NEED FOR SPEED

Evening Post, Volume CXXXII, Issue 77, 27 September 1941, Page 9

NEED FOR SPEED

Supplies to Russia Via Persia

LONDON, September 26.

The need for rushing war material from Britain and the United States along the Persian route to Russia has been stressed by a Russian spokesman in Iran. He recognised that Britain had to supply a big army in the Near East, and expressed appreciation for the promise that shipping would be diverted to carry tanks, munitions, and other supplies for Russia to the Persian Gulf.

Speed, he said, was the prime factor, owing to the German threat to Rostov, which might in the next two months go further and outflank the Russian communications in the Caucasus.

he said, "sufficient attention has not been paid to the subject, neither has there been due consideration of the fact that the workers have had to carry on through two 'black-out' winters, with long hours of intense production. What has been proved, however, is that serious difficulties have been caused in the world of production during this past year by irregular hours, some of them necessarily due to the circumstances of the moment, but others enforced and operated without regard to the most precious and valuable of all machines —the human machine. It seems to me that in war this question of optimum hours is not so much one of bargaining, but one demanding the scientific approach."

The absence of proper understanding of problems of personnel had been one of the greatest handicaps in the present struggle, Mr. Bevin declared, and he pleaded for recognition of managers of personnel being-equal in industry with other executive heads.

ENEMY'S LONG START,

On the question of sustained effort, Mr. Bevin said: "It is well to remember in this mechanised war that our factories and productive capacity are pitted against not merely those, of Germany but also the countries the Nazis have overrun. We have a small population, our raw materials have to be brought from overseas, and the enemy has had many years' start. It is clear now that long before Hitler came into power regard was being paid in Germany to the possibility of factories being switched over to war production quickly. On the other hand, we were merely going along with commercial business until the war broke out, and were not taking seriously into account the demands that would inevitably fall upon us.* There was very great delay in the swing-over from peacetime to wartime production. Therefore, if this deficiency on our side is to be made good and parity reached, spasmodic effort is not enough. It may serve as a momentary stimulus, but its effect is not usually lasting. Factors that will count are the timing of the flow of materials and components and the sustaining of effort over a long period, with continuously increasing rhythm. Nothing, I suggest, is so irritating to workpeople as to be screwed up to a great pitch and then to have a period of reaction and slack work and idling."

Mr. Bevin emphasised the need for everyone responsible for production to turn his attention to getting: the greatest possible use out of the total available skill. "I would emphasise again," he said, "that it is not only the fighting men that have to be provided, but servicing and transport, and with the speed of the modern army this is intensified."—B.O.W.