Evening star., 1943-08-09


r. Byrnes, di- David Lawrence.
rector Of Economic Mobilization, to
do something Immediately to solve
the problem.
In the first place, the figures In
airplane production" mean deliv-
cries for July. Thus an accumula-
tion Of airplanes produced on the
assembly line in June or even in
May but on which completion was
delayed either for lack of engines
or carburetors or parts would come
under July production" when fin
ished.
In the second place, the total
number of planes is not subdivided
into types of planes and the defini-
ton Of heavy bombers" is rather
sll-inclusive. Thus the drop-off in
production Of a certain type Of
heavy bomber which has been the
sensation of this war on all battle
fronts and for which overseas COM
manders everywhere are clamoring
Is not, Of course, disclosed in the
several statements of the WPB that
there has been an increase of 10
per cent in production of heavy
bombers.
Difficult TO Understand.
There is no intention by WPB to
mislead, as that is the way the fig
ures have been given out for some
time, and major trouble Is admitted
when reference is made officially to
the failure to meet the high sched-
ules set.
But the difficulty goes deeper than
failure just to meet schedules.
Americans can understand that the
goals might have been too high in
the first instance but they cannot
understand that one OF the principal
manufacturers of airplane engines,
whose output has been amazingly
large and has consistently from the
start Of this war been a mainstay in
engine production, suddenly finds
himself with drop that has been
estimated in one plant to be as high
as 80 per cent.
What also Is not understandable
is that some Of the precious heavy
bombers, which our air forces over
seas are begging for and which are
produced only in hundreds per
month, should show a production in
the last 30 days on the assembly
line which Is materially below what
1t has been In previous months.
Mr.. Byrnes comes into the picture
because of a belief that War Man
power Commissions failure to allo-
cate manpower properly and the
conflicts in the operation Of the
Selective Service System, together
with the inability of WPB to get
results 1t has set for itself, represent
. maladjustment between Govern
mental agencies covered by the
Presidents recent executive order as
being the responsibility of the Once
Of Economic Mobilization.
Causes Sought.
Mr.. Byrnes has dispatched some
able trouble shooters" to the plants
in question TO get at the causes, be-
cause 1t Is feared that the troubles
are basic and may emerge in other
airplane plants and thus be reflected
In figures for August and September
production.
The whole West Coast aircraft in
dustry, on which America is so de-
pendent not only for continuance
OF large figures in airplane produc-
ton but their actual increase, is
being thoroughly surveyed. Man
agement strain and the destruction
of incentive, particularly the Gov
ernment's failure to set up a ter
mination of war contracts solution
that viii not discourage manage
ment during the war, and a host Of
other difficulties are now adding I'D
to- a serious diminution OF produc-
ton.
Within the next fortnight there
ought TO be some constructive sug-
gestions for the handling OF the
problems that have brought such a
serious setback on the airplane
production front.
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