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. landscapethe 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 3½ months ago, he said:
¶ The past nine months have been the "tooling-up stage"; one year from now "we and our allies will...