The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1943-07-23
TEAMWORK THE AXIS CAN'T
BEAT
n Jones
j. e. Jones

Washington, July 19-Teamwork
isn't new to American industry but
probably never before has 1t been
developed to such high degree
among all kinds of manufacturing
companies, large and small, now uni
ted in a common goal.
"Subcontracting has played a ma
jor role in the miracle of produc-
ton which has confounded Axis
prophets and upset Axis timetables"
says C. E. Wilson, president of Cen
eral Motors, which currently is turn
ing out war materials for the armed
forces at rate of more than $10,-
100000 a day. "It was in good part
the application of industry's time
tested technique Of teamwork to the
job of arming the nation that enabled
us to change over from civilian man
ufacture and hit our full stride of
war production in an unbelievably
short time"
Citing a recent survey of his own
company as an example, Mr.. Wilson
discloses that almost $4,000 differ
ent subcontractors and suppliers are
working with General Motors on its
war job. The output of these part
ners in production" has enabled G
M to stretch it's facilities and techni-
cal experience, Mr.. Wilson reports,
just twice as far as would otherwise
have been possible. Half of the pro-
duction effort on the average that
goes into the planes and tanks and
guns that this company furnishes
the armed forces is provided by these
1875 firms-some of them large,
many of them small.
A special survey Of organizations
furnishing the General Motors with
parts for air production discloses that
IA percent are small firms employ
ing fewer than 500 persons. OF these
small firms So per cent employ few
er than 100 persons.
There are several reasons, quite
aside from it's value to the war effort,
not only for the interest of General
Motors but for the best interests of
all of us in encouraging the wide
spread use of subcontracting, as
General Motors has done over the
years in peacetime. AS Mr.. Wilson
points out:
First of all, subcontracting re-
Juices to a minimum the expansion
of facilities beyond the point where
they will be needed for postwar man
ufacturisg. In the second place, it
helps to ease manpower shortages.
And, finally, it helps to insure the
survival of those smaller companies
which are the backbone of the Ameri-
can economic system.
There's teamwork the Axis never
can beat.
Peace Can Be Made To Work
Out of all the talk in recent
months on the subject of the post
war world, the most comforting
statement comes from a man whose
business is research and the inven-
ton and improvement of things me-
chanical. Charles F. Kettering, with
his practical view as a successful
inventor, says:
II think the future can be almost
anything we want it to be. If we take
into consideration the factors we
have to build the future with-peo-
pie, things, climate and everything
else--then we can 60 ahead and do
swell job!"
Today, more than ever, we need
statesmen who can take a tip from
the research wizard and apply the
scientific process to postwar prob
lens by starting with careful in
ventory of all the factors that we
have to be considered in arranging
the world of the future. In any case,
it is reassuring to hear from the man
who has made SO many new things
work that the peace can be made to
work also.
Congress And The New Deal