HUGE SCALE

Waikato Times, Volume 127, Issue 21187, 9 August 1940, Page 2

HUGE SCALE

NATIONAL OUTPUT MUNITIONS FACTOR ENOUGH TO DECIDE WAR (From a Correspondent) LONDON, June 21 Among the many factors which will have to be taken into consideration now that France is out of the war, none is more important than the magnitude of the material assistance which we can expect from America at the rate at which it can be increased from its present level, states a special correspondent in the NewsChronicle. On the basis of her steel supplies, which is a rough and ready measure of the weight of metal which can be employed on the battlefield, America’s war potential is enormous. Even in 1939, when she produced crude steel well below her capacity, her output was considerably bigger than that of Germany (and the countries controlled by her) and Italy whose industries went all out in that year. Steel Output Compared If Germany were able to obtain control over France’s steel industry, and if her own output and those of Italy could be maintained--which is doubtful—her steel supplies would be roughly double those of the United Kingdom and the Dominions. But even then she would not be able to produce much more than onehalf the steel America can manufacture. At the end of 1935 America’s crude steel producing capacity was rated at no less than 73,000,000 tons per annum. America’s other manufacturing resources are in proportion to her steel-producing capacity. In 1929, for example, she produced nearly 5,500,000 motor vehicles, whereas the outputs of Britain and France have never appreciably exceeded 500,000 and 250,000 vehicles per annum. Blow the Enemy to Pieces Germany and Italy, in their best year up to 1938, never produced more than 350,000 and 75,000 motor vehicles respectively. America also possesses other big metal industries adapted to mass production methods, and the size of her engineering industry proper is far greater than that of any other country. If America’s metal industries were to be turned over to the manufacture of aircraft, tanks, guns and other engines of war, the weight of the resulting output, if it could be effectively employed, would be sufficient to blow to pieces any combination of possible enemies. There can be no doubt about that. Astonishing Expansion Envisaged It is, of course, true that the decisive factor at the moment is not so

much America’s potential munitionproducing capacity as the rate at which she can change over from the manufacture of motor cars, typewriters and other metal goods to that of aircraft, tanks and guns. Once she had made up her mind to go all out, however, her munitions output is likely to expand at an astonishing rate and put that of Germany and Italy into the shade. She has all the organisers, the skilled labour and the raw materials she needs. Members of the Ford concern, for example, are reported to have put it on record that, after six months of preparation, that concern could turn out one thousand standardised aeroplanes per day.