Evening star., 1942-07-08
Business Firms Asked
To Sell Army and Navy
100000 Typewriters
Nelson Issues Appeal;
Diamond Cutting Work
Offered Disabled Veterans

Offered Disabled Veterans
An appeal to American business
TO sell the Government more than
100000 typewriters needed by the
Army and Navy was issued today by
Production Chief Nelson. He asked
business firms to sell as many
machines as can be spared.
Mr.. Nelson wrote $4,000 of the
largest users of typewriters, stating
that the services need at least 500,-
600 machines. of which less than a
third can be obtained new from
manufacturers. The remainder must
come from business.
These typewriters." said Mr..
Nelson. will be used by the Army
and Navy, not to increase the
volume of paper work, but to carry
on the essential services of our
vastly expanded fighting forces"
He pointed out that typewriter
Is an essential piece of equipment
on every bomber. In the Navy, Mr..
Nelson continued, every battleship
normally carries 50 typewriters,
every aircraft carrier 55, every
cruiser 30. every destroyer 7. These
compliments now have been cut in
half.t
Disabled veterans of the present
war who wish to learn the diamond
cutting trade will be given special
consideration under provision in
serted in the New York Diamond
Workers apprenticeship standards,
War Manpower Chairman Paul V.
McNutt announced.
A special clause was incorporated
in redraft of the standards just
completed by the New York Dia-
mond Workers Joint Committee to
bring them into line with current
developments. The clause valves
age limitation and accords special
preference to wounded men of either
the military or naval service who
apply for such opportunities.
Diamond merchants in this coun-
those under Is points. to Belgium
and Holland for processing, where
it was one of the most lucrative
trades When the Nazis overran
the two countries the industry pro-
vided employment for $4,000 skilled
craftsmen. No serious attempt was
made to develop craftsmen in this
country for cutting small diamonds,
due to the accessibility of Europeans.
America was we'll supplied with
expert cutters of large stones.
Currently, it was pointed out,
more than 95 per cent of the small
gem cutting in the United States is
being done in New York City. Plans
to set up similar apprentice train
Ing programs in other localities are
under consideration.
The cooperation of State Gov
ernors, trade associations, veterans
organizations, service clubs, the
United States Chamber of Com
merce and trucking associations has
been asked by Defense Transporta-
tion Director Joseph B. Eastman in
the campaign to conserve the Ma
tion's 100000 motor trucks.
Truck owners who express will
ingness to participate in ODT's pre-
ventive maintenance program by
signing pledge to follow certain
rules in the operation and care of
the vehicles will be entitled to dis
play a red, white and blue insignie
on the right-hand cab door of the
truck. BY this insignie the public
will know whether a truck owner is
participating actively in the con-
servation program.
Robert c. King of Washington has
been appointed chief of the new
storage control section in ODTs
division of storage. The section will
keep continuous check on storage
facilities at ocean ports to assure
adequate space for war materials
consigned to overseas destinations.
Mr.. King came to ODT in March
from the Tariff Commission. From
1888 to 1886 he was with the Office
of the Federal Co-ordinator of
Transportation.
WPB gave sewing machine man.
ufacturers an additional two months
in which to make repair parts in an
amendment yesterday. The original
order provided that in the six
month period beginning May l a
manufacturer could produce repair
parts at rate of 125 per cent of
his average monthly production of
such parts during a two-year base
period ended December 81, l94l.
To utilize more barges for shorter
haul coal movement, ODT Director
Eastman issued general order
prohibiting coastwise colliers from
transporting coal from the Hampton
Roads (Va) area to any New Eng
land port west of Stonington, Conn.
except by special permission. The
order becoming effective July %, is
designed to concentrate all self-pro-
PEELED coal ships of 1000 tons OF
over on the long-haul coal move
ments from Hampton Roads to the
farther New England ports which
cannot be served by large barge lines
OPA promised immediate action
against manufacturers and distrib-
utors of rugs who persist "in the
illegal practice of selling unorthodo,
and irregular sizes by combining ke,
sizes in a single uncut length ir
order to obtain higher cut-ordel
prices instead of roll prices The
practice is designed to evade OPA
price ceilings.