INDUSTRIES AND DEFENCE

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21714, 22 February 1936, Page 15

INDUSTRIES AND DEFENCE

BRITAIN PLANNING ORGANISATION SPECIAL ATTENTION TO AIRCRAFT RAPID RESPONSE TO WAR NEEDS (UNITED PBESB ASSOCIATION—COPYBIGHT.) (Received February 22, 12.30 a.m.) LONDON, February 21. The "Daily Telegraph" says that the Government is preparing farreaching plans to organise industry to supply the requirements of the defence services. It is intended to avoid unnecessary disturbance of normal manufacturing, to minimise profiteering, and to safeguard manufacturers against the effects of laying down and maintaining plant for emergencies when there are insufficient orders to meet overhead costs. It is also recognised that industry must be enabled to respond rapidly to a sudden demand in the early days of a war, and thereafter to maintain essential supplies, especially as future wars will develop more rapidly than in 1914. It is understood that a member of the Cabinet, assisted by technical experts, will be appointed to co-ordin-ate industries. These will probably be assisted by Lord Weir, who is already advising Lord Swinton (Secretary for Air) on the expansion of the air force.

The Government is impressed by the manner in which dictatorships, in time of; peace, organise industries and regiment labour in a way only possible to democracies in war time; but it has not based its plans on dictatorships, although is is preparing, to finance various essential industries. Special attention will be given to the manufacture of aircraft in which war wastage will probably be a determining factor in victory or defeat. It is considered that the opening of a struggle would occupy a fortnight, employing all forces on both sides; there would follow a lull which, assuming neither side was defeated, would enable industry to get into its stride.