War Day by Day

Taranaki Daily News, 23 September 1940, Page 6

War Day by Day

Comment on the News Production of Aircraft Curiosity of Millions (By Our Special Observer.) If there is one subject upon which speculation has alternated between the extremes of gloomy forebodings and wishful thinking it is, above all others, that of aircraft production. From the days when the egregious Colonel Lindbergh swayed vital Cabinet decisions with his "revelations" of Germany's air strength, through to the present with the daily air war balancesheets available for consideration, the output of the production machine behind the air forces ' of the respective belligerents has been a topic which has piqued the curiosity of millions of people. The greatest publicity was given to the statement of Mr, Henry Ford who, after examining an American single-seater fighter in June last, said he could make 5000 planes a day if need be. The wellinformed English paper Aeroplane paid Mr. Ford the compliment of subjecting his statement to its expert examination. It pointed out that in 1918 the German Fokker compan.y with 1800 workers was able to turn out only eight fighters a day. Those planes are estimated to have required a twenty-fifth of the man-hours needed for the production of a modern machine. Therefore, even supposing that by mass-production methods Henry Ford could cut the man-hours down to ten times more than Fokker's, he would still need 11,250,000 men to build his planes. Since this figure exceeds the total combined populations of New York, Chicago, and Detroit, Mr. Ford's statement was the least feasible of the many the burning topic of the past few years has produced. To wards the end of July last a triangle of personalities comprising the Canadian Defence Minister, Lord Beaverbrook and the United States Secretary of the Treasury, produced the amazing figure of 3000 planes a month as that to which American supplies to Britain would be stepped up. The figure, it was said, would be reached early rtext year and would then continue at that rate for 24 months. Since the present inflow of American planes to Britain has been authoritatively stated to be 500 a month, it is evident that a remarkable acceleration of production must be achieved in a very short time if the total mentioned by the three Ministers is to be even approached. However, the yardstick which must be used to ascertain the number of aeroplanes required to attain and hold air supremacy must be that of Germany's present air strength and of her production potential. A good authority places the air fleet of the Reich at 16,000 planes. This figure includes troop carriers, but not training planes. The German factories are said to have some time since reached their peak, representing 1800 aircraft a month, not including trainers. Britain Behind, but Catching Up As far as present operational strength is concerned it has been made clear on many occasions by authorities from Mr. Churchill down that Britain is considerably behind Germany. But daily the position is becoming more reassuring as the balance is adjusting itself. Last month it was stated that Britain had passed Germany's current monthly production. To add to this figure is that of 200 a month from the United States, plus more than 100 a month from the Canadian factories. The position is therefore most heartening, particularly in view of the fact that the ratio of losses in the respective air fleets is so very much against the Nazis. What effect upon the production from the factories the bombing of Britain is having is a matter that may alter all calculations, but here we have the assurance of Lord Beaverbrook that the check is not important. We know, too, that the German factories have suffered, and we may be sure that when the autumn storms blow up on the English Channel and ease the invasion problem, then once again the Nazi aircraft industry will receive the full force of the Royal Air Force's attacks. Big Problem For London. The problem of the greatest magnitude in Britain at the moment is that Of providing adequate shelter for the civil population of London. The report that a little-used section of the underground railway system is to be closed to traffic and adapted to provide a great air-raid shelter is an indication that the authorities are attacking a big problem in a big way. It is evident from the nightly migration to the tunnels of the underground railway stations that Londonders are not satisfied with the proteCtion afforded them in their residential localities, and from that it follows that the Government's policy of air-raid shelter based upon dispersal has been a failure. Whether the failure has been due to the inadequacy of the protection afforded by the small shelters, or whether a psychological factor is the main cause is not yet clear. However, with the approach' of winter, and the prospect of spending many of its nights in some sort of haven from the Nazi bombers' attentions, it is clear that the great population of the capital city must have an adequate measure of relief from the strain they are at present experiencing. When the real story is told it will probably be found that the masses of the people took the question of protection in a rather light-hearted fashion. The Anderson shelters were not taken seriously by many people. Often they were erected in accordance with instructions, but no provision was made for draining them, with the result that after a rainstorm they were deep in water. Internal Condition of Spain. Considerable interest attaches to the fact that Senor Suner is still at Berlin, presumably awaiting the result of the negotiations between Herr von Ribbentrop and the Italian authorities. Something was said in this column a few days ago of the part Spain might be expected to play if induced by the Axis powers to enter the war. It becomes interesting in view of what is going on to look at the condition of Spain at the moment and her consequent worth to the Axis as an active fighting partner. To the poor everything is rationed. The bread ration consists of two small rolls, hard from brown flour adulterated with peas, beans, and potatoes, The olive oil in which Spaniards eat everything is rancid— the good oil has been sold to Italy. Eggs are rationed to one per person per week; milk is a luxury; tobacco is rationed: coffee is non-existent. Internally Spain is a wreck of a country, but its Falangists may seek to divert the people's attention from their miseries by promising them glories in the future if they will fight. But the people of Spain as a whole are war-sick after nearly. three years of strife. Spain could probably wage a short war, but would almost certainly become a liability in any jH-qL'&eted struggie.