Evening star., 1941-03-02
Consumer Faces
Big Changes in
Defense Drive
Many FomiIior Items
To Be Affected by
Material Shortages
BY FRANK MacMILLEN,
Associated Press Business Writer.


things that make up the American
Way of Life" were predicted in bus
mess circles today as industriahsts
began calling in their technical ex-
perts and Idea Men" to revamp
consumer goods production along
the lines of Total Defense" econ
omy.
Urgent need of certain kinds of
ordinary raw materials, such as
aluminium, zinc, brass and even spe-
cial woods for defense purposes may
change the face of many familiar
manufactured products displayed in
salesfoomS and on store counters.
Mr. and Mrs. Average American,
for instance, may be in for a spell
of squeezing orange juice on glass
squeezers, instead of aluminium. The
traditional shiny tinfoil around Gig
arctic packages, chewing gum and
candy bars may give way to SUBJ
stitutes. Automobile radiator grills,
made chiefly of zinc, might disap-
pear entirely.
Industrialists warn. however,
against zeal in stocking on alumni
mum pots and pans and other items
likely to be produced in smaller
quantity as the defense program
takes an increasing supply Of stra-
tegic materials.
Enamel Revival FOreseen.
Many makers of aluminumware in
this country say they have enough
thin sheets on hand to continue
their usual lines for some months,
even though rigid priorities have
been set up, giving defense goods
industries first call on future de-
liveries of the metal Some manu-
facturers, who specialized in enam-
elled wares before aluminium be-
came popular, however, are getting
out their old dies and machines and
switching back to production i'm
mediately.
The biggest changes may be due
in the next few years in the auto
mobile field. The changes here,
however, must not be attributed
entirely to defense command of
large supplies of various types Of
metals ordinarily used in car manu-
facture. Some of the changes may
be due to recent development Of
plastics as substitutes for many
metal parts, which the trade says
probably would come anyway, de-
fense or no defense.
First and foremost, those shiny
radiator grills on the fronts of auto
mobiles are being written of blue
prints for the 1912 model cars. They
eat up around $4,000 tons Of zinc
annually. Zinc is an important in
gredient in the manufacture of brass
and brass is highly important in de-
fense because it is the stuff from
which they make ammunition shell
cases, all the way from those on
rife and pistol cartridges up to the
big ammunition for field artillery
and moderate coast defense guns.
Both the manufacturers and many
people who drive cars will be glad
to see the radiator grills go. To many
drivers, a radiator grill is one Of
those things you find dented in when
JOO Ei1A n Jul N1A OAl n GhoJ ON CCb
and leave it for Is minutes.
More PlasticS Likely.
Next, plastics may figure more IN
automobile body design. Even before
the S28, 100000 900 defense program
had been started, Henry Ford had
expressed delight over the toughness
and durability of plastic body panels.
He had his engineers wheel two Of
his automobiles out of the factory
and into the sunshine one morning
last fall. The rear panel-that is,
the baggage compartment door on
one of the cars-Was made of con-
ventional steel sheet and the other
of plastic. Mr.. Ford, in his 70s, but
still husky, took lumberman's axe
and dealt the steel sheet panel a
healthy whack. A big dent appeared
in the steel panel. Then he wound
up and gave the plastic panel an
equally robust blow. The plastic
panel, in examination, showed only
a small scratch. That sold Mr.. Ford.
as many other auto men had been
sold, on plastics possibilities in auto
mobile construction.
In fact, take close glance at the
1910 and l941 model automobiles.
They contain more plaStics than
ever before in history. Plastics are
used freely in steering wheels, in
strument panels, gear shift knobs,
interior doorknobs, and in many
other places.
In auto circles they are passing
around designs on new automobile
body in which the entire top Is
made of a transparent plastic, which
will give the inside of the car as
much daylight as if there were no
top at all.
Especially liked about plastics In
auto body potentialities is the fact
that no paint is required. Almost any
conceivable color or color combina-
ton can be attained when the stuff
is made and after hardening in the
die mould it can be rubbed down to
a fine polish.
Engine Changes Planned.
But inside the hood great changes
are coming, too. Manufacturers are
going back to the iron and steel
pistons and heads they used before
the introduction of aluminium.
There may be wide substitution Of
molybdenum, chrome and tung-
stem Steels for nickel.
Even though Japan is rafting
her sword and making grimaces at
the Dutch East Indies, whence
comes comes so much of our rubber,
no rubber shortage is anticipated.
Continued steady flow of automo-
bile tires to Mr.. and Mrs. Average
American, therefore, is expected.
No lesser authority than President
Roosevelt, in fact, expressed his be-
lief this week that the United States
was in no danger of running short
of rubber.
Much raw rubber has been bought
by this country and there is a good
supply on hand, he said. He added
that if a pickup campaign be-
came necessary, enough rubber
could be obtained from old tires and
tIced riihbor fo kaen oOi-- Dtii SvV1-