Original Source Documents: September 26, 1940 - G4 - P. & E. Conference
Contributor: Robert A. Notman
Source: Dwight D. Eisenhower Library
P.& E. Conference. September 26, 1940.
The conferences were not held on the 24th and 25th, and Col. Aurand brought out three things of interest which occurred during the interval:
1. Col. Haislip and Gen. Moore are greatly concerned about going before the next Congress and asking for more money than we told them last year we were going to ask for equipment. Gen. Moore has directed Col. Aurand to prepare a CoS study, which Cols. Griner and Goodman are making collectively, to show that any increase is necessary and what is the cause of this increase.
The action on this study will be made inconclusive until all the Tables of Organization and TBA's have been revised and the Supply Arms and Services have recomputed their requirements. Only then can an exact figure of increased cost be determined and only then can a decision be made as to whether we should ask for more money or reduce our objective of 2,000,000 men to a lesser amount.
Col. Aurand stated that the impression has gotten abroad that he said we would have to reduce the amount below 1,400,000 objective. What he said was that we would either have to have more money or-reduce our requirements for critical items, it might be necessary to do that as low as 1,400,000. He asks that if anyone Years of the misunderstanding, please correct it.
2. Mr. Knudsen wrote Mr. Stimson a letter saying that Col. Aurand was getting up a time schedule and that he wanted to check it before it was made public. Mr. Patterson replied, Cols. Spalding and Aurand concurred, telling Mr. Knudsen that it wasn't a time schedule but a time objective, that it wasn't to be given out but was highly confidential, and that it wasn't ready and when it was he would be given a copy.
3. The third is the talks Col. Aurand has been giving before the American Legion and Congressional Hearing. He was given a directive to prove that the Army could accomplish certain things. Everybody is very well satisfied that these men are going to be clothed, that there are going to be enough hospital beds for them, and that they are going to get one shot at modern equipment for training.
G-3 has promised to get in touch with Col. Goodman today regarding ammunition for training. Col. Aurand is very anxious to have a complete study of all training ammunition shortages, not one item at a time. After the time schedule is out of the way, give training ammunition papers priority.
Col. Aurand stated that Col. Mallon has been asking why all the talk about extra work in G-4, and the sending back to the AG papers that shouldn't come to the Staff. That isn't what makes the extra work, but the questions of higher ups which can never be anticipated. We are faced with either keeping information for ready answers or with taking a long while to produce an answer. Either way it is a lot of work.
Col. Hoag went to Holabird yesterday afternoon to watch the trials of the Bantam car, of which 70 have, been ordered. He was very much pleased with its performance. It has an entirely new engine from the one that was in the commercial Bantam - it is really a military car. It is very rugged. It will be in Washington Sunday for Gen. Marshall and others to see.
The Bantam can be produced in quantity for around $600.00. It was stated that $900,000 has been set aside for motorcycles with side cars.
Lt. Col. Wood attended the International Business Machines demonstration. All the Supply Services have seen it and indicated a desire to have it set up in the installations, except Coast Artillery. There seems to be no place for it in the G-4 set up. With the machines, the Supply Services could furnish, almost any information asked for within a short while. It is not known when the installations can be completed.
It will cost about $700.00; in the large depots, about $600.00. The capacity of the machines is practically unlimited except for the card punching apparatus. Col. Aurand asked that this be followed up to keep posted on what the various Services have done.