Daily Post - 03.09.1943, Blaðsíða 2

DAILY POST
3U
Jeep At Any Price
Russians used them to whip artillery to the Stalingrad front
to crush Nazi tank attacks, British used them to scout, fight and
pursue Rommel 2,000 miles. U.S. troops had one waiting for
President Roosevelt at Casablanca. Everywhere the tough, square,
squat jeeps are bouncing the backsides of the United Nations.
Potentates and savages ride jeeps; soldiers regard them fondly,
pat their rugged sides.
DAILY POST Blaðahringurinn. ia published by Editor: S. Benediktsson. Offioe: 12, Austurairætí. Tel. 3718. Reykjavík. Printed by Alhýðuprentsmiðjan Ltd. Friday, September 3, 1943

America says...
Relatives and friends of the
men reported lost on the long
missing American submarine
“Perch”, were jubilant today.
For they heard that several, if
not all the members of the
crew were alive and prisoners
in Japan.
A Seattle radio operator
picked up a message from
Japan in which he said he had
heard Ensign Jack Clinton tell
listeners that the “Perch”
crew were rescued. Navy De-
partment officials said that a
man by that name — Ensign
Clinton — was listed as a
member of the “Perch” person
nel.
The “Perch” was reported
lost in the Java battle last
April.
* * ❖
■ The little Hoosier town of
Madison, Indiana — the home
of 7000 Americans soon will
rise to the zenith of fame.
The community of Madison,
which is situated on the oanks
of the Ohio River, has been
chosen by the United Staies
Office of War Information as
the typical American town. —
It will be filmed by Hollywcod
director Joseph Von Stern-
berg, and displayed as a typi-
cal example of Ameriean
democracy to all the liberated
territories.
The sound track carrying
the characteristic Jefferson
County Indiana lingo concérn-
ing the price of wheat and the
condition of the weather, will
be translated into 22 foreign
tongues.
* * *
Intcrnal Revenue. In New
Kensington, Pa., Aluminum
Co. of America Stenographer
Marjorie Jones was notified by
the U.S. Government that she
owed $10,000,089.25 in back
taxes, received eight proposals
the same day.
But the fondest pats of all
come from Willys-Overland
Motors, Inc., foster parent of
the jeep. To Willys the jeep is
a plug-ugly duckling who laid
a golden egg.
Back in 1933, Willys nose-
dived into receivership. In
1939 tall, round-faced, 200-lb.
Joseph Washington Frazer
came to Willys as president,
and general manager. To Joe
Frazer the auto business was
old stuff. At 20 he left Yale to
take a mechanic’s job with
Packard Motor Car Co. at 16c
an hour. He wanted to be in a
business “where everything
moved”. One of the fastest
movers was Joe Frazer. He left
Packard for General Motors,
switched to Chevrolet, left to
form the Pierce Arrow Finance
Co., settled: down for a long
stay with Chrysler Corp. But
Joe Frazer had always hank-
ered to r\m his own auto com-
pany, build his own car.
At Willys he borrowed fresh
capital, rebuilt his dealer or-
ganization. In 1939, Willys lost
$1,862,232, in 1940 another
$873,115. Then, when Army
Quartermaster Corps . cast
about for a midget reconnais-
sance car, Joe Frazer saw his
chance to cash in on Willys’
small-car making. By sweating
his engineers and production
men Joe Frazer soon had the
joy of seeing the Willys car be-
came the Army standard jeep.
CROPPER FOR FRAZER
The jeep helped tug Willys
into the profit column in ’41
for the first time in four years.
With 70% of its dollor volume
in jeeps in ’42, Willys totted
up $1,265,399 in net profits,
boosted its net to $1,347,949 for
the fiscal six months ending
last March 31.
With an eye on the postwar
world (and the jeep-conscious
soldiers who will buy cars) Joe
Frazer had tried—by splashy
ads—to make Willys and jeep
synonymous. For the first time
on his jeep joy ride. Joe Frazer
came a cropper. The Federal
Trade Commission " issued a
complaint against Willys. (The
eomplainant was not revealed,
but the complaint alleged that
the jeep idea was orginated by
the American Bantam Car Co.)
Willys was charged with mis-
representation in claiming that
it created and perfected the
jeep, in cooperation with the
Quartermaster Corps.
FACTS OF JEEPERY
Neither Willys nor Bantam
created and developed the jeep
by themselves. Bulk . of this
honor should rightfully go to
the Army. Interested in deve-
loping a small car to replace
motorcycles for reconnaissance,
the Army purchased an Austin
car to experiment with in
1933, continued experiments
with a Bantam. Having deter-
mined that it wanted a 1,300-lb.
car, the Army sent specifica-
tions to 135 manufacturers.
Bantam and Willys were the
only two who answered, and
Bantam received an order for
70 vehicles. The cars were pro-
mising but too light, so the
Army increased the weight to
about 2,200 lb., asked Bantam,
Willys and Ford Motor Co. to
build 1,500 each of the new
cars. The Willys design was
selected and the company was
given a fat order for 16,00.0.
To assure two sources of sup-
ply, Willys was instructed to
turn its design over to Ford for
manufacture. Bantam dropped
out. '
Joe Frazer and Willys have
gone on advertising, unabashed
by the FTC order, which they
answered last week. They de-
nied that they had violated any
FTC provisions' in advertising,
stated that the Willys ads had
been submitted to the Army
before publication and insisted
that Willys “in cooperation . .
with the Quartermaster Corps
originated the design for the
Reciprocity
T akes New F orm
Something new in the way
of reciprocal agreements has
been arrived at between the
U. S. and Canada. The new
understanding permits wheat
harvesting and threshing equip
ment-operators, to cross the
border to harvest the vitaL
grain in both countries.
In making the announce-
ment, the U. S. War Food Ad-
ministration, said American
farmers will submit orders for
threshing and harvesting;
equipment to county agricul-
tural boards. Officials will ar-
range with colleagues in Can-
ada, for entry of operators in-
to the United States. Ameri-
can crews who desire to work
in Canada will have their re-
quests handled in a similar
manner.
: ..•j
Spotlight
On Today
Reclassified. In New York, sc
man in gas mask, helmet and
civilian defense arm band ran
into Father Christopher J. Mc-
Cormack’s church during a ser
vice, shouted “This is a one-
way street,” blew his whistle
under his mask, ran out with
the worshipers after him, and
stopped all traffic at Avenue
B and 9th Street. Once an air-
raid warden, he had been.
dropped for inactivity.
❖ ijí ❖
Southern Courtesy. In Od-
essa, Tex., the Junior Cham-
ber of Commerce said it would.
urge the city council to pass an.
ordinance asking citizens ta
leave the “dam” out of “Dam-
yankee” as a courtesy to near
by Northern soldiers.
sji * *
What’s in a Name? At Fort
Meade, Md., an army pigeon
named Clarence got his wings
stuck with oil, walked ten mil-
es, delivei;ed his message.
jeep and did not copy it from
.... any other manufacturer.”
Hearings by FTC will be held
later. Joe Frazer and Willys
regard the matter as academic
— the Willys-designed jeep is
the only one being produced
in the U.S. today.