Television digest with electronic reports (Jan-Dec 1952)

11 Mobilization Notes: There’s a little more optimism at DPA-NPA these days over prospects for third-quarter materials allocations to civilian industries. Last December it appeared virtually certain there would be new cuts in materials allocations for third quarter on top of secondquarter cuts. Now, planners hope to hold the line, give out about same amount in third quarter as second. It’s much too early to be sure about this or plan on it — but their optimism for civilian goods stems from topechelon decisions to extend defense program into 1955. This means, however, period of shortages will last longer — peak of rearmament program won’t be reached in 1952, as mobilizers once planned. As result of this stretching of defense target dates, aircraft program is expected to turn back to DPA about 20,000,000 lbs. of aluminum for first and second quarters. Small part of this aluminum — perhaps 5,000,000 lbs. — will be redistributed to civilian industry, but biggest share will be “kept in the CMP system” to take care of overallotment in previous quarters. This week, NPA mailed CMP-4B forms for third quarter to all manufacturers of Class B products. They were warned to file them by March 1 “or run the risk of delayed or reduced allotments.” * * * * Tax-aided expansion of new electronic production facilities to cost more than $8,000,000 was approved by DPA Dec. 22-Jan. 18. Receiving certificates of necessity for accelerated tax amortization were these 18 electronics projects (amortized at 65% except where noted): Specialities Inc., Charlottesville, Va., aircraft fire control systems, $3,473,886; Superior Tube Co., Wapakoneta, Ohio, $2,038,600; RCA, Camden, $769,733; RCA, Los Angeles, $410,798; GE, Syracuse, $384,440; Weston Electrical Instrument, Newark, aircraft navigation instruments, $379,332; Western Electric, Winston-Salem, N. C., $232,215 (70%); Permoflux Corp., Chicago, $100,000 (70%); R. P. Bennett Co., Frederick, Md., $90,256 (75%); Librascope Inc., Glendale, Cal., Navy fire control equipment, $62,189 (75%>); Brush Development Co., Cleveland, $58,969; Pix Mfg. Co., Newark, $32,491 (75%r); A. B. Dick Co., Chicago, $30,432 (75%); Radiation Inc., Melbourne, Fla., research, development & production, $20,995; Daystrom Electric, Poughkeepsie, N. Y., $16,968 (75%); W. L. Maxson Corp., New York, $14,364 (70%); Magnavox, Fort Wayne, $3996 (75%); Loral Electronics, Bronx, N. Y., $3558. * * * * Complex new electronic weapons were displayed to Senators Feb. 5 by Defense Dept, as graphic illustrations of soaring cost of defense. Defense Secy. Lovett took wraps off Air Force’s secret K-l radar bombsighting system before joint session of Senate Appropriations defense subcommittee and Joint Congressional Economic Committee. K-l system costs $250,000, weighs a ton, and its components were displayed alongside famous World War II Norden bombsight, weighing 50 lbs. and costing about $8000. Lawmakers were also shown models of Army’s $275,000 radar-controlled “sky-sweeper” 90mm anti-aircraft gun and its $10,000 World War II manually operated 40mm counterpart. Lear Inc. will begin construction of 70,000-sq. ft. plant addition in Los Angeles within 6 weeks, doubling its plant capacity there. Manufacturer of aircraft electronics and navigation equipment will add 300-350 employes to present 300 within year. New building will cost about $350,000, fixtures and equipment $200,000. Beckman Instruments Inc. and associated Helipot Corp. and Arnold O. Beckman Inc., manufacturing precision instruments and electronic equipment in 14 small plants in South Pasadena area, combining them in 150,000-sq. ft. plant on 38-acre site near Fullerton, Cal. Small Defense Plants Administration, under Gen. Telford Taylor, this week took over most of the functions, money and personnel of NPA’s Office of Small Business by executive order of President Truman. Action climaxed tug-of-war between SDPA and Commerce Dept., which has jurisdiction over NPA. Among SDPA’s new powers are: (1) Authority to assist small business in setting up “production pools” in which a number of small concerns could jointly handle a contract too big for any one of them alone; (2) Authority to advise small business on Govt, financial aid and inform Govt, on availability and capacity of small firms for defense work. SDPA already had authority to accept prime contracts from other govt, agencies and farm out subcontracts, but no money was appropriated for this program. President Truman has asked $25,000,000 revolving fund for it. U. S. dependence on foreign mica may be ended by new method of forming tiny mica particles into continuous strips, GE announced last week. Vital material in capacitors, most mica has been imported from India, where labor to hand-split mica is cheap. GE’s new process treats ground-up mica so that an electric force holds particles together in sheets of .002 to .006 inch. Sheets are said to have better dielectric strength than machine and hand-laid mica. Capacitor manufacturers and mica fabricators told NPA last week that mica supplies currently are sufficient to meet military and civilian requirements, but quality is deteriorating and every effort must be made to use substitutes. They added that any sharp increase in military requirements for capacitors would impose severe strain on ability of manufacturers to meet them. New $22,000,000 research and development center will be started outside Ft. Monmouth, N. J. this spring or summer by Signal Corps. Five-story 6-wing building will be constructed on site of former Watson Laboratories of Air Materiel Command at Eatontown, will house all scientific work now carried on in widely separated Evans, Coles, Squier and Watson Labs. New process for coating selenium rectifier plates is being investigated by NPA. Developed by Schrack A.G. in Vienna, vacuum deposition process reportedly uses only 5-10% as much critically scarce selenium as is ordinarily required in rectifiers. Mutual Security Agency reports Schrack has completed installation of new equipment which increases its productive capacity tenfold. * * * * “International television”, starting with a western hemisphere hookup, was envisioned by Dr. T. T. Goldsmith, DuMont research director, in documentary program titled Television : A Passport to Peace presented Jan. 30 on WABD, New York, as part of third national conference of U. S. National Committee for UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization). Also on program was Dr. Allen B. DuMont. Last week, DuMont plant in E. Paterson was subject of Voice of America radio broadcast beamed to Japan, where TV interest has been heightened by plans for TV network next autumn; on-thespot broadcast was also recorded for rebroadcast over 114-station Japanese radio network. Ellis Gibbs Arnall, attorney, ex-Governor of Georgia, will take leave of absence from presidency of Independent Motion Picture Producers Assn, to serve as Price Administrator, succeeding Michael V. DiSalle, resigning Feb. 15 to seek Democratic Senatorial nomination in Ohio. DeForest Pioneers Inc., formed by veterans of radio fields who were associated with Dr. Lee DeForest, has elected E. N. Pickerill, president; Frank Hinners, v.p.; Emil J. Simon, treas.; J. Albert Stobbe, secy. Directors are officers and Dr. Allen B. DuMont and John V. L. Hogan.