By the Middle of 1953

Charles Wilson, whose job is to give the nation the tools of war, had a more cheerful picture to paint. At first glance, it seemed to run counter to Marshall's pessimism, but in reality Wilson was picturing a different section of the U.S. landscape--the humming, hustling American factories in spectacular production. Defense Mobilizer Wilson ebulliently reported: the U.S. is rapidly reaching a point where no nation will dare attack it.

In his first formal report since becoming chief mobilizer 3 1/2 months ago, he said:

P: The past nine months have been the "tooling-up stage"; one year from now "we and our allies will have achieved formidable strength." Two years from now "we should have military and economic strength to give us reasonable safety against aggression."

P: By year's end, spending may reach close to $1 billion a week. By mid-1953 U.S. production lines will be ready to support a total war.

P: Defense production will represent 15% of total national production by year's end. By early 1952, the figure will rise to 20% which--short of total war--will be the maximum required. At that level, it will scarcely touch the civilian economy (see BUSINESS). At the high point of World War II, 45% of the nation's production was in war goods.

P: The U.S. has already supplied its allies with 1,000,000 tons of military equipment, not counting aircraft and naval ships.

Defense production will require 3,000,000 to 4,000,000 more workers, said Wilson, but there need be no compulsory controls over civilian manpower. The greatest danger is, and will be, inflation. There must be changes in the Defense Production Act to limit farm prices, still going up under the parity law. There must be higher taxes, more individual savings, tighter shackles on credit and on all prices & wages, and a new rent-control law.

All this will take some doing. It will take, said Wilson, "a subordination of selfish ends . . . beyond what is commonly demanded in any period short of actual war ... All of us must remember in the months ahead that it is vastly better to prevent a war, if we can, than to win one--and the surest course toward prevention of World War III is through building the might of America."' Charles Wilson obviously felt in every pore of his body that the might could & would be forthcoming.

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