During World War II, Detroit automakers stopped passenger car production and put all their resources into tanks, military trucks, jeeps and other war materiel. Now, some distilleries are bottling hand sanitizer, while Hanesbrands is making masks.
Though the law stems from the Korean conflict, it is the Second World War that perhaps more closely mirrors the global battle that has broken out against the coronavirus, which has spread to every continent except Antarctica and chased billions of people out of their workplaces and into their homes.
“It was not snap our fingers, we are going to build 100,000 aircraft,” said Field, who is now writing an economic history of the period and sees parallels to today’s struggle against the coronavirus. “Many manufacturers did not want to use their own funds to build specialized facilities and acquire special-purpose machine tools to manufacture goods that they knew would have a limited shelf life.
“They did it remarkably quickly in a matter of months, but it was not something you could turn on in a matter of days,” he said, adding that the pace could likely be sped by modern technology such as computer-aided design and modular construction . Wilson added that “great calamities” such as the Depression and World War II turned out to stretch for years, and authorities should not make the mistake of worrying about overproduction or waste and “not needing it in the end.” Field noted that whatever equipment healthcare providers do not need after the outbreak subsides could be stockpiled by the government for a strategic reserve.
“We had no domestic sources of natural rubber. That was a real potential catastrophe. It was close,” Field said, noting the government’s Defense Plant Corp. ultimately spent about $800 million to build 51 factories that were not privatized until 1955. Another faster way for the government to contract for what it needs, he said, is for the government to simply “throw money” at an industry, such as by designing and producing goods through pilot projects. “There are lots of different ways that the government can engage with industry to meet a need, some of these are really rapid,” he said.
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