The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1942-02-20

LnlS AFTERNOON dILeE all lIlSpCC
plants.
The production output in your
city certainly surpaSses my cxpecta-
tions," said General Knudsen.
Three factories which ] visited
are on a 100 per cent victory pro-
duction basis: the other plant will
be on about defense work by July
l."
Despite the tremendous impetus
given defense production since
Pearl Harbor, there is still much
room for improvement, said Cen
eral Knudsen.
Questioned about reports OF short
ages OF copper and other basic
materials, General Knudsen said
that the government was doing all
In It's power TO see that enough
raw materials were made avail
able to local plants TO insure all
out production.
Would an adequate supply be
available soon?", he was asked.
The tall. slightly stopped general
replied: ut will never be adequate
enough until we beat the Axis.
Production must increase and in
crease and increase"
Visited Plants
General Knudsen was interviewed
at the Waterbury club after lunch
con with local industrial leaders.
He had spent the morning touring
the plants OF the Waterbury Clock
Co., the Scovill Mfg. Co., the Amer
lean Brass Co. and the Chase Brass
81 Copper Co. Local Industrial lead
ers joined him at lunch.
Reminiscing for moment, Gen
eral Knudsen recalled that he had
been in Waterbury.
The last time, I believe, was in
$780, he said, when l was still in
the auto business" He was presi-
dent OF the General Motors Corp
when he was named by President
Roosevelt 10 direct the war produc-
lion effort as head of OPM)
General Knudsen asked reporters
not to specify in which three Of the
four plants that he visited he found
production not yet on 100 per cent
war basis.
Dressed In uniform, with the three
stars Of acknowledgement, next
to highest rank in the army, glis-
tening on his shoulders, General
Knudsen made an imposing figure.
He answered questions easily and
graciously, though his every man
nerHm made 1t clear that he is more
interested in production than in
%onss.
Members OF Party
Accompanying him on this tour
Of defense plants in the Hartford
Ordnance District are Colonel A. b.
Quinton. Jr., former Chief OF the
District Control Division, Ordnance
Offise, who Is General Knudsen's
Executive Officer; Lieutenant Col
onel w. S. Broberg, Deputy District
Chief Of the Hartford Ordnane Dis
trict; Lieutenant Francis W. Green
of the Hartford Ordnance District
Office, who Is the generals aid dur
ing the trip.
While in Western Massachusetts
IN Wednesday, General Knudsen
Visited the facilities of the Spring
ield Armory; Westinghouse Electric
and Manufacturing Company, East
Springfield Mass, Worthington
pump and Machinery Corporation,
aolyoke, Mass; Stevens Arms Com
1any Division Of Savage Arms Corp,
Chicopee Falls, Mass; Smith and
Nesson, Inc, Springfield, Mass; Gill
pert and Barker Manufacturing
Company, West Springfield Mass.
On Thursday the party visited
United Aircraft Corp, East Hart
lord. Conn, Colts Patent Fire Arms
Mfg. Co., Hartford, Conn; Niles
Bement-Pond company division OF
Pratt g. Whitney. West Hartford,
Conn; Stanley WORKS, Inc, New
Britain, Conn.
Later today General KnudsenS
party will be In New Haven and
will visit the plants OF the Win
chester Repeating Arms company
and the High Standard Manufac-
turing company.
The tour OF the facilities In the
Hartford ordnance district will end
Saturday evening after inspecting
defense plants in the Bridgeport
area.