Evening star., 1942-02-10

lillS yCdl lS WCll :$3$::3:$$3
on the road to -
fulfillment. This
astounding total u -
of planes for David Lawrence.
1912, If realized, will doubtless be
twice as much as any other nation
or combination of nations ever pro-
duced before in single year.
Credit for this phenomenal Janu-
ary production goes to many differ
ent factors in American industry,
but it goes beyond a doubt primarily
to one man-William S. Knudsen,
who, despite the sniping and the
undermining in official Washington,
stuck to his job and laid the founda-
tion for the finest production effort
America has ever known.
1t. Gen. Knudsen was made the
goat for refusing to accept the So
called Reuther plan. which was pri-
marily scheme to impair the man
agement function by an experiment
In joint industry-labor committees
OF the type associated with the
corporate state in Europe.
Placating Action Seen.
Because Gen. Knudsen refused to
accept the Reuther plan he was
kicked up stairs" so to speak.
President Roosevelt is supposed to
have done this in order to placate
the G. I. o. auto workers union.
which claims to be a powerful in
f1uence in the Roosevelt administra-
ton. This comes on the authority of
r. j. Thomas, president Of the United
Automobile Workers Union Of the
c. I. O., who, in a speech last week
end to union delegates at Detroit,
said:
"Mr. Knudsen never represented
the people Of this country. He rep
resented the auto industry. The
United Auto Workers can claim
some credit for making Mr. Knud-
sen a lieutenant general, which
really means he is first-class in
spector"
The innuendo that Gen. Knudsen
did not serve his country and that
labor leaders have enough influence
to remove the co-chairman Of the
o. P M. In wartime is one that will
not be forgotten by disinterested
folks when the facts and figures on
what was accomplished during Gen.
Knudsen's regime are officially re-
vealed to view. January's record
alone is enough to earn for him any
distinguished service medal within
the power Of the Government to
give him.
Gen. Knudsen had q difficult Job
to do in laying the foundations for
the enormous production that is now
coming off the assembly lines. He
was by no means political and as al
administrator of washington red
tape he was far from efficient. But
as production man he came up to
the fine compliment that President
Roosevelt paid him recently when
he spoke Of the former General Mo-
tors president as the finest produc-
ton man IN the world.
Borne Out by Record.
Many observers may have thought
at the time this was extravagant
but the production record will bear
1t out.
Not only In planes but in tanks
and in airplane engines and in many
other important factors of our ar
mament program American industry
began forging ahead Of schedule in
December and kept on going upward
in January.
Gen. Knudsen himself said in De-
cember to friends that Immediately
after Pearl Harbor there came a
jump in production which indicated
that slowdowns and labor friction
had been almost completely elimi-
mated. In certain bomber plants
the jump in production in December
and January was truly phenomenal
as compared with previous months.
The morale of the American worker
rose with the outbreak of the war
Hampering Tactics Seen.
Industry and labor would do an
even better job were it not for the
professional unioneers who feel they
must constantly justify the high sal
aries they take out Of the workers
initiation fees and dues. They feel
they must be always hammering
away at the employer. President
Thomas of the Auto Workers Union
said, for instance, last week In his
speech at Detroit:
II don't pretend to be q prophet
but I predict that the present setup
IN Government will not work and
that within the next year labor will
be given genuine representation.
Only in that way will our supreme
war effort be made"
But Mr.. Thomas Is wrong. The
supreme war effort Is in process Of
being developed and his philosophy
Of pessimism on production Is con-
tradicted by the facts and figures,
which, 1t is regrettable, cannot yet
be made public.
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