The Ypsilanti daily press., 1945-09-18
Observations
Reconversion
Progressing Faster
Than Anticipated

man NAlNASA poNSA
The prophets OF gloom are wond-
sring whether they will have to do
a turnabout because the FIRST few
weeks following the japanese sur,
render have presented the country
with what looks like a pleasant sur
prise.
Reconyersion is moving ahead
faster than anticipated, unemploy-
ment is not as bad as had been
feared. and labor. industry and
government are inclined to be eau
tiously optimistic, about all pros.
poets.
WPB Chairman ]. A. Krug's first
reconversion report indicated a
rosy pictures for all the hard goods
industries making such civilian
items as automobiles. refrigerators,
washing machines, etc.
In each case the anticipated pro-
duction OF a given product by the
end OF l945 was a figure above prev
ious predictions. Industry general
ly has applauded the prompt remoV-
al of federal controls and through
these removals has been able TO
gear itself TO migh.production hg.
ures.
Further, the estimates probably
are on the conservative side, since
business traditionally will make
predictions that are below the
mark, II anything.
So Ii looks as IL Mr.. and Mrs.
America could expect to begin re-
ceiving a fair-sized trickle of con-
sumers' hard goods by January,
and year from now the experts
expect production sufficient to meet
any demand.
For instance, the motor car IN
dustry is expected to be turning
out cars at a rate OF six million
annually in 1916, which is two mil
lion cars more a year than before
Pearl Harbor. Car rationing will
end long before that-probably late
NAAAo gtdl VI HFAA car.
ONE OF THE BIGGEST HEAD
ACHES facing the federal govern.
ment is the disposition of surplus
property, especially the huge stock
pile of airplane motors and planes
of all types.
Airplane and engine manufactur-
ers fear that large-scale dumping
of planes and parts on the open
market will hinder reconyersion Of
those industries. which already
have been hard hit by contract can
cellations.
The aircraft industry at its war
time peak employed more than two
million workers, and the most opti-
mistic estimate for the postwar
years cuts that figure down to 500,-
900 or a little more.
At present the government has
more than 100000 aircraft engines
which have been declared surplus.
A test sale of 10000 has been
scheduled to determine how mar
ketable they are.
However, some manufacturers
say that sale of all the surplus
engines will food the peace-time
market and prevent companies
from turning out new models.
Manufacturers of other types Of
engines may be affected as well.
The surplus property board has en-
couraged engineering adaptability
to other purposes, such as standby
power generators.
BY the end of this year however.
government experts hope that
many of these reconversion prob
lens will be solved in such a way
that aircraft factories can go ahead
with their peace-time production
plans.
VISITING CONGRESSMEN who
held an audience with Pope Plus
XII later described the pontiff as
a grand soul"
"a Grand soul who spoke good
English" was the way that Rep.
Samuel A. Weiss (Dl OF Pennsvl-
vania, described the Pope after the
visit TO the Vatican.
Weiss wrote friends in the Unit
ed States that Pope Plus remarked
that I'VE were a young group and
told us that we should fight and
spend as much for permanent
peace as we fought and lavished on
war"
Like other Vatican visitors. the
congressman asked the Pope to