U.S. WAR PRODUCTION

Dominion, Volume 35, Issue 174, 20 April 1942, Page 6

U.S. WAR PRODUCTION

Turning Point In Battle Believed Passed MANPOWER MEASURE BY PRESIDENT (Received April 19, 10 p.m.) NEW YORK, April 18. The Chief of the War Production Board, Mr. Donald Nelson, declared that the United States was now over the hump in war production and by the end of the year will have outstripped the reserves piled up by Hie Axis nations. In a sjieech to the American Society of Newspaper Bditoiv, Mr. Nelson asserted that "There is in every battle a turning point—the moment at which Hie side that finally is going to win gets past the critical point. We have not yet won the battle of production, but i honestly believe we have passed the turning j>oiiit.” President Roosevelt has appointed a commission of nine under the chairmanship of Mr. Paul -McNutt, one time High Commissioner in the Philippines’, to “bring about the most effective mobilization and the maximum use of the nation’s manpower for the prosecution of the war.” The commission will include Mr. Donald Nelson, and representatives of the Navy, War, Agricultural and Labour Departments. The President’s executive order empowered the commission to "issue directions to all the various agencies of Hie Government which now have the functions? of training and supplying manpower,” and added that, while the order throughout mentions manpower, nevertheless it definitely includes womanpower, and a sitecial announcement will soon be made in respect of voluntary registration of women throughout America for their mobilization in the war effort. The White House disclosed that lend-lease aid for .Russia in March exceeds by 250 ]»er cent, deliveries made in February and the total lend-lease aid to the Allies in March was? 6,000,000 dollars. Vallie of Blimps. A message from Moffett Field. Sunnyvale, California, slates that Rear-Admiral Greenslade declared that the navy’s use of blimps for convoy protection ami submarine patrol were so effective that on both United States coasts no convoy had yet lieen successfully. attacked while under blimp convoy. Admiral Greenslade s’poke at. the formal commissioning of Moffett Field as the oiieratiiig headquarters for blimps used in coastal patrol. Admiral Land, the shipping administrator. announced that the Government has requisitioned all vessels of the American merchant marine still held in private ownership. The requisitioning involves? several hundred ships. Congressional attention to proposals for Hie suspension of the 40hour week as it related to war ami labour issues turned sharply today Inward unionization of farmers. This I’nst-spreading movement in ought agricultural organization spokesmen liefore the House Judiciary Sub-Commit-tee in a mass protest. Witnesses declared that the American "food tor freedom" programme was faced with danger if Mr. lohn L. Lewis. til-’’ new dairy-farmers’ union and other active union groups attained th; i’ organizatiuua) objectives.