The daily monitor leader. [volume] (Mount Clemens, Mich.) 1942-19??, 1945-11-13
. BEHIND THE SCENES
IN WASHINGTON .

gress, in its zeal to buy research,
is forgetting the practical end OF
scientific study, machines, tools,
production know how. These
men know the industrial prob
lem of making scientific theories
and formulas into actual weap-
ons of defense. They claim that
one is just as important as anoth-
er in keeping the nation ade-
quately defended.
1t has always been the SNUG
assumption of Americans that
". S. peace industry was so SUI
perior to other nations that il
could always arise to an emer-
gency, switch to war and out
produce any combination of enc
mics. That this assumption was
not wholly true, especially in the
aircraft industry. was proved
almost disastrously at the start
of World War IL.
CONGRESS DIDN'T LEARN
FROM WAR EXPERIENCE
These Army and Navy Off
Gals learned this fact the hard
way. But now they fear that
Congress didn't benefit by the
experience at all. The House
Appropriations Committee has
just approved funds for an air
craft production program in l946
for approximately 240O aircraft.
This is 2.5 per cent of the in
dustry's war winning peak OF
$4,000 airplanes in 1914.
In 1910 the industry turned
out about 5000 airplanes. 1t was
not until four years later that
the industry was able to hit its
real stride. On this basis, it is
felt by Army and Navy that if
the 2400 production program
represents government policy,
the aircraft industry will be
caught short in case of another
emergency.
1t is doubted by expe 5
whether the House-recommend-
ed production of 2400 planes is
enough to give the aircraft in
dustry adequate tooling. trained
personnel and production en-
gineering experience to expand
in less than three or four years
to war production.
With the growing conviction
that the atomic bomb is an in
strument of air power, lack of a
sufficiently 'ge aircraft indus
try is becoming one of the chief
worries of Air Force strategists
In the event of another war, they
point out, the u. S. won't have
a couple of years to expand its
industries the hard way. Ameri-
ca must have reserve aircraft
industry. This is why they fear
Congress is going overheard on
res care h and forgetting the
practical side of preparedness.
Pure research, which engi'
neers define as the ascertain
ment of ba c facts or theories
is not an end in itself. 1t must
be translated into a practical
useful weapon, Air Force pro-
duction experts claim.
ExJerience with the atomic
bomb itself and synthetic rubber
are gi"en as the best examples
of this thesis. American SC m
fists had the theory and basic
formulas of artificial rubber
long before the war. Producing
it was the big job. The theories
of nuclear physics which led to
making of the atomic bomb have
been known abstractly for years.
1t was industry which eventually
made lot Of scrubbed formulas
and ideas into a real bomb. In
dustrial strength was as impor-
tant as scientific strength.
This is said to be especially
true in aeronautical develop
ment. Research by q government
agency might turn up a new air
foil. But to apply this to a prac-
tical use it requires design, test
ing, continuous improvement to
take out bugs, and more testing.
Then you only have one air
plane. Further, il can't be prov
ed as an effective weapon, II Is
claimed, until several hundred
have been produced and tested
in tactical operatio ..