OPINION: The Managers and Defense

From FORTUNE'S sixth Forum of Executive Opinion—sounding board for the nation's 35,000 top management men—came this week the first broad description of how defense is changing the pattern of U.S. business, as the managers see it.

Most surprising report came from men in commerce and retail trade. In this field 65.2% of FORTUNE'S businessmen said their supply of important merchandise items had been curtailed. Tightest were articles made of iron and steel, aluminum, other metals. But also short were textiles, rubber articles, many another item.

Of manufacturers, 14.1% reported that their normal operations had been hindered by priorities or shortages—chiefly of metals...

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