Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-09-22
Scrap Heaps
Needed for
Car Bumpers,
300, 900 Tons Steel Seen
as Going TO Waste u
BY wESTBROOK PEGLER

III tne last "a HOuIS, i've vi
whom have two cars apiece. and
all 10 of them are willing to
take the bumpers off their cars
by hand themselves and toss the
steel onto the scrap heap.
This is not junk but high
trade steel.
But every one of them said:
"Where Is the scrap heap?"
And most of them plainly
were suffering from a misgiving
that the bumpers might then
be allowed to lie around in the
weather for weeks or months
and rust.
One man has two cars, which,
naturally are giving very little
service. what with the rationing
Of gasoline, each carrying about
go pounds of good metal in the
bumpers.
He would like to throw these
bumpers into the collection right
now and would use some of his
fuel to take them to the pile.
but. even If he knew where the
Pile was, he would want some
assurance that they would not
become merely an addition to
some junkman's private stock.
THERE Is absolutely no prac-
Il teal need for bumpers on
passenger cars or trucks, either,
for that matter. given reason
able intelligent and decent driv-
ing. which certainly is not too
much to be asked, under IN.
circumstances. -
Although the President had
proposed a national speed limit
OF 80 miles an hour in the inter-
ests OF the conservation of fuel
and rubber, self-interest is keep
ing many drivers down TO 80
miles an hour or Is, at which
rate a car should be well under
control and the risk of collision
almost abolished.
However, no bumper would
do any good in a collision of a
moving car doing Is miles an
hour with a standing machine
or Other stationary object and
two cars, meeting head-on. each
making 25 miles an hour, yc.'l
be reduced to scrap.
| NOBODY ever expects
~ bumper TO withstand a heavy
shock. Often. in such crashes.
the front bumpers are driven
into the hoods.
What purpose are these bump
ers serving. -then, beyond eFna-
mentation and doubtful
assurance that in minor scrapes
in parking they will preserve
the paint work and symmetry
of the tenders?
There is no sense in stimulat-
ing public interest in a campaign
TO collect scrap unless the people
can see the heaps rising before
their eyes.
Every village green in the
country should be heaped with
automobile bumpers this week.
And local officials or commit
tees should make sure that the
steel is pushed along to central
collections quickly.
Our early experience with
scrap collection was rather
depressing.
WHAT was the aluminium drive
Il Millions of households runtM
mayed out old pots and kettleN
and tossed them into the wire
cages which were set up for this
purpose.
Then followed a resounding
silence and sheepish rumors that
the total hadn't amounted TO
much and that much of IL was
not suitable for conversion any
way.
But this great fund of virtu-
ally unemployed good steel GER
tainly amounting to 300. 900 tons
from the passenger cars alone
and capable of great addition, If
the trucks. too. be stripped of
bumpers should not be over
looked.
1t is there for the asking and
the task of collection, which
should be easy.
Two weeks from now, a
bumper on a car should be made
in the public mind a badge of a
selfiShness and lack Of patriot
ism.
IT is shameful that. in this cri-
sis, this steel is not being
picked up.
No man deserves a dollar for
his bumpers.
No man has any legitimate
need for them. They are USE
less for any worthwhile purpose
on earth in their present form.
they have no market value and
they should be turned into
weapons at once.
We wouldn't let an individual
or small group hoard that much
fine steel but this Is a hoard just
the same. although its possession
is widely scattered all over the
country.
II is nonsense TO play around
with old hairpins, paper clips
and overalls buttons with more;
than 100000 tons of fine Steel