The Moving Picture Weekly (1916-1917)

-THE MOVING PICTURE WEEKLY -11 HE EAGLE'S WINGS" N interview with the noted author of 'The Eagle's Wings," written by PETER PEPPER But what then is the solution of the problem of supply? They decided that it lay in the organization of the productive facilities of our country tp make an adequate suppiy ot modern munitions at a moment's notice. Miller knows machinery, he also has a comprehensive idea of the productive capabilities of the country. He knew that, for example, watchmaking machinery, by very slight adjustment, is capable of turning out time and impact fuses. He knew that a machine which presses a mass of cold metal into an acid tank three feet long can be made to press out shells; that a milk can factory, if it is furnished with patterns and gauges, can make shell cases with very little change in its machines. He saw a flash of the possibilities, of a solution of the problem. If the great plants could be furnished with the necessary patterns and gauges, and their men trained to use them, they would be ready to make the shift at any time at short notice; and he realized that he had a big idea. "Miller coined the phrase 'Industrial mobilization,' and it was not long before big men became interested in his ideas, and lie was called to Washington by the United States Chamber of Commerce whlcn represents the business of itie United States, and is at the head of the 650 other Chambers of the country. Miller was put at the head of a committee of live to make a report to the Chamber, which was adopted and presented to Congress by them, urging that action be taken upon it. The President became interested, and the next step was the commencement of the listing of the industrial plants of the country, according to their capacity and their adaptation to the making of different kinds of munitions. Howard E. Coffin, the president of the Hudson Automobile Company, resigned at about this time to become the head of the Naval Consulting Board, which undertook the tabulation of the industries of the United States with this end in view. "The patterns and gauges, which will be supplied by the Board, are of the most minute, almost inconceivable exactness. Take the gauges for a 4.7 shell for example. They are two rings, which are of imperceptibly different sizes. You would swear that the two were the same size. But one must slip over the shell and the other must not. The shell must be mathematically perfect or the gun will be ruined — and twelve gauges, at least, are used on each shell! All this requires the greatest nicety in the setting of the machinery. The plan, at present, calls for tne giving, each year, of a small practice order to each plant for munitions, for the sake of the experience for their men. "One of the important points of the scheme of industria 1 preparedness is this. As we all know, in a war-scare, war is very likely to be boomed by the munition makers, who see a chance to make money, and see no further. Under this plan, however, the plants go over to the Government under lease in war time. The basis of the lease is determined in time of peace, and in consequence war offers no extra inducement to the owner, and there are no war profits. Another great point is the recognized fact that if we are known to be ready to turn out munitions, if we are in a position to make war, the possibilities of our having" to turn them out, to make war, grow smaller and smaller. "The scheme was well formulated when, one day, I talked with Miller about it, and was struck with its pictorial possibilities. "'Why,' I said to him, 'this will make a wonderful photoplay, and it is the very way to give publicity to the scheme.' "The question then was how to make it impressive lo the public, howto make the manufacture of munitions interesting to them. Here there were difficulties. The plants which were engaged in making munitions for the Allies were closed tight. No one was admitted to them under the terms of their contracts with foreign governments. There were our own Government arsenals, but how to get a camera into them? I decided to go to Washington and have a try for it. I had managed to get a great railroad for the 'Rule G' picture, and the Treasury Department for the 'Hop' picture, why not the War Department for a preparedness picture? "At first I found it impossible to reach a Cabinet officer. So I played canny. I went away again and talked to big men about the scheme. I went to a steamship man, whom I know, Rufus Steele, Author of "The Eagle'u Wings." who knows a railroad President, who knows a Cabinet officer. The steamship man said to me, 'Oh! It's no good trying to get the railroad president for a motion picture, because there is only one pictui-e that he ever saw or ever will see, and that was not about preparedness.' 'What was it about?' said I. 'I think it was about booze on the railroaos,' he said. 'I know that he was crazy about it, had a private showing at his house and invited hundreds of guests to see it.' 'Well,' said I, 'I wrote that picture.' 'By Jove!' said he, 'then you've landed him!' "At last I got to an important member of the War Department — no, I do not want to give his name. I told him the scheme, but at first he was all against it. He said il would be giving informatTon to the enemy to photograph the secret processes of the Government arsenals. " 'General,' I said to him, 'you know as well as I do, that as for the 'enemy', they know all about it already. But the people who do not know it, are the people of the United States, who have a right to know it.' " 'I see that,' he said. "I could have embraced him! " 'Which arsenals may I use?' 1 asked. " 'Which do you want?' said he, showing that I might have access to all of them. "I chose the three which I thought would be best fitted to our purpose. (Continued on page 27.)