The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1942-11-06
MIRACLs OF WAR PRODUCTION
By ]. e. Jones

One of the most engaging stories
our country has seen in many years
may be written some future day on
how the auto industry has met the
challenge of war; Achievements lit
tie short of miraculous are being
performed with comforting fire.
quency within the plants and shops
of this typically American industry.
Reports from time to time tell of
amazing accomplishments by the
men who used to make cars, but the
real story behind the scenes, the
one revealing just how these men
threw every effort into their all-out
war job to produce more for the
armed forces, is yet to be told.
What we have in mind is a case
such as has come to our attention
recently. 1t concerns the Fisher
Body Division of General Motors, a
company which in peace time manu-
featured bodies for automobiles. Its
manufacturing scope extended, as
we understand it, to forming and
welding of light steel, painting of
bodies, working with upholstery for
car cushions and seats, and GER
tain amount of tool and die work
necessary in automobile body build
ing. This type of manufacturing OBJ
viously was far removed from any
channels that might quickly be di-
verified to war production. 1t was
not remotely associated with any
kind of activity required for pro-
duction of armament.
But when defense became the
keywork in industry, and then war
itself fell upon us, the Body by
Fisher" slogan was quickly changed
to Armament by Fisher, and in
an unbelievably short space of time
we find the same plants that turned
out auto bodies now producing great
volumes of armament. We don't
know just how it was done, but even
a layman can understand that some
gigantic transformation must have
taken place. Where auto bodies were
built a comparatively short time ago,
now great Bottom tanks, the new all
welded MAS, are rolling off the
line with the first ever built being
finished in just AZ days. Other
plants of the same company are
building whole sections of the type
Of bomber that raided Tokyo, huge
anti-aircraft guns which are more
powerful than those used at Corregi-
Tor, machine tools which have crack
ed bottlenecks that threatened to
paralyze vital production, incendiary
bomb parts, parts for other guns,
aircraft instruments, cutting tools,
and a host of other types of goods
SO greatly needed on the. fighting
fronts.
This is just one example, of
course, but it is a good one. AS we
said, we don't know just how it
could have been done, but the fact
duction volume is being stepped UP
faster and faster is a great tribute
not only to the men who are doing
this job for us but to the whole
spirit of American free enterprise
Women And War
Strange as it may seem many of
the official statements from the Gov
eminent indicate that the mobilizing
of women for war is full of strange
problems and difficulties immersed
in fogs of confusion.
The aircraft industry is training
thousands of women and placing
them in positions where they have
proved that they have plenty of in
dividual initiative and competent
understanding of their jobs.
The country modified women to
drive motor vehicles 25 years ago;
and today the majority of women
know how to operate passenger
cars, and heavier motor vehicles.
The War Manpower Commission
estimates that 100000 women will
be employed in the war industry by
the end of this year. Mr.. McNutt
seems to take it for granted that the
war will not be over by the end of
1943, and he predicts that about
million women will be in war indus
tries by that time. Chairman Nc
Mutt expresses confidence that wom-
en- can do as good job as men.
The proportion of women in
clerical and Office positions in Wash
ington is likely about two to every
man; and no one will be unfair
enough to say that they aren't as
well qualified as men for the duties
in the Departments of Government
In the manufacturing industries
women are already employed fabri-
eating and forming sheet metal, OPP
Grating machines in shops; doing
detailed and precision assembly in
electrical, radio, instrument, tubing
and cable plants; building up con-
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