Evening star., 1942-10-02
President Considerin,
Tours 10 Southeast
and Central Section
Reveals Details of His
8,754-MiIe Secret
Circuit of War Plants
BY DOUGLAS B. CORNELL,
Associated Press STAFF Writer.

Associated Press STAFF Writer.
President Roosevelt's inspec-
ton of bustling war establish
ments around the edge of the
Nation worked out so we'll that
he was giving earnest considera-
ton today to another tour or
two through the Central and
Southeastern sections of the
country.
He missed those areas while trav-
cling 8,754 miles through "a States
in the last fortnight, paying sur
prise visits to private war plants
and teeming Army. Navy and ma
rine bases. But he had hopes of
visiting them next spring to find
out at first hand what they are con-
tributing to the war effort. :.
He voiced that hope late yesterday
at press conference at which he
released details of his two-week trip
and gave his impressions of what
he had seen.
All Possible Secrecy.
The trip was conducted with all
possible, secrecy. Not a line was
published about it until Mr. Roose-
welt had come back to Washington.
1t took him into plants turning
out war weapons. He saw produc-
ton lines turning out endless
streams of tanks, bombers, ships and
ammunition.
The President left Washington
September II and covered an aver
age Of 600 miles daily. Heading
northwesteward, he visited in turn
the Chrysler tank arsenal and Ford
Willow Run bomber plant at De-
troit, the Great Lakes Naval Train
ing Station near Chicago, an Allis-
Chalmers plant which makes various
war equipment at Milwaukee, and
Federal Cartridge Co. factory at
New Brighton, MINI.
Sees Kaiser Ship Launched.
After taking a day out to cross
the plains through North Dakota
and Montana, Mr.. Roosevelt stopped
in at Farragut Naval Training Sta
tion at Athol, Idaho, and at Fort
Lewis, the Bremerton Navy Yard,
an Army embarkation port and the
Boeing Flying Fortress plant in
Puget Sound area.
Traversing the coastal States, he
inspected reduction plant Of the
Aluminium Co. of America at Van
couver, watched the launching of
q 10500-ton Libery freighter 10 days
after the keel was laid at the yard
Of Henry j. Kaiser's Oregon Ship
building Corp. in Portland, and
looked in on the Mare Island Navy
Yard and Army and Navy depots on
San Francisco Bay.
In a single day. the busiest of the
trip, the Chief Executive inspected
Douglas bomber plant at Long
Beach, saw an old Spanish mission
at San Juan Capistrano, dedicated
the Marine Corps new training sta
ton at Camp Joseph H. Pendleton,
and looked in on a naval hospital,
naval training center, Marine base
and Consolidated Aircraft bomber
plant at San Diego.
Turning back eastward, iMr Roose-
velt made his first stop st Uvalde,
Texas, and John N. Garner. the
former Vice President, came down
60 the train.
The Nations principal pilot train
Ing center, at San Antonio drew a
presidential visit. Mr.. Roosevelt
viewed Army Air Force activities at
Kelly, Duncan and Randolph Fields
and at an aviation cadet center. and
he reviewed the I'd Infantry Divi-
sion. which he had known in World
War days, at Fort Sam Houston.
Saw Pilots in Training.
Concentrated at the fields sur
rounding San Antonio, the Com
mander in Chief saw most of the
stages through which the Army Air
Force sends its pilots. Twin and
single-motored training planes
whined overhead as he reviewed the
cadets on the ground.
One of the industrial plants which
the President thought was doing a
good job was the Chrysler tank ar
senal at Detroit. which is turning
out welded medium tanks. the Gen.
Shermans, just as the Chrysler
Corp. used to manufacture cars. A
few weeks ago, the arsenal was max
ing riveted medium tanks, the Gen.
Grants.
1t switched from one type to the
other, moved several hundred heavy
machines and enlarged its capacity,
all at the same time. without losing
a minutes production. Donald M.
Nelson, chairman of the War Pro-