Typewriters Drafted

Less typewriter clatter in the U.S., more small-arms clatter on all fronts was a WPB demand last week. Typewriter men, called to Washington to view a table full of knocked-down rifles, revolvers, and other arms, nodded a grim okay. Some were already making 40-mm. projectiles, primers, fire-control equipment. Now they will make more.

To do so, Typewriterdom's Big Four (Royal, Remington, Underwood, Smith & Corona) expect to cut production of standard machines 25% under the 1941 rate until April 1, thereafter 40%. After March 15 they will make no more noiseless machines at all; and after April 1, no more portables. Furthermore, all portables made from now on will be reserved for Army & Navy.

The Government, already by far the biggest customer of the typewriter industry, took 222,000 of the 722,000 standard-sized units made last year. Henceforward Government and defense industries will get them all, authors, students, offices, and households none.

As a pioneer of mass production through interchangeable parts, the typewriter industry ranks close behind Singer, Cadillac and Colt's Patent Fire Arms. Today its array of small precision tools is one of the most impressive in the U.S. WPB told the industry last week not to expect new special tools for its munitions work, but to use what it has. Not to save steel (typewriters took only some 25,000 tons last year) but to mobilize these tools was the main objective of WPB's curtailment plans.

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