Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-05-20
Nazis Would
UnderseII Us
With Barter
u. S. Stan d ards Make
Our Price Double
BY PAUL MALLON


W Roosevelt's warning that a
Hitler victory would injure our
foreign trade apparently did not
sink in very deep
Reaction was hardly notice
able here. The President failed
to translate his vision into
terms Of wages, hours. farm
PRICES, automobiles and the rela-
lively luxurious living in which
our civilization is lolling, as
compared with The rest of the
world.
If you will couple his state
ment with speeches made re-
Gently by Assistant State Sec
rotary Adolph Berle and Com
merce Secretary Jesse Jones.
you will see the administration
seems 10 be Swerving toward
this more realistic line. The old
fears of German invasion have
long since been abandoned.
What is in their minds now is
that the victorious NaziS would
underSell us everywhere in the
world on the basis OF barter and
enSlaved labor.
WE COULD not sell automo-
w bileS. steel or Jelly beans
against them anywhere as long
as our workers receive present
wages. hours and working con-
ditions.
Our price would be double
theirs. We would thus face the
prospect of becoming a second
class power, unless we too went
into some adaptation Of the
Nazi system. using barter and
cheapening our productive proc
eSses.
WHILE a defense Official wv.
W l.. Bate was telling one
congressional committee not an
ounce of aluminium could be
spared from defense needs the
remainder Of this year another
congressional committee picked
up the following information in
executive session:
The army, tho same army
that is screaming for planes.
had placed an order for 10000
10 $4,000 aluminium pitchers for
syrup and water.
The navy had disregarded the
spirit of the same OPM priori-
ties control, by ordering alumni
mum cap stretcherS.
THE QUARTERM A STEERS
l. Corps in the army, when
called upon for an explanation
by the OPM. was cooperative
and agreed not 10 buy pitchers
that would have 10 be made out
OF new priority aluminium. In
other words. they will buy only
aluminium pitchers that arc in
stock and take enamel ware
for the remainder
The navy, howcVe APP
parently considered cap stretch
ing a vital work of defense.
Last heard by the House naval
affairs committee from the adj
miralS indicated they intended
la stick 10 their order.
The reason names and dates
arc missing from the above is
that no details were furnished
the congressional committees.
One report indicated the army
pitcher order was for 10000;
another report doub led the
amount. Authorities here do
not feel free TO talk about such
subjects, but the substantial
fact of the matter are unde-
niably true. 49,
4 WEEK ago today this col
"A umn published information
about a manufactures who slid
out OF his promise 10 subcon-
tract a large defense order, and
instead tried 10 get 137 new
machine tools "a critical short
age line equal in seriousness 10
that of aluminum) in order 10
set up a new factory in va
cant warehouse.
Since then tho manufactures
has changed his mind Now he
wants 500 new machine tools.
500 Of the most Vitally needed
mechanismS of defense diverted
from other uses. in order that
nc will not have 10 Let subcon-
tractors in on his business
As, a result of this and few
other fragrant cases, OPM is
about 10 put the screws on.
Compulsory clauses will be writ
ten into all contracts specifi-
cally reServing 10 OPM the right
10 require Subcontracting.
The percentage TO be subcon-
tracted will depend on size Of
the order and the size and
equipment Of the company.
Some will have TO subcontract a
lot. others not at all Another
corrective method will be
adopted denying priorities for
7 machine tools TO companies
which refuse 10 Subcontract.
With strikes breaking unim-
peded around the country. with
the army Looking after It's syrup
pitchers and the navy after its