Evening star., 1942-01-01


cember 8, . few
Claude A. Jasser. hours after
bombs fell on Pearl Harbor.
It is a national effort to stagger
the imagination, an effort that
must be reckoned in astronomical
figures-six times the United States
military cost of World War I.
But America is accustomed to
staggering the imagination. War
today is a contest Of mystically COM
plex machines, from huge blast fur
naces to tiny precision instruments
accurate to a millionth Of an inch,
OF operators and workers OF high
and varied skills, OF initiative, imag-
nation and endurance. It calls for
the utmost performance Of whole
people. growers Of corn, miners OF
coal, molders of metal. drivers Of
trucks, research workers. managers
and administrators, as well as SOL
diers and generals.
Nation Is Unified.
What is the military potential Of
America? This Nation, genius Of
mass production and technology.
generator of half the worlds me-
chanical horsepower, builder Of
three-quarters of its motor cars,
producer of two-thirds of its pc
troleum and two-fifths of its steel,
all this with only one-seventeenth
Of the worlds people, will indelibly
record the answer in history.
Americas military preparation,
begun seriously with the shock OF
the fall Of France, lurched forward
through the early months of 1941.
accompanied by periods OF uncer-
tainty and bitter controversy. but
the bombs falling over Pearl Harbor
unified the Nation overnight.
Labor conflicts were hastily
patched up. and the National Asso-
ciation Of Manufacturers. In recent
years one OF the most vocal critics
of the Government, wired Presi-
dent Roosevelt:
Industry will build two battle
ships for every one that sinks.
1t will blacken the sky with
planes. -
Wall Street Calm.
Wall Street accepted war with far
less financial disturbance than has
frequently resulted from purely do
mestic troubles in the past several
years.
And industrial and financial
America realized full well that it
meant grueling and grinding work.
crushing taxation, severe curtail-
ment or stoppage Of much civilian
activity, going without many things
of everyday life once thought essen
tial, sweeping RECOMMENDATION.
Out OF the efforts of the past year
and a half, the Nation had already
acquired q sort Of framework for
wartime economy. Much Of the try
ing period of blueprint drawing,
tooling up, trying and testing was
past.
Already airplane production was
reaching a point where the entire
estimated plane force of Japan could
be duplicated in two months, and
a time not many months distant
could be seen when American and
British plane output would be three
or four times that of the entire
Axis powers. Already ships are be-
ing built better and faster than in
World War I.
But still only q beginning has
been made. Actual expenditures for
arms thus far are only SIS ,000,0 900.
80 Per Cent Goal Set.
In 1912 we must spend much
more, in 1913 perhaps as much as
$50, ,0OO, ,000, 900. Today we are ex-
pending about 20 per cent of our
national effort on arms, and to
match the intensity of the efforts
of our enemies, must increase it to
so, perhaps so per cent.
With our superior potential, is
such an effort necessary? Definitely
yes, say our top strategists. if we
are to catch up with our enemies,
who have been preparing for years.
Can we stand an expenditure OF
$50 900 900 900 annually? The basic
facts are these: Our national income
is now running, says the Depart
ment of Commerce, at the rate OF
$95 ,000, 900 900 annually, more than
IA per cent above 1929. It has been
rising rapidly, has more than dou-
bled since 1888. The rate of increase
may be curtailed, as more rigid price
controls are applied-essential in q
period of such activity to keep costs
from going out Of sight-and as ci-
villain industry is curtailed. But II
the figure rises to $4,000 000. .00C
in 1943. then such an expedture as
proposed would take so per cent
That would seem to be possible or
the basis of experience in other
lands.
Labor Shortages Faced.
But basically, the problem is one
of men, materials and skills, ir
other words, of physical capacities
Cutrallment of materials for civilian
use has already started, will be car.
ried much farther. President Roose.
velt has asked for q curtailment o1
normal use Of metals by so per cent
generally. Arms-making machines
1see INDUSTRY. Page e.