Evening star., 1942-01-11
6. N. and Ford Get
New Army Orders
Tota|ing S53 Million
General Motors President
Pledges Firm to Produce
Tenth of War Needs
BY tie Associated Press.

By tie Associated Press.
q. DETROIT, Jan. 10-C. E. Wilson
president of General Motors Corp
announced today the receipt OF
$769 $3.50 900 N war contracts since
January l to add to a 81 ,209 1868 .173
backlog of untitled orders.
In. making the announcement. he
pledged General Motors to produce
one-tenth of the materials needed
for war and predicted that the peak
of time industrial activity
would be surpassed by the end OF
the year or in 18 months at most
simultaneously. EdSel Ford, preSi-
dent of the Ford Motor Co., made
known that Army orders for nearly
100000 worth of military We
hicleS have been received by the
company in the last 10 days, and
said production rates would be in
creased rapidly.
Chief of the items to be provided
under the new General Motors con-
tracts are tanks and tank parts
worth S522,445 900, which will be
produced at four centers. On De-
cember 81, such orders on hand
amounted to no more than $69,-
4,496, Mr.. Wilson's statement dis
closed.
Contracts Detailed.
Other new contracts provide for
S125750000 worth of aircraft parts;
SS7.730,O00 worth of machine guns
rifles, gun mounts and controls,
$21,165, 900 worth of ammunition
tshells. shot, cartridge cases, fuses
and other components) and s1O48,-
600 worth of electrical equipment.
At a press conference attended by
Gov Murray D. Van Wagner
Mayors of Michigan cities in which
General Motors plants are located
and military authorities, Mr. Wilson
said untitled orders equalled "siX
months capacity production of our
plants as now organized" but said
the corporation was well ahead of
delivery schedules in some essential
lines.
Aircraft engines. he said, are al
ready being produced "at capacity"
General Motors is six months ahead
of commitments for anti-aircraft
guns and three months ahead on
aircraft cannon. he added, as we'll
as months ahead" in the delivery of
machine guns.
Must Double Production.
The General Motors head esti-
mated that the United States would
have to double its average industrial
production to keep pace with the
demands of war. but he declared the
task set for industry by President
Roosevelt's war program was still
far from being the bluff it has been
termed IN Axis propaganda.
I'VE Of General Motors can see
our way clear to doing about 10
per cent Of the job" he said. That
ought to be good start"
The oulk of his companys con-
tracts. Mr.. Ford said, is for "blitz
buggies," the quick-maneuvering lit
tie 40-inch-high vehicles which Ford
and other manufacturers already are
producing for the United States and
other anti-Axis armies.
Our manufacturing facilities have
been fooled up to turn them out at
the rate of several hundred a day
by the end Of this month" Mr.. Ford
said. LAS quickly as several of our
assembly branches around the coun-
try can be prepared, they also will
be utilized to produce these cars.
The rate Of production will be
stepped up rapidly within a few
months"
The Ford contracts also call for
some passenger cars to be used as
Army staff cars, and for cargo and
convoy trucks, Mr.. Ford said.