Evening star., 1943-09-05
IT, 5. Tank Production
Cut 4O96 al Request
OF Soviet and Britain

Of Soviet and Britain
BY the Associated Press.
The Army's tank production
program has been cut back ap-
proximately 40 per cent in the
last six or seven months, prin-
cipally because of cancellations
of British and Russian orders
for medium tanks.
Maj. Gen. Lucius D. Clay, director
of materiel for the Army Service
Forces, said yesterday in an inter-
view that the cutback represents a
dollar value reduction in this years
program of slightly more than one
third.
For 1914, the reduction viii be
about so per cent, he said, but pro-
duction will be still slightly ahead
of 1s43. For both years, said Gen.
Clay, the original schedules were
fixed nearly two years ago.
Few Plant Shutdowns.
Few If any plant shutdowns have
resulted from the cutback. Gen.
Clay said he knew of no prime con-
tractors whose plants had been
closed, though some sections of
larger plants may have been shut
down. The result among the many
thousands of subconstractors is
more difficult to determine. he
added, but even among these the
majority, at least, had shifted to
other war production.
The cutback began early this
spring, when the Russians suddenly
Cancelled orders for between 5000
and 5000 medium tanks, Gen. Clay
said. That was followed shortly by
wholesale reduction of British or
ders. Subsequently, the Russians re.
newed some of their tank orders
this explains the higher production
outlook for 1914 than for 1943-
but their overall requirements for
American tanks still are only about
one-third the original 1884 sched.
ule.
All the factors influencing the
action of the Russian government
are not known, said Gen. Clay, but
the primary consideration undoubt-
edly was that the Red Army needed
other things - particularly trucks
and locomotives+more than addi-
tional tanks. Shipping space and
port facilities were limited, so the
tank orders were reduced.
Many Reasons Given.
CA similar explanation had
come earlier from other quar-
ters. As long ago as April, the
Russians cutback was attributed
officially to "the assistance given
to that country to build up its
awn tank industry, to changes
in battle conditions, and to the
limiting Of port facilities" Also.
the Red Army is understood to
have a substantial "windfall" of
captured German armor.
(No- such full explanation Is
available on the British cancel
lations, but it was said In in
formed quarters that the British
probably had overestimated their
tank requirements because of an
optimistic timetable on the war
assuming more rapid progress
OF operations, and therefore
greater losses Of armored eqaip-
ment than have occurred.)
Contrasted with these heavy cut
backs in British and Russian re-
quirements for American tanks,
said Gen. Clay, is the reduction Of
estimated requirements for cur own
Army by only 10 per cent. All
American armored divisions are
now equipped with medium tanks,
he added.
Shift to Locomotives.
When the lease-lend orders were
trimmed heavily, the plants first
affected were those of three loco
motive manufacturers-Lima, Bald.
win and American. There were no
plant cloSings, however, said Gen.
Clay-all three were shifted inme-
diately to production of locomotives
for Army and lease-lend require
ments.
Still other tank plants had to be
shifted, however. The tank orders
at Pacific Car and Foundry, Seattle,
next were Cancelled, and this plant
Is now converting to production
for the Boeing Aircraft Co. The
decision to cancel the tank orders
at Pacific Car and Foundry rather
than at some other tank plant, said
Gen. Clay, was based on the criti-
cal labor situation in Seattle and
the urgent necessity to increase the
output OF heavy bombers by Boeing.
Latest of the large tank contract
examinations is that with Pullman
Standard Car Manufacturing Co,
Chicago, where a $4,000, 900 order
is being tapered off, with the plant
shifting to production of aluminium
parts for the aircraft industry.
With all the cutbacks, said Gen.
Clay, there are still three large
manufacturers of medium tanks
working at capacity to fill replace
ment needs of the United States