The Lexington advertiser., 1943-08-26
Figure Does Not
Include Subcontructs
Under $50, 900

WAR PRODUCTION IN SOUTHEASTE
The seven Southeastern states of Mis-
sissippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Ten
nessee, and North and South Carolina--
comprising WPB's Region Iv--not only
hold nearly $3,700,000 in war industrial
supply contracts but contribute i'm
portantaly to the nations output of
agricultural products and other raw
materials. This Southeastern corner of
the United States is loaded with timber,
iron ore, coal and other minerals; its
fields are under cultivation with every
thing from cotton and tobacco to soy
beans and tung trees.
From the beginning of the defense
program in June, 1910, through April
l943, manufacturers in region Nv re-
ceived prime war supply contracts of
nearly $3,700,000. This figure does not
include subcontracts or prime contracts
under $4,000, nor does it include over
$400,O00,000 of project orders placed by
the Charleston Navy Yard. Neither does
it include some of the most significant
product of the South--the timber, food.
raw cotton, vegetable oils, minerals
and their derivatives and by products
all of which are vital for both the firing
line and the home front.
In addition to contracts placed for
actual supplies of war, the region has
been awarded war facilities contracts
aggregating about s., ,000, 900 900 through
April. OF this approximately 81, SOC, ,O0O,-
600 is for such non-industrial facilities
at environments, airbases, etc. The re-
naming $l,200,0O0,O00 represents con-
tracts placed fer new industrial plants.
financed by the government or by pri-
vate industry
Even though the effects Of some of
its largest facilities have not yet been
felt the region has already experienced
a major increase in industrial employ
ment. The bulk of total increase from
100000 workers in July, 1910, to g.
100000 in December, 1912, was in
manufacturing :, gain of 40 per cent
The group Of industries engaged in
direct production of war goods : !:
showed \. rise of 175 per cent.
The IVA area and the territory around
Birmingham are two centers of the
South's growing industrial Importance
and of the heavy industry activities Of
Region Nv in the war program . /.
Although much larger similar projects
in the Pacific Northwest are being built,
Region Tvs IVA is still the greatest
development in actual operation
Despite the extent of these new
southern industrial sections and in
dustries shipbuilding is the most i'm
portant single category of war pro-
duction in the Southeast . 8. ship con-
struction accounts for as per cent of all
war supply ntracts in this part of the
country-in dollar volume shipbuilding
contracts run toa bout $1,500,000, 600;
nearly S2o000o,0o0 have been spent in
shipyard constitution
Region Nv stands second in the coun-
try in value of war supply contracts in
the textile field, with 19 per cent of the
nations total, while the textile industry
is the second most important war pro-
ducion activity of the region itself.
Contracts for textiles and clothing
account for 2per cent of the total war
supply contracts in the region i. More
than 80 per cent of the Southeastern
textile mills are working on Govern
ment orders :. turning out cotton duck
for tents jungle packs, dispatch
case, sleeping bags, bandoleers, camou-
flage netting -. and score of other
items These may seem like notions
in war goods, but as of February, I943,
regional war supply contracts for them
totaled $720,000,000.
While region Tvs $500,000.O00 in air
craft contracts ranks below most of the
WPB regions several huge plants