Evening star., 1946-08-26
Big Network Of Plants
Prepared for Quick
Shift 10 War Basis
By North Amerieon Newspaper Alliance

A gigantic network Of industrial
plants is being modified by the
Army Navy Munitions Board, ready
to convert the United States from
peace to war footing within "a
hours.
This was learned from highly re-
liable sources as official Washington
remained on the alert for possible
resumption of the diplomatic crisis
over the still unsettled Yugoslav and
Dardanelles situation.
Acting to meet any eventuality
the Munitions Board is reported
speeding plans for tightly inte-
grated overall industrial prepared
ness system that would give the
Nation a virtual ''push-button"
mobilization plan in the event of
another war. The entire program,
it was revealed, Is the outgrowth
Of repeated warnings from the mil
ttary that If there should be an
other war the United States would
be hit suddenly-the country would
not have two to three years to
AIcbii1Lcy do All bilC ldtC Wal
Quicker Mobilization Provided.
Under the program now under
study, full war production would be
not q matter of months, but of
days. Standby plants would start
to roll within few hours.
Key man in the proposed setup
would be former War Production
Board Chairman Donald M. Nelson,
who repeatedly has been invited
personally by President Truman to
confer on standby plants. These
plants would form the backbone of
the preparedness system.
Although officers insist nothing
that many details still are in the
formative" stage, the military
planners admit the scope of the
project is so vast, only the question
of the gigantic expenditures would
defeat the board in its main OBJ
jectives.'
Here is how one board planner
describes the project operation:
Dual production lines would be
set UP in key plants throughout |
the country to pour out peacetime |
products on one assembly and /
small amount of pilot" wartime
products on the other. The war
products would be continually
studied, tested and changed in ac-
cordance with the latest production
'know-how.'
Military Stats Planned.
Special military stats would be
placed in all key plants (as in Rus
sia> to supervise research and ex-
perimentation and to apply the
fastest production techniques, from
the raw material stage all the way
up the line to the finished product.
Standby plants and other war;
built factories would be set aside
in more than a score of jor in
dustrieS. They would be main
tanned as source of supply for
critical tools that would be required
on mass scale if war broke out
suddenly.
In some fields, such as aircraft.
aluminium, synthetic rubber and
other key industries, numerous rec
concentrations by various Govern
ment agencies already have been
drafted on the number of plants
needed. The final number presum-
ably would be settled by Army,
Navy and production officials.
Nelson May Act as Adviser.
Mr.. Nelson. it is understood, would
be asked either to advise on the
plants that should be maintained
on a full-time basis or to head
a new co-ordinat ting committee that
would have overall charge of the
key postwar plants.
Stockpiling Of critical materials
would be tied in with the general
preparedness program to insure a
steady supply of critical materials.
From time to time planners would
recommend or undertake purchase
Of scarce materials to insure
steady inventory.
Congress already has authorized
expenditure of sl,500,000,0 900 over
five-year period to lay by store
OF more than IS critical metals, min
erals and materials which may be
needed for future emerpepcv