Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-07-14
Nelson Asks Industry
To Speed Output by
War Ad Messages

oy INC hssOSihbcQ HTeSS.
Donald M. Nelson urged Ameri-
can business today to throw its
weight, through war message adj
vertising, into the effort to shake
off a production slump-caused in
part, he said, by "a false and dan
gerously premature feeling that the
war is in the bag
The War Production Board chair
man, participating with other high
officials in a broadcast launching
the War Advertising Councils
drive for "a war message in every
ad," disclosed that June war pro-
duction missed its $500 000, 900 goal
by one-half billion dollars.
In order to meet the urgent de-
mands of the armed services, huge
production goals were set for 1943. -
Mr.. Nelson said. I'VE are not cur
rently meeting those goals from
month to month.
Staggering Job Ahead.
Production in May was unsat-
isfactory. Production in June, al
though better than in May, still
did not show much improvement.
Il want to state bluntly, here and
now, that If we are to meet our over
all schedules for 1943, the American
industrial front faces a staggering
job
Joining in the symposium, Direc-
tor Elmer Davis of the Office of
War Information declared the task
of mobilizing the home front to
hasten victory needs the technique
that is the voice of American busi-
ness-advertising"
Mr.. Nelson, pointing to a 40 per
cent increase in aircraft production
in the first half Of the year and a
Is per cent increase in munitions
output, said the Nation is doing a
good job, but mot good enough" to
meet the military needs of the
United Nations.
Several factors are responsible,
he said-"one of the factors is a
shortage of industrial manpower
Another is absenteeism. Another is
strikes. Another is false and dam
gerously premature feeling that the
war is in the bag"
The Government is dealing with
these problems, Mr.. Nelson said. but
needs help in making the civilian
population understand the need of
intensifying the war effort.
Message in Every Ad.
Mr.. Nelson said "a war message
in every ad' can do much to bring
about another great upward surge
of energy in this country-a surge
that will enable us to turn out
more of the stuff that our fighting
men need to batter the Axis to sur
render
Mr.. Davis declared the military
offensive can be expected to grow
swifter and heavier. which means
that we shall have to expend larger
and larger amounts of materials
and suffer heavier casualties"
That means We need a better
organized. more efficient home
'front.'" the Owl chief said.
Halls Teamwork.
Mr. Davis said the teamwork of
the War Advertising Council and
Federal agencies had resulted in in
dustry contributions of advertising
space and time estimated at more
than a quarter of billion dollars
during the past year-yet all this,
like our military offensive opera
tons, is just a start"
Food Administrator Marvin Jones
said Americans must be taught that
the waste of food in wartime is "a
national SIM and the assistance of
business is essential in teaching
such conservation.
1T is estimated that in peacetime
the average American wastes some
200 pounds of food each year. Mr..
Jones said. Multiply this by $780,
100000 and that represents almost
10000, 100000 pounds of food poured
into garbage pals in peacetime. This
alone would would be enough to sup
ply a large army"
Another speaker. Fred NJ Vim
son, economic Sterilization director,
called imitation our deadliest and
most insidious enemy on the home
front-"the mortal foe of every bank
deposit, every insurance policy and
every War bond
He said his staff will exercise all
the powers which We possess to hold
this line" because IF we allow prices
and wages to rise the cost of the
war will be materially increased"
Al - n ~ -