Evening star., 1947-11-02

times and in markets least likely
to cause any injury to the economy
of the United States and the world
Emergency Supplies
The Government is not in th'
stockpiling business because it be
lieves World War III is right arount
the corner. 1t actually has been II
it since 1889, but on a more SO"
and we'll thought-out basis
l945 as a result of the va sri
ence and in the belief that time viii
be of the essence in case of future
attack. The program initiated ir
1899 was not very effective because
World War II made more direct
emergency measures necessary.
Pepper, which the housewife stoot
in line for during the war only to gel
poor substitute black dust" il
among the items being collected
as "the only satisfactory means o
insuring an adequate supply for q
future emergency" There are 5;
items in this group. including coco
nut oil, castor oil. rubber. lead
iodine, sisal copper, nickel, plati-
mum and others with names which
force the layman to reach for the
nearest dictionary, Columbite, neces.
sary for the manufacture of jet
engines and good for practically
nothing else, for instance, is being
purchased in Nigeria, Brazil, South
Africa and Argentia.
Not all the materials are pur-
chased from abroad. Many are
bought right in the United States
as we'll as in foreign markets. Fac
tors which are taken into consld'
Grafton include whether or not the
materials would be available in case
of an emergency. Therefore. there
is much less likelihood that pur-
chases would be made in the West.
ern Hemisphere today than in Other
areas more likely to be cut of II
wartime.
Better Than Gold
Stockpiling, of course, is not {
difficult project to understand, a
the housewife will readily testify
1t is something like an ordinary in
surance policy person takes ou
on life or property. You pay pre-
MUM and receive a helpful paymen
in event of an accident or loss
Thus Uncle Sam invests HUNDREDS
of millions Of dollars on the future
Rear Admiral Roger w. Paine
Navy deputy executive chairman O.
the Munitions Board. goes a bi
further in describing the program
THE stockpile is better than thu
gold in Fort Knox" he said, for
in the event of a truly nationa
disaster, the materials could be usee
for barter.
Not that we contemplate any
such disaster, of course. but never
theless the materials being collected
conceivably could become that val.
liable"
From the defense standpoint the
program hardly can be challenged
although some congressman are apt
to turn to it first in any economy
drives since such cuts would have
the least immediate effect on theil
constituents. The program also con-
tains tremendous economic stabili'
zation factors.
A Munitions Board spokesman
pointed out that the program moi
only stockpiled commodities, but
time, manpower and shipping space
as we'll.
Six.Year Program
If it is allowed to run its course
there will be fewer great critica.
shortages in wartime such as was
the case with rubber during the las'
war, for instance.
Stockpiling is the business OF sew
eral Government agencies and de.
partments. The administrative body
in the program is the Munition.
Board which also has charge OF in.
dustrial mobilization. Until the pas
sage of the National Security (mil'
itary unification) Act in the las'
session of Congress it was the Army
and Navy Munitions Board. Tht
board is chairmaned by Thomas ]
Hargrave, president of Eastman
Kodak.
The Munitions Board is part o1
the National Defense Establishment
and as such it comes. under Defense
Secretary Forrestal. Sitting over
the board. in effect, is the Nationa
Security Resources Board, policy.
making agency which reports di-
rectly to the President. 1t is headed
by Arthur w. Hin, president Of
Greyhound Lines.
The Bureau of Federal Supplies
Treasury Department, does the
actual purchasing on orders from
the Munitions Board.
A $2,50O,000, ,0000 program Is con-
templated over a six-year period
Last year $1oo, 100000 was spent ir
this insurance against future at.
tack. A total of SITS 100000 will
Ibe spent this year.
1.-The overall estimate. of course
is subject to change by many condi.
tions such as those governing ap.
preparations. prices and availabil'
Iity of materials" Maj. Gen. Sidney
IP. Spalding, Army deputy executive
chairman Of the board, pointed out
Out Of Balance
The vast stores OF strategic and
critical materials bought during the
war and not used in the war effort
have not been lost. Large amounts
Of surplus bulk materials have beer
transferred to the stockpiles. The
board has estimated that the total
- III .,,.t, ,,,far;alA RI - trone