rarilv is stronger than the American
fleet in the Pacific.
Third Of the facts to know is that
Great Britain is devoting more than
| one-half of all her industry to armament
production The trouble Is that British
| industry compared with American in
| dustry or even with German industry Is
very small. 1t has been devoted TO
armament production in earnest for only
| 18 months. The result is that British
forces, other than the air force at home
and the navy, are pitifully supplied as
compared with German forces.
The other big fact to understand Is
that the United States, after talking for
one year about becoming the arsenal OF
democracy, is devoting scarcely Is per
| cent of her industrial strength to arma-
ment production. The other IS per cent
is devoted to peacetime purposes.
Yet: Oficials who have studied such
things say that the United States will
need to devote so per cent Of her entire
energy for one full year to the produc-
ton of arms before the British-Ameri-
can effort can even catch up to Ger
many. To turn Is per cent effort into
a so per cent effort Is going to force
some drastic changes in the habits OF
American industry and in the habits OF
American individuals. If the industrial
machine that is grinding out armament
is going to be kept in repair, there won't
be many things left over to sell to the
public.
AS matters now stand, the choice con-
fronting the United States appears to
be this:
Either the country can 60 along as in
the past enjoying itself and hoping that
a victorious Germany will make few de-
mands that cannot be met out of a
spare time effort.
Or, it now is to be necessary to buckle
down in earnest to turn out war goods