WPB last week eased one of its oldest wartime rules, released the names and contracts signed by the ten top U.S. munitions makers. The list reveals that aircraft manufacturing is now the No. 1 U.S. war industry. WPB's list of Government orders placed from June 1940 to June 1942 (in millions):
General Motors $4,884
Curtiss-Wright 2,721
Boeing Airplane 1,885
United Aircraft 1,804
Consolidated Aircraft 1,560
Bethlehem Steel 1,495
Ford Motor 1,392
Douglas Aircraft 1,375
Lockheed Aircraft 965
Chrysler Corp 925
One important thing the list did not show: the size of the contracts of secondary war producers, such as big U.S. Steel. Another factor is the military strategy of more & more...
