Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-02-11
War Output
Surprises
Even Expert
Rate OF Flow Uniform,
Machines in Place
BY HUGH $. JOHNSON

pN ntOh ~ TOnANcON
I HAVE Just been talking 10 a
= man who has Seen-the most
recent figures. on wal produc-
ton. He is man who knows
exactly what such figures mean.
The trouble with the average
lsy-reporter writing on produc-
ton reports is that he doesn't.
But my friend is as near eX-
pert on war production as any
one we have He had no more
intention Of making these con-
identlal figures public than !
have. but the important point in
mentioning them is that for the
first time since we began 10 pro-
ducP Al ALL this hitherto peSSi-
miStiC critic finds himself sur
priSed- with optimism.
INHE progress is really aston
IShing. II is not only the fig
ureS themselves. but The fact
that applying the rate OF i'm
provcment they SHOW. 10 the ac-
tual rate OF production. some Of
The most optimistic guesses
even of the President himself
which a few weeks ago seemed
unbelievable now appear at
tainahlP.
This docs not mean that the
record is uniformly satisfactory
There arc still uncured lsgS
among some Of The most SOrely
needed items.
But they stand out like sore
thumbs where attention can be
concentrated on them and in The
typical American system of
bringing all the elements Of
maSs-produced article 10 the as
Sembly line I'm an even rate OF
flow. we have right 10 expect
increased speed where il is most
necessary.
The most encouraging aspects
Of this picture are not the num-
her Of lethal weapons actually
being turned out weekly heart
warming AZ that is.
II is. first. that the rate Of
flow is uniform and uniformly
increasing II is second. and
moro important. that the great
hnffnnane IF
are there in place, operating AT
their steady. condensed. co-ordi-
mated. rate Of speed and with
ample room in most cases. for a
large expansion of both number
and speed which means that
We could hc moro generous still
IN estimating the future.
IT IS not an rXaggeration 10
Il call II modern industrial
miracle. No such record in re-
tOolinC. much less in converting
plants 10 the production of a
completely new article. exists in
ours OF any other industrial
history.
To my mind having had SOW
oral Years Of experience in in
du>trial management. the most
remarkable thing has been tho
training OF raw man-power ma.
terial to do these Jobs a. me-
chanicS.
II has been 2 new and Spe-
ciallZed system invented for this
work alone mad accomplished
with remarkable degree OF in
tclligencc and success.
still happen 10 have some
small part in the supervision Of
= small textile shop which. up 10
sin months ago. had never man
ufaCtured a machined m Il a ]
product and had no machine
tools. although II had on its stan
genius in design OF metal
working machinery.
Today that plant & turning
out a respectable poundage NJ
finely machincd m ct A !. sub
assemblies using many Of IL old
textile workers VINO nave heen
retraincd.
4 CURIOUS question Of credit
"A viii arise here The new
food NJ war production comes
in with Mr. Donald Nelson, as
General dSen goes out.
Surely Mr.. Nelson did not do H.
The bare outlines of his or
ganilation have not even yet
formed. Mr.. Knudscn didn't do
much Of ~ He was too busy
with other things.
How about giving little credit
10 the reSiliency patriotism and
ingenuity of our old and much
maligned kicking boy Ameri-
can industry and pl ans and
production policies Of the army
and navy which. after all. have
done the Job TO date?
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