Revving Up

Up to now, most of the facts about U. S. defense production have made dreary reading. People have been fed promises of future production until they were fed up, have had very little solid news of production now. Last week they had a satisfying mouthful of such solid news. The cautious Wall Street Journal added up the February output of the chief U. S. military aircraft engine makers (Wright, Pratt & Whitney, Allison). The totals: about 2,600 units, up 200 from January, up from a piddling 200-300 units since September 1939. Prospects were even brighter: 2,800 in March, 3,500-3,700 a month by July, 8,500 a month (or 100,000 engines a year) by April 1942.