Statement Announcing War Production Figures.

We ordinarily do not release production figures because they might give aid and comfort to the enemy. I am going to give today just a few which are definitely going to give the Axis just the opposite of "aid and comfort."

We are well on our way toward achieving the rate of production which will bring us to our goals.

In May, we produced nearly 4,000 planes and over 1,500 tanks. We also produced nearly 2,000 artillery and anti-tank guns. This is exclusive of anti-aircraft guns and guns to be mounted in tanks.

And here is a figure which the Axis will not be very happy to hear—in that one month alone we produced over 50,000 machine guns of all types- including infantry, aircraft, and antiaircraft. That does not include sub-machine guns. If we add those in, the total is well over 100,000. All these figures are only for one single month.

While these figures give you some idea of our production accomplishments, this is no time for the American people to get overconfident. We can't rest on our oars. We need more and more, and we will make more and more. And we must also remember that there are plenty of serious production problems ahead—particularly some serious shortages in raw materials, which are receiving the closest consideration of the Government and industry.