The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1945-01-25
Behind The Scenes
American Business
BY John Crdddock

prOlOIlSdGlOu VI Glle
war with Germany have re-
strained the enthusiasm with
which Americans are won't to
celebrate the dawning of a new
year. Yet there is much that
this country can rejoice in as
it contemplates the outlook for
1915.
Our fighting men have pack
ed into one year a record Of
military and naval accomplish
ment unparalleled in history.
They are better clothed and bet
ter fed than the fighters of any
other nation, and, with minor
exceptions, their equipment is
superior in quality and guam
tity to that of the enemy both
in Europe and in the Pacific.
At home, civilians too are the
best clothed and fed of any
civilians anywhere, despite the
shortages and the necessity for
stricter rationing.
Production Forces Intact
Moreover, agriculture and in
: dustry - upon which nations
must place greater reliance than
in any previous war - have, in
America, been unScathed by en-
envy occupation or enemy bombs.
The superior industrial and ag-
ricultural machine, which Am
erica possessed as early as
World War I and has since built
up to much greater proportions
is prepared to maintain with I'M
diminished vigor the vital battle
of production.
This is the keynote of the
year-end statements of our lead
ers in many lines of important
homefront endeavor. THE Auto
mobile industry will not have to
chart its course for 1945," says
j. w. Frazer, president of Ora
ham-Paige Motors. 1T is the
same one followed so diligently
for the past three years = win
the war as quickly as possible py
producing fighting weapons on
a scale unequaled in the nations
history.
The potent industrial force
which America has mobilizied to
the point or being a decisive
FACTOR in the drives of the Unit
ed Nations on every front is
symbolized in the mircle that
has occurred in rubber. This is
source of the nations rubber
ton in the year-end statement
Of John L. Collyer, president of
the B. F. Goodrich company,
who says that Americas War
born synthetic rubber industry
emerged in 1914 as the major
soudce of the nations rubber
supply, accounting for 80 per-
cent of the years consumption.
Even more significant, he says
is the fact that synthetic rubber
production has climbed from a
mere 5000 tons in 1941 to- rate
Of 100000 tons a year, which is
faster than this nation ever con-
stunned rubber, even in the all
time record year of 1941, when
$4,000 tons were used. The
number one problem of the rub
Der industry now and in 1945,
Mr.. Collyer points, out, is not
raw material, but how, with the
manpower available, to build the
material into sufficient war
goods to meet the desperate
needs.
aluminium "Over The TOP"
AS If rubber were not enough
we can also view with pride the
country's achievement in multi
plying by several times the capa-
war and aviation metal, alum
city for production of the vital
mum. In fact, says I. w. Wilson,
vice-president of Aluminium Co.
of America, the industry in 1914
went far enough "over the top
In supplying needs of the Unit
ed States and it's allies to per-
NIT WPB to close down entirely
a number of government-oWned
aluminium plants, releasing
thousands of workers to she'll
producing plants and other
critical industries which need
them badly for the final, all-out
victroy drive.
Even with substantial concur
rent reduction in Alcoa's pro-
duction, aluminium is still being
made in this country at a rate
! three times that of the peace