Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-08-12
LET'S Laugh!
Boat Builder
Kaiser Takes
ANU.S.Hearts
Yet Brass Hats Doubt
Genius With Record
BY HENRY McLEMORE

WE WISH il were possible for
w some government official
preferably one who could
COUNT TO stand on the highest
peak in the Rockies and ask for
a show OF hands on how Ameri-
cans feel toward Henry J.
Kaiser.
We believe that he would re-
celVe an overwhelming vote of
confidence. and that his oppo-
nents would have TO creep back
INTO their red-tape- bound, moss
backed shells and allow this
west coast construction genius
10 take a fling at anything he
wanted 10 take a fling at.
Probably the No. ! capturer OF
the American Imagination at the
moment is this same Henry J.
Kaiser.
II he said he could make 15O.-
600 tons OF rubber in IL DAYS out
OF potato Feelings, pigs knuckles
and shoe tongues. pretty close TO
100000 Americans would be-
lieve him.
THEY would believe him be-
4 cause his record of the past
few years proves beyond doubt
that he has consistently kept his
promises. delivered the goods.
and come through 100 per cent
or better-on a lot of prof.
ects he said could be done while
the conservatives were shaking
their heads and muttering that
he was undertaking the impos-
sible.
His engineering projects were
amazing. of -course-Boulder
Dam. Coulee. and the others
and he certainly kicked the liv-
ing daylights out of all hide
bound conceptions of how to
build ships. Some of the ship
building faces he redeemed are
still so bright that their owners
have TO use blackface makeup
during dimoutS.
Almost without exception he
has done what he said he would
de-ffo- matter how far-fetched
IL sounded at the time.
This would indicate that he
does not pop-off with predictions
until he is dead sure of what he
is talking about. and positive he
can deliver as specified.
VET in the face of his I'M
blemished record for prac-
tically-and successfully-revo-
lutionizing several industries, a
lot OF tropical worsted Dodo
birds up on the hill in Washing
ton are sagely doubling that Mr..
Kaiser could do much about
building cargo airplanes.
They gravely declare that he
just doesn't know the airplane
building racket, and fear that he
would have tremendous diff
Guilty in learning it.
1t seems to have slipped their
minds that he never saw a steel
ship until a few months before
he revolutionized the whole
shipbuilding process.
They seemed 10 have forgot
ten that he didn't know any,
thing about cement at one time.
but that he mastered that. and
that il won't be long before he'll
be showing the steel big-wigs
few things about turning out
plate for shipbuilding.
They seem to have forgotten.
too, the thousand and one CAD
gets he has invented for making
enormous Jobs simple and easy
and cheap.
They just wag their heads and
declare that Mr.. Kaiser doesn't
know what the hell he is talking
about, and that things had bet
ter be done the same old way
slower and safer.
WHICH a lot OF US, who
i would like 10 string along
with Mr.. Kaiser simply on his
record. say Jaw. nuts"
Mr. Kaiser says he can mass
produce lotion Mars flying
boats for cargo carrying.
He wants to get our war SUD-
plies up in the air. where the
submarines can't get at the
stuff.
He wants nine of the coun-
try's shipyards 10 be converted
Immediately to such program.
He is certain that within three
months the monster cargo car
rlers would be coming off the
line.
He has had the book thrown
at him by the aeronautical en-
glneers. They think him
visionary, and nothing more.
They back up their argument
with all sorts of facts. figures.
blueprlnts, charts, and heaven
knows what else.
Experts have said II would
take 1S months AT least before
any real production could be
started.
EROM where we sit il looks
4 like a battle between the
desk bows and q man who has