Evening star., 1942-07-26
War Production
Encouraging,
Nelson Reports
Materials Expected
To Run Short, He
Warns, However
BY JAMES Y. NEWTON.

1 AoAdSpioi SliiCl DOildlo u,
Nelson last night gave America
an encouraging report Of prog
ress in ornaments production,
which has trebled in volume
since Pearl Harbor. He accom-
panied the message with a note
of caution that the biggest part
Of the job is still ahead with
serious difficulties expected in
the supply of raw materials.
From other sources it was re-
ported that the current munitions
production rate points to year-end
accomplishments that will exceed
President Roosevelt's goals for 1942
in nearly every classification. The
number OF some products may not
be so large as the goal, but the total
poundage of production will be
greater. For example in tanks, the
emphasis is now placed on larger
ones and, similarly aircraft empha-
sis Is placed on large planes-bomb-
ers and transports.
In the first six months OF this
year, Mr.. Nelson reported. the VOL
ume of munitions production
(planes, tanks. guns. ships and all
war equipment used in the feld)
was half times as large
as during all of 194l.
Plane production In the first half
of 1912 exceeded in number the total
for the II months of last year, de-
spite the fact that heavy tactical
craft are now a larger proportion
of output than previously" The
progress of plane production was
traced from June, 1889, when only
224 military and commercial trans
ports were made, to May when
nearly 1000 were produced. The
figure for June was not given. but
in that month last year 1,476 planes
were made.
Ship Construction Speeded.
Merchant ship production showed
an even greater increase with de-
livery by shipyards of 228 vessels in
six months this year, compared to
1o3 for all of last year. During
June 66 large ships were delivered
for service. Deadweight tonnage
produced this year through June
totaled 2,544,0O0, or 1873 per cent
more than during all of 194l.
Shortages in steel hull plates last
fall and early winter, Mr.. Nelson
said, caused a falling behind in de-
liveries in the first three months Of
the year. A stepup in plate produc-
ton, however, enabled the yards to
exceed schedules for May and June.
Mass production methods have cut
the time for delivery of Liberty
cargo ships from an expected los
days. The record time so far was
As days.
In half of this year more tanks
were built than in all of 1941. No
figure was given for June, though
more than /, 500 were made in May.
Before the rearmament program, it
was pointed out, the few tanks made
for the Army were produced in
Government arsenals. A locomotive
company built the first tank to come
from a civilian plant and delivered
it in April, 1910. A year later an
other company produced the first
civilian-made medium tank, the Ms.
Now, there are in production the
greatly improved" Ma, with rivet-
less hull and 75-mm. gun mounted
in a center turret. Medium tanks
have been in mass production for
months.
Mr.. Nelson was most optimis-
tic in regard to anti-aircraft
artillery, saying that many bot
tlenecks have been broken
which retard manufacture OF
the guns. About three-and-a-
half times as many anti-aircraft
guns were produced in the first
half of the year as were made
in all of 1941. He said output
must be increased greatly to
overcome earlier tagging, ex-
planning that until short time
ago heavy anti-aircraft gun
had never been made in this
country.
The Nation is making artillery
and anti-tank guns at the rate
of about 1000 a month now, Mr..
Nelson continued. More than
(See PRODUCTION, Page A-4)