CHANGED IN U.S.A.

Evening Post, Volume CXXXIII, Issue 114, 16 May 1942, Page 6

CHANGED IN U.S.A.

WAR PRODUCTION PLAN

IMPORTANCE OF NEXT SIX MONTHS

(By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright (Rec. 2 p.m.) NEW YORK. May 15.

A growing conviction of the American High Command that the war may be settled in the next six months is reported by ihc Washington correspondent of the "Christian Science Monitor." He says' that President Roosevelt has approved action by the War Production Board based on this judgment—the concentration of actual arms production in existing factories rather (nan time-consuming construction of new^factories.

Mr. Donald Nelson has been conferring with key officials of the army and navy, the Maritime Commission, and t other leading agencies directing every phase of arms production, aiming at an immediate re-orientation of the entire United States war effort. Mr. Nelson's action suggests that the major | Allied offensive, once planned for 1943. has been radically advanced. | BUILDING CURTAILED. Therefore, the long-range plantbuilding . programme will be sharply curtailed and the vast quantities of steel and other vital materials will be released for a gigantic arms production programme for today and tomorrow. Mr. Nelson, in a speech last night, paid a tribute to the various pre-war defence production agencies for planning and ordering new plants in the last two years which are now coming into production. "The staggering demands of the present war effort and the resultant shortages of time and matei-ials. however, have caused a shift of emphasis from the erection of new plants to the conversion of peacetime factories," he said. "We know it will do no good whatever to turn out !a. flood of goods a year from now if jwe don't have adequate equipment and supplies for emergencies that are certain to arise this year."