Evening star., 1943-08-13

,
of an actual David Lawrence.
drop-off in engine production by
one of the principal airplane engine
makers, and the disease may spread
to other manufacturers
Thus, in one branch plant where
the production schedule for March
was about 1,700, there was actually
produced in that month more than
$50 above that schedule, but in July
that plant had fallen to about 277
and the estimate for August is down
to the total of As engines.
Any such drop is sensational de-
development. If it were confined
to one plant, it might be CLOSED
over, but the fundamental condi-
tions have begun to affect other
plants and the production figures
we shall see for August, September
and october may show similar drops
in other plants.
Indictments Bring Caution.
The major reason for the decline
is the solar plexus blow dealt the
aircraft industry by a series of in
dictments and criminal proceedings
against individuals and companies
for alleged defective parts. If the
Government is going to prosecute
some of the best companies in the
country on the ground that the mar
gin of judgment from specifications
which the engineers say is accept
able cannot be accepted and if men
who exercise such judgment must
run the risk of criminal proceed
ings, then production is bound to
drop off.
Nobody is willing to take such
risks, and those who insist on per-
fection instead of practicability will
have to take the responsibility for
breaking down Americas aircraft
production at a critical time in the
war.
Not merely the aircraft engine
makers in the plants affected are
completely frustrated but evidence
of bewilderment and discourage
ment comes from other engine
manufacturers.
All this is happening at a time
when the Government wanted air
craft engine plants to expand their
production That seems to be out
of the question, and now it's mat
ter of trying desperately to keep
the production figures from falling
nationally
Report Not Specified.
The War Production Board got
out report last week end which
covered deliveries in July, but did
not reveal the dropoff in engine
production or the reduction in heavy
bombers of a certain important
type. All the figures were Jumped
together and the impression was
given that the only thing wrong
was failure to reach goals set
perhaps too high.
The facts are that after the
Truman Committee report came
out and indictments were filed ir-
respective of the remarkable record
In production made by the plants
In question since the outbreak of
war, the engine makers began to
check and double check the sub
contractors, who normally supply
40 per cent of the engine parts.
Heretofore these parts were spot
checked, inspecting samples of one
out of every 10 or 20 parts and
passing the other nine or 19 if the
one part was perfect.
In other words, engineering judg-
ment has been exercised hitherto
within a certain range of flexibil-
ity, but when it is insisted that
men who exercise such judgment
run the risk of going to jail, they
will not pass on parts that deviate
even slightly from specifications,
even if the deviation is in their
judgment inconsequential.
Fear Spreads.
So the inspection has become so
rigid as to reduce engine produc-
ton, and word is spreading through
out the aircraft industry that some
body has begun to be more inter-
ested in putting the aircraft engine
makers in Jail than in getting
acceptable production. Engine
makers are wondering what to do
and the fear that has spread In
the last six weeks doubtless will be
reflected in lower and lower pro-
duction figures.
Other factors are slowing up
production output in other plants
as, for instance, the drop in heavy
bomber production on the assembly