The daily monitor. (Mount Clemens, Mich.) 1940-1942, 1941-04-28
1913 Needs
Basis Of Plans
Sweeping Prosrem
Hes Elasticity
= WASHINGTON, April 2s-tR

Against the possibility that
war may still be raging two
years hence, defense officials are
shaping plans for expanding out
put Of the arsenal of democ-
racy" beyond the capacity of any
possible foe.
Persons in close touch with
the planners reported today that
vast new bomber, ammunition
and other arms plants were in
the preliminary design stage and
predicted requests to Congress
for billions to build and operate
them.
The program is based on esti-
mates Of the 1943 needs of Unit
ed States armed forces and those
OF countries which this nation
may then be supplying with am
munitions. The plans must be
made well in advance because
even under emergency pressure
II takes q year or more to btfffd,
equip and start production in
complex arms factories.
For example. construction has
yet to start on the second big
program of munitions plants,
construction for which Congress
hss nrovided more than 81 $780,
900, 900.
These plants, including up
wards of 80 ordnance factories
and q major expansion of the
aircraft industry, are not expect
ed to reach the full production
stage until well into 1912.
Final approval of details must
be had from the Office of Pro-
duction Management and Presi-
dent Roosevelt before contracts
are awarded.
Just beginning to turn out
powder, shells, machine guns,
warplanes and tanks are plants
built under the first program
into which the government put
81, 75O, 900, 900. Const u ion
work on most Of these started
only last fall.
The cost figures take no ac-
count Of new facilities added by
private industry, nor of the cost
Of meterials for the munitions
10 be produced.
Some Washington estimates
my that IS per cent or more OF
The nations entire industrial out
nut this year will be in the form
Of munitions of all kinds. The
projected expansion would bring
il appreciably nearer the 50 per
cent ratio sttribute to Germany.
Defense officials have noted
the possibility that the war
might be over by 1914? and that
billions might be expended use
lessly, but they maintain this is
q risk which cannot safely be
avoided.
Such was the case in 1917-18,
when the United States under
took to turn quickly from reace
to war economy regardless of
cost. Full production stride
was not reached until 1919, al
though the conflict had ended in
the meanwhile.
Though not even the bare out
lines Of what is planned for 1943
have been disclosed, the nature
of the 1912 program and various
official utterances hint strongly
Of concentration on bombers be-
cause their offensive effective
ness has been dramatized re-
peatedly in the present war.
Congrass has heard reports
that in the next military appro-
priations request provis ons
would be made for pushing
American aircraft manufactur-
Ing toward q goal of 10000
planes q year, instead Of the
5000 proposed by Mr.. Roose-
welt last year.
The $500, 100000 munitions
plant program nearing the con-
tract stage involves expansion
Of at least three bombers engine
plants; construction of two fac
tories to turn out bomber frames,
and the acquisition of two new
bomber engine Capacities. The
latter term would cover either
new plants or the conversion of
factories now producing other
equipment.
All these would be in addition
to the well-advanced undertake
Ing to turn out $500 bombers
annually with the aid of the au.
tomobile industry, and the pro-
duction Of planes Of all types on
which existing aircraft plants are
working.