Evening star., 1944-08-01
WARSAW REPORTED fired BY FLEEING NAZIS
Production Lao
PeriIs Victory,
'SoI1lerve|| Says
Service Forces Chief
Reports Shortages
In $40 VituI Items
BY NELSON M. SHEPARD,


BY NELSON M. SHEPARD.
With our armies poised to de-
liver Germany the Knockout"
blow, 1t. Gen. Brehon Somervell.
chief of the Army Service Forces.
disclosed today that American
war production is tagging so
critically in most of the major
demands Of overseas command
ers as to jeopardize an early vic
tory.
He warned press conference that
cur biggest demand will come on
the day Germany surrenders," ex-
planning that as the offensives are
stepped up production must be in.
creased accordingly.
Only after the defeat of Germany
can there be any letup in our war
production efforts, he declared.
Then we can begin to use our
total supplies against Japan and be-
gin curtailment Of production" he
said.
Give Our Boys Support"
Appealing to the Nation ito give
our boys in the field every bit of
support We can," Gen. SomervelI
drew one of the gloomiest pictures
OF tagging war production that has
been presented to date by important
Army leaders.
Peak production for the Army
Service forces, which supplies
nghting equipment, was achieved in
November, 1943, in the amount of
s., 2,l12, ,000, 900, and had fallen OF in
June to $l,852 900 900, he disclosed.
The shortages fall into $40 vital
categories, in 80 Of which he said
the amount on hand Is less than SO
per cent of the minimum reouire-
ments of our overseas commanders.
Among the most urgent require.
ments now falling far short of de.
mands, he listed heavy artillery am
munition. Heavy trucks and other
Army vehicles, rubber tires, radio
and radar equipment, wound heal.
ing drugs. construction equipment,
clothing and many other critically
important items were included.
Lengthens wsrk Day.
An increase Of over $3.50 900 900
IN the monthly rate Is required to
reach the peak requirement Of So
SoS. .000, 900 in October Of this year,
II goals are to be obtained" he said,
Gen. Somervel1 made these some.
what alarming disclosures in ex-
planation Of his recent order adding
an extra hour to the work day IN
all functions under the service
forces where an important backlog
OF work has accumulated.
"A longer working day and q
postponed vacation are small sacri-
fees in comparison with the lives
OF American soldiers" he declared.
Gen. Somervell attributed lack Of
manpower as the basic reason for
the shortages in producing the
fighting equipment for the nearly
1000, 900 Army men overseas. There
Is enough material on hand, but
there are strong evidences of men
leaving essential industry to 70
into nonessential work for better
pay, he declared.
Need Weapons for Knockout.
I'VE are on the home stretch" be
said, in referring to the situation
In Germany. We've showed the
other fellow into corner and we've
got to have the things to give him
the knockout blow. That will come
sooner if we all pull together. That
is the message I seek to convey"
he said.
Gen. Somervell disclosed for tho
first time that since last March
10000 civilians have been added to
the personnel rolls of the Army
Service Forces. A reduction OF l6
per cent in the ASF civilian per-
sonnel before last March compared
with June, 1943, was justified, he
claimed, by the elimination of use
less work and the streamlining
which made cuts possible.
He indicated the 10000 civilians
added to the rolls since March are
about one-fourth of the 168, $40 on
peak production during the past
year.
Absenteeism in many OF the Army
war plants where it is "less COM
Portable to work in the summer"
was given by him as q contributing
factor to the lag in production.
Heavy Ammunition or Lives.
I'VE have our choice" Gen. SOM
erveu said. "We can expend more
heavy ammunition in more big guns,
or we can expend more lives"
He declared that experience in
italy and Normandy has proven
beyond argument" that the more
big shells we throw at the enemy,
"the faster our advance, and the
lower our casualties will be-"
Gen. Somervell defined the two
factors In the production lag:
First is the fact that we did not
get enough production In the first
half Of the year. and secondly, the
increased requirements In our over
seas theaters necessitate a much
(see sOMERvELL, Page A-I0.)
Busch Reported Suicide