Contrasts

Everybody seemed to be remembering 1942. It was the period when new automobiles suddenly disappeared and a rubber tire brought $30 to $40, no questions asked. In that year ice cream was limited to ten flavors, and there was an abrupt end to such goods as metal hair curlers, refrigerators, radios and beer in cans. In Washington, the Wafflebottom Club was founded--for businessmen who spent long hours warming cane-bottom chairs in the anterooms of Government agencies. The drinking public discovered to its horror that every blast of a 16-in. gun consumed 60 precious gallons of alcohol in its powder.

Some Parallels. Mindful of those days, and what followed them--ration books, black markets, hoarding--many a U.S. citizen (considering himself just as patriotic as the next one) was jamming into the nation's department stores and automobile rows as if this time everything would be exactly the same. It wouldn't be. There were some parallels, but also deep contrasts.

Last time, the U.S. had to build and equip an Army and Navy of 12 million men; this time, its military manpower requirements were set, for the time being at least, at two or three million. Last time, the U.S. had to feed itself and nearly half of the world's 2 billion people; this time, it was feeding only itself and maybe some Koreans. Besides, it already had large surpluses in the cupboard (see BUSINESS). Sugar hoarding was unnecessary and foolish. Barring the kind of panic buying that brings on the controls that nobody wants, there should be enough meat and other foods, gasoline, sheets, soap, cooking fats, men's shirts, nylons, cigarettes, liquor, and women's & children's clothing. (Apparel wool for men's suits is not so plentiful, but probably adequate.)

Cartoonists, editorial writers and finger-wagging officials were putting all the blame on the consumer for his rush to stockpile what he thought to be scarce. But much of the scare buying and hoarding was really the work of manufacturers, suppliers and retailers.

Threads in a Web. Last time, U.S. supply lines ran like threads in a spiderweb in every direction to every corner of the world; last week they were spread across waters unmolested by enemy submarines to lands which--except for most of Korea --were friendly and grateful. In 1941 and '42, the U.S. had to build the war plants. In 1950, the plants were still there--they needed only reviving or retooling. Last time, the U.S. had no stockpiles to speak of, few tried war weapons; this time, it had fairly sizable stockpiles of some strategic materials (lead, bauxite, mica), good weapons and an imposing clutch of atomic bombs (on which the Russians obviously kept an uneasy eye).

Steel production capacity was far greater than before World War II. In steel the needs were greater than capacity as long as the big auto and building booms ran full tilt, but cutbacks in the civilian use of steel were coming. Home appliances would also suffer, and especially television sets, which use plenty of electronic gear. There was more natural rubber than in 1942, and synthetic plants that were either in operation or could be within a few months, but a fuller mobilization might still bring a civilian tire shortage.

All in all, the nation's economy was in pretty good health. It was capable of doing all that was being asked of it last week --and a whole lot more besides.

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