HOPE OF VICTORY WITHIN SIX MONTHS

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIII, Issue 114, 16 May 1942, Page 7

HOPE OF VICTORY WITHIN SIX MONTHS

AMERICAN HUSTLE

Huge Arms Programme For

Immediate Future

United Press Association.—Copyright. Rec. 1.30 p.m. NEW YORK, May 15. The growing conviction of the American High Command that the war may be settled in the next six months is reported by the Christian Science Monitor Washington correspondent. He adds that President Roosevelt has approved action by the War Production Board based on this judgment, namely, the concentration of actual" arms production in existing factories rather than on time in the constructing of new factories. Mr. Donald Nelson, chairman of the board, has been conferring with key officials of the Army, Navy and Maritime Commission. Other leading agencies are directing every phase of arms production, aiming at the immediate reorientation 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, and therefore the longrange plant-building programme will be sharply curtailed, and vast quantities of steel and other vital materials will be released for a gigantic arms production programme for today and to-morrow.

Staggering War Demands

Mr. Nelson, in a speech last night, paid a tribute to the various prewar defence production agencies for planning and ordering in the last two years new plants, which are now coming into production. The staggering demands of the present war effort and resultant shortages of time and materials, however, had caused a shift of emphasis from the erection of new plants to the conversion of peace time factories. "We know it will do no good whatever to turn out a flood of goods a year from now if we don't have adequate equipment and supplies for emergencies that will certainly arise this year." The Washington correspondent of the Herald-Tribune says American war leaders have decided to make immediate and most drastic changes in the war production programme with a view to speeding up the already tremendous output of weapons. They expect that these changes will supply the United Nations so fully with armament that victory will be achieved within six months or a year from now. The changes include three major points. Firstly, the abandonment of the construction of new plants, because all metals and materials must be used directly for weapons. Secondly, to drive to the maximum the exploitation of all existing plants. Thirdly, reconsideration of the entire aeroplane building programme with a view to the construction besides bombers and fighters of a huge fleet of giant transport planes to replace the cargo capacity of ships sunk by enemy action.

Head Tax Urged

Mr. Henry Morgenthau, Secretary of the Treasury, advocated to-day a minimum head tax of several dollars on everyone filing an income tax return, regardless of the amount of income. Under existing laws millions of persons at present filing returns escape because deductions exceed income. Mr. Morgenthau suggested five dollars was a suitable minimum for the head tax and estimated that the Treasury could collect 100,000,000 dollars from this source.

A message from Ottawa states that the Minister of Munitions and Supply, Mr. C. D. Howe, told the Canadian House of Commons that Canadian war industry had reached the 4,000,000,000 dollars mark, "compared with almost zero in 1939." The aeroplane industry had been amplified very extensively in personnel, and at present puts out 400 planes monthly.

The House of Commons cheered enthusiastically when Mr. Howe further disclosed that Canada was launching a 10,000-ton merchant ship every four days and hopes to reduce the period soon to three days.