AMERICAN ARMS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23968, 19 May 1941, Page 9

AMERICAN ARMS

GROWING PRODUCTION

WAR-TIME ECONOMY

VIEWS OF JOURNALIST Among the passengers who reached Auckland from the I'nited States by the Honolulu (.'Upper on Saturday was an American foreign correspondent, Mr. Flvadore I'. Noderer. of the Chicago Tribune, who is on his way by air to Fgypt. Mr. Noderer was sent to Europe by hi.s paper in If'lß and remained there until the beginning of this year, seeing many phases of the war from the German side. He was with the German armies during the invasion of the Low Countries and the Jiattie of France, and now has boon accredited to the British Army in the Middle Fast. Must Back Britain Speaking of America's war effort, Mr. Noderer said that apart from considerations of sentiment and the views they held on the merits of the cause for which Britain and the exiled European Governments were fighting, Americans were convinced that unless they hacked Britain to the utmost they would be at war themselves in the western hemisphere within the next few years against: either Nazi Germany or Japan, or both.

The change from a peace economy to a war economy was proceeding rapidly, hilt the production of war material was only beginning to get, into its "stride. Ir, was probable that full output would not he approached until late in 1942, by which time America should be outbuilding Germany in aeroplanes. An example of the progress that had been made was the Curtiss-Wright Corporation, which manufactured among other things the Wright Cyclone aeroplane engine. This company in ]!)•% employed 4600 persons, and it was estimated that by the end of this year the number of employees would be 71,500. Fewer Cars Next Year The automobile industry was turning in ore and more to war production, said Mr. Noderer, and in consequence 20 per cent fewer cars would be turned out next year. The Chrysler Corporation was making tanks, the Ford Company aeroplanes and machine-guns, and the General Motors Corporation aeroplane engines. The manufacture of all kinds of components and small munitions was being taken up by an increasing number of smaller concerns. It was clear that America for some time to come would have to accept an economy based on her war industries. The prospect of having to change back in a period when Europe would be economically exhausted was not pleasant. However, the nation was convinced that there was an immediate job to bo done and was going ahead with it, leaving future troubles to be dealt with later.