of Governor Herbert R. O'Conor 461,

recognizing that there will be tremendous demands upon us for war materials
of every kind, they still have so much confidence in our much-vaunted American
industry, that they believe that all industry has to do is to wave some magic
yand and these things -will appear in, the needed quantity.

You and other thinking persons know how. absurd this belief is. To any-
one at all conversant with developments in America during the past eighteen
months, it is apparent that, with all admitted experience in quantity, production,
with all our enormous supplies of raw materials;, despite our. great mills, pur
great automobile factories, our great industries of many kinds, we. have not
yet achieved anything like the defense production efficiency that will be neces-
sary to assure our complete safety.

Well may we thank the people of Britain that they have held the hordes of
Hitlerism at bay these many months, while we have slowly, and in many cases
even falteringly, labored to whip our industrial organizations into shape. Well
may we thank a beneficent Providence that an accident of geography provides
us a temporarily effective—and I emphasize the word temporarily—defense
against the sudden onslaught that has been Hitler's most effective weapon.

You will hear in a little while from a gentleman who is as thoroughly
conversant with America's production capacity and needs as any man in the
Country. I will leave to him the story of what must be done. I want to point
out here now, however, that we have arranged today's meeting, designed to
launch our District Councils upon their very important work, with the definite
view in mind of impressing upon every citizen of our State the enormity of
the problem of production that is facing our State and our Country, and the
utter and absolute necessity not only of finding the answer to this production
problem, but of finding it quickly.

It is not safe to count upon further prolonged periods during which we
can build up gradually the production required. Possibly we might be favored
with time to accomplish our industrial objectives without an all-out effort.
But it would certainly be ruinous for us should the anticipated attack upon
us come soon and find us as unprepared as we are even at this moment, after
our many months of preparation.

I consider today's meeting, which brings together representative citizens,
the responsible county and city officials of our State, the key industrial people
of Maryland, the women who have contributed so much to defense preparations,
—possibly the most important gathering in the State since the emergency
developed. It will convey to all here present, I believe, and in a way that will
be most impressive, the very disturbing fact that"we have much to do in the
way of production.

In the name. of the people of the State, I express gratitude for your
presence here today, confident in the belief that everyone is realistic enough
to want to know exactly how we stand nationally, and further to know just
how well Maryland is living up to its obligations in all respects. It is believed
that as a result of this meeting the people of Maryland, and particularly those