The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1943-12-15

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whole matter of War Department
policies in these two fields.
Particularly, there will be studies
in the procurement Of motor trucks,
industrial tractors and lift trucks,
as well as spare parts for all mech
anized equipment. The purpose is
to determine whether the Army
, procurement service over-ordered,
not only getting more equipment
than they could possibly use, with
out regard to requirements for
maintaining the civilian economy
which must support and continue
to supply the armed services.
War has always been considered
wasteful business" A prevalent
idea has been that the side with
the greatest resources, the side
which could put the most men and
materials In the field, the side
which could, withstand the greatest
losses, the side which could afford
to waste the most, was bound to
win the war.
THEORY QUESTIONED
In short war, maybe that theory
Of logistics holds good. But In a
war that stretches out as this one
seems to be stretching, the idea Is
open to question. In It's place is
the theory that the side which can
manage its resources of men and
materials most economically is the
side that can best withstand the
drain of a long war and is the side
that in the end will win.
Getting down to present cases,
take the matter of trucks. In its
Forthcoming report on trarsporta-
ton, the Truman committee will
take strong position with respect
to the purchasing of trucks by the
Army. The War Department has
asked for the production of hun
dreds of thousands Of trucks in 1914
Meeting these military truck re-
QuirementS has meant depriving
civilian truck operators of new
equipment. The stockpile of new
trucks that has been rationed out
gradually in the last two years is
now all gone, and only 100 new
trucks were made for civilian use
in these two years.
Civilian truck transport, hauling
an estimated 10 per cent of all the
freight in and out of war production
plants, may run the risk Of a break
down as a result, though there is
a further question of what addi-
tional civilian trucks might use for
tires, If they had been built. That
Is even a problem for the 123, 900
civilian trucks which 1t Is planned
to build in 1914. But when civilian
supply on essential items like
trucks runs as close as this, then
you see the need for extreme care
In the placing Of military orders.
TOO MANY Tractors?
Another phase of this problem
comes in the ordering Of industrial
tractors and lit trucks. Army
warehouse space is said to be three
space, and to move war supplies in
times the total of all commercial
and out Of storage, requirements
have been put In for large numbers
of industrial tractors, used in haul
ing strings of small warehouse
trailers from freight car to storage
space or ship side, as well as for
fork lift trucks to raise and lower
supplies in storage piles. Investi-
cations of the Truman committee
explore the apparently careless
methods of preparing specifications
and over-procurement of models
for which there Is questionable use.
The War Department Is generally
given credit for having done a ire
mendously efficient and effective
job in handling the renegotiation
of its contracts. Savings to the
government of $500 100000 net
have been reported by Under Sec
rotary of War Robert Patterson as
a result of renegotiation and price
adjustment. This is simply good
business practice. What the inves-
tigating senators would like to see
is similar good business practice in
letting the original contracts. Such
efficiency in the first instance would
do away with the unpleasantness OF
renegotiation later on.