Evening star., 1942-01-11
Worldwide Fronts Call to US.
For Planes, Planes, More Planes
American Industry Must Run at Top Pressure
to Give Craft to British, Dutch, Chinese
and Nations Own Forces
By Constantine Br0wn.

sake of what many regarded as futile
war preparation. We are now paying
the price of our shortsightedness.
1t will be at least another II months
before we and our Allies can claim any
distinct advantage over our enemies in
production of war materials. BY the
end of next year-provided Singapore
and the Netherlands Indies do not fall
to the Axis before then-we hope to
take the lead in production Of planes
and mechanical units.
10000 Planes 1912 Goal.
Our goal for 1912 is 10000 planes. We
must train at least 10000 young men
as pilots for our air force according to
reports from competent authorities. In
order to do this We must have at least
$4,000 training planes. This figure is
the minimum required for primary,
basic and advanced training before we
can allow our flying cadets to join the
ranks of full-fedged flyers.
Production in the United Kingdom
is not satisfactory. The figures for
British plane production are not avail
able for publication, of course, but it
can be said that it does not suffice for
both home defense and the troops in the
f1eld-in Libya. in Egypt the Near East
and the Pacific. The British cannot
afford to weaken their home forces lest
the Nazis, who are watching them like
hawks, attempt an invasion of the
islands.
The British general staff expects to
use a large air force in the next few
months in the Mediterranean and Near
East. There will be substantial losses
and undoubtedly these will have to be
replaced as soon as possible. Hence,
British production is sufficient for home
defense and will only partially cover
eventual losses on other battle fronts.
The Dutch and Chinese are entirely
dependent on us, and the Russians main
tain that in order to deal telling blow
to the Nazis they will have to be pro-
vided with number of planes from the
United States. They are relying on our
promise to let them have them without
delay.
Besides providing our Allies-partially
at leaSt-with fighting, pursuit and inter-
ceptor planes, we must provide our own
aviators with adequate fighting tools.
To do this the entire industry in the
United States must be geared without
delay to production of planes of the
latest types. There can be no standard
mass production In aviation; types
change frequently. Certain models
which at one time-no more than a
year ago-we considered to be the best
IN the world are outmoded because our
enemies have developed planes which
fly much higher and much faster.
Axis Production.
We are the greatest industrial country
in the world, but the enemy has several
jumps on us in the matter Of war in
dustry. At present their workmen are
better prepared than ours for the type
of work required by the military ma
chine. Besides their own factories which
before World War II were reputed to be
producing at the rate of $4,000 planes a
year, the Nazis now have at their dis
posal French, Belgian, Dutch, Czecho-
Slovakian, Polish and Italian plants.
The French-if they had worked as
they should have before the Nazi in
vasion-could have produced about 1900
planes a year in their nine factories.
Under the German boot they are certain
to produce that number now-for their
former enemies.
The Belgians had two factories and
the Dutch a similar number. Their
production capacity was about 600
year and there is no reason to believe
that production has diminished. Czech
factories are said to be capable of pro-
ducing a number at least equal to the
French, while the two Polish factories
have a 300 plane-a-year capacity. The
Italians can produce 1000 planes year
If they have the necessary materials.
What the Japanese potential is no
one knows exactly, but judging from
their performance so far 1t must be
assumed that they can turn out at least
10000 planes year.
The Russian potential is great, but
must not be relied on too heavily be-
cause industrial areas at one time in
Nazi hands-and now being recaptured
by the Red Army-have been completely
ravaged by war.