Evening star., 1943-01-01
All Companies Help
Pass Ammunition !.
In Busy Year
Even Godset Makers 4
Add to 1943 Stream
Of Armament
- caznbstdse Asseciatse.

~ cambetdss Associates
You probably know that the 1943
model automobile you might have
had u demonstrating it, built-in
fire power In North Africa. You are
aware that your 1s43 model refriger-
atnr may be spraying cold lead in
the South Pacific. It is hard to ap-
pfociAte, however, Just how swiftly
and completely Americas great
peaoetime industries were converted
to war goods production.
In some industries, such as radio
and precision instrument manufac-
turing, little conversion was neces-
eary. Their peacetime products,
with slight adaptations, were in
strong demand for war use.
IN other industries, such as elec-
tzical appliance manufacturing, con-
version to war production meant al
most complete overturn. New ma
chimes and other equipment had to
be installed and production tech
nique completely revised.
Auto Conversions Cited.
The automobile industry is nat
urally the prime example Of wartime
conversion, chiefly because it was
the largest producer Of durable con-
sumer goods and had developed
assembly-line production most fully.
Even here, however, except for the
facilities devoted to manufacture Of
trucks, personnel and equipment
carriers, new machinery and new
plant layouts were necessary to
make the tanks, plane parts, guns,
shells and 10l other metal war
products.
In February last year the last
automobiles for civilian use were
completed. During the highest pro-
duction period Of the 1941 model"
year 100000 workers made vehicles
worth $4,000, ,0OO,00 Now the for
mer auto makers are employing
nearly 100000 workers, who are
turning out war goods at the rate of
$1,000, 900. 900 worth q year. The
automobile industry's production of
more than 200 needed items will
continue to increase, barring excess
i've changeovers, during 1943.
More Workers Employed.
Makers Of mechanical refrigera-
tnfs had rather more difficulties in
converting to war production, but
the change was made, and the in
dustry now employs substantially
more workers than at its peacetime
high. It produces a highly diver
sifled list of munitions-machin
guns and small arms, ammunition,
tank parts and plane parts, particu-
larry propellers.
Makers Of motorcycles had no con-
version problem whatsoever. Only
. speedup one. The demand Of the
Army for 65, 900 motorcycles in 1912
necessitated hurried expansion of
existing facilities.
Radio Buaness SosrA
Even though your new radio isn't
waiting you at your dealers, radio
manufacturers are hardly idle. In
l041 It was making about so, ,OO0, 900
worth Of radio equipment a month.
Now It does over 100000, 600 worth
Of business a month, all to supply
our armed forces and those of our
Allies.
It is impossible to list all the in
dustries, many Of them minute,
which have turned their plants vir-
tually 100 per cent into the produc-
tion Of the myriad Of items essential
to prosecution Of the war.
The makers of household appu-
Ances, the whisky distillers, all the
makers Of gadgets and widgets tn
which our convenience-loving Ma
ton delighted have gone to war
and will be In it for the duration.
The arsenal Of democracy became
genuinely Nation and industry wide
In 1912,