U.S. At War: Bedrock Living

The estimates transmitted herewith give the requirements of the bedrock standard of living.

So said energetic Joseph L. Weiner, WPB's Director of Civilian Supply, as he sent to Economic Stabilizer Jimmy Byrnes last week a report to answer the question: For the purposes of total war, just how much fat can be pared from the U.S. way of life?

Joe Weiner's answer was that U.S. civilians could play their part in total war with 68.6% of the goods and services they used in 1941. Civilians, he said, could carry on with 0.0% of 1941's jewelry and sterling ware, monuments and tombstones, passenger cars...