SiebenbuÌˆrgisch-Amerikanisches Volksblatt. [volume] (Cleveland, Ohio) 1917-1971, 1941-08-28


than Sl,OOO,OOO,OOO be appropiat-
ed as a starter.
So, the rearmament drive is a
little more than one year old. 1t
was a drive which began in an
atmosphere of intense enthusi-
asm, tremendous confidence. 1t
was a drive which shortly after
begged down to the point where
many almost succumbed to help
less despair.It was an drive which
then picked up, as industry
managed to gear itself to war
production after decades of
peace. What are it's fruits today?
Judged by World War stand
ards, we are doing we'll. We
have spent or committed our
selves to spend $5O,OOO,OOO,OOO-
our entire expense in the previ-
Gus war was S22,OOOOOO,OOO. We
are producing far more planes.
tanks and field pieces than we
produced then. Our training pro-
gram for men has gone ahead
much faster. But - and this is
important but indeed-the world
has learned that World War II
is different matter than World
War |. Hitler has changed the
rules and the standards.
Jugded by what the best ex.
perts think we should be doing,
we are moving far too slowly.
too ineficiently, too wastefully.
Prime need is for aircraft, which
is given priority by government
over all other arms. Yet the fact
is that every official estimate of
what we would produce has had
to be revised downward. Only
recently was it recognized that
we had not planned for nearly
enough bombers, and an attempt
is being made now to remedy
that lack. At the same time, it
is also true that plane production
has doubled since November.
We are woefully short on ord
nance, and it is taking much time
to effect progress. The army has
been criticized in this respect for
lacking punch, for being bound
with red tape, etc. In reply, the
army answers that during the
2O's and sos it was given an
average on only $l2OOO.OOO a
year to spend for ordnance. What
ever the cause is, wherever the
fault may lie, we won't have
enough guns and ammunition to
really equip our fast-expanding
army for at least year, and per-
haps longer.
In personnel, the army's record
looks good. There were y com.
plete divisions in May, y,l94l, there
were five in May, 1910. Some pro-
gress has been made toward de-
veloping mechanical and armor-
ed divisions, none of which exist
ed a year ago. But again equip
ment shortages are making it
necessary to revise the previous
estimates downward.
The navy is probably in better
shape than ever in it's history,
one reason being that it was
given much money during peace
time when the army was given
barely enough for subsistence.
But it will be 1915 or 1916 before
we have a powerful two-ocean
feet with men and officers train
ed to handle it. No one has yet
been able to find way to mater
tally shorten the time it takes to
build fighting craft.
Summing up, we are going
ahead, but we are not going
ahead as fast as the experts think
is both necessary and possible.
There is criticism of the Presi-
dent for being indecisive, and for
refusing to fire incompetent as
sistants. There is criticism of in
dustry for not adapting itself
readily to war basis. There is
criticism of labor for striking in
the face of the national emer-
gency. There is criticism of the
public at large for not realizing